RetireJapan

I didn’t know that the short birth certificate was not acceptable; that is all I have. Hmm. Had a quick look at the ordering link (Scotland for me). Seems you don’t need to provide a scrap of I.D to get it sent to you. So anyone could order anyone’s. So why in heaven’s name do HMRC, who have access to myriad records about me, need to see it? My Japanese missus will also be claiming a U.K. pension, will HMRC know if the family register is enough for them…?

Beaglehound wrote: ↑Mon Jun 05, 2023 8:38 am I didn’t know that the short birth certificate was not acceptable; that is all I have. Hmm. Had a quick look at the ordering link (Scotland for me). Seems you don’t need to provide a scrap of I.D to get it sent to you. So anyone could order anyone’s. So why in heaven’s name do HMRC, who have access to myriad records about me, need to see it? My Japanese missus will also be claiming a U.K. pension, will HMRC know if the family register is enough for them…?

Sorry, it seems I overapplied the statement that the short birth certificate has limited acceptance for official purposes. (I've needed to order a full one for UK consular birth registration of my children, and I think for my first Japanese spouse 'visa' from the embassy in London, if memory serves me correctly.) Claiming the UK state pension *might* be one of the few cases where the short version is accepted, as the purpose appears to be proof of age.

A government response on the purpose of the short certificate: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ ... irth_certi

Re anyone could order anyone's... this might prove useful for Japanese IHT if people need to provide evidence of kinship to prove the existence and relationships of statutory heirs.

Re will HMRC know if the family register is enough... I don't think they'd give a sensible answer on this point. But the purpose of the request for the birth certificate appears to be official proof of age. If in Japan at the time you require documentation, it should be easy to obtain a 'birth notification acceptance certificate', a translation thereof which *should* provide the information HMRC are asking for. But, since the claim form also asks for documentation proving marital status in most instances... a 'Certificate of All Matters', as a full record of a family register is usually translated as, would contain information about your wife's birth and marriage.

Thanks Kuma, useful info there. It is still a fair few years off so I will stop thinking about it for now; as you said earlier, the requirements may change in future anyway.

RetireJapan wrote: ↑Mon Jun 05, 2023 7:02 am

kuma wrote: ↑Mon Jun 05, 2023 6:56 am Re the acceptable professions to authenticate a photocopy of a birth certificate, have you ever seen such a restrictive list elsewhere?

I am ordained so can serve

Doctor might be the best option for many people, assuming you can find one willing to sign some weird foreign document...

You can order as many Certified Copies of your UK Birth Certificate as you like directly from the GRO
https://www.gov.uk/order-copy-birth-dea ... ertificate
Get one for each member of your family, as they might need it some day...

RetireJapan wrote: ↑Mon Jun 05, 2023 5:52 am

Beaglehound wrote: ↑Mon Jun 05, 2023 4:43 am And here was I believing actually claiming the pension might not be too arduous a process…that overseas claim form looks a beauty! At least I won’t have to navigate it for at least 14 years, and it makes me think there is some upside to death in the interim

What the cursed hell is this thing?

I have no idea about most of the things they are asking about, and I'm only 45. How am I supposed to fill this in when I'm 70????

My original birth certificate? What the hell? I don't trust them to answer the phone, why would I send them the only copy I have of an important document?

Every holiday to the UK? How am I supposed to have that information?

Every address I have lived in the UK? Hah!

Oh my - this looks hellish! Who on here is first up to attempt it? Would be very interested to see how it goes! I'll be doing in in 2037 - anyone doing it in the next few years?

goodandbadjapan wrote: ↑Tue Jun 06, 2023 5:56 am

RetireJapan wrote: ↑Mon Jun 05, 2023 5:52 am

Beaglehound wrote: ↑Mon Jun 05, 2023 4:43 am And here was I believing actually claiming the pension might not be too arduous a process…that overseas claim form looks a beauty! At least I won’t have to navigate it for at least 14 years, and it makes me think there is some upside to death in the interim

What the cursed hell is this thing?

I have no idea about most of the things they are asking about, and I'm only 45. How am I supposed to fill this in when I'm 70????

My original birth certificate? What the hell? I don't trust them to answer the phone, why would I send them the only copy I have of an important document?

Every holiday to the UK? How am I supposed to have that information?

Every address I have lived in the UK? Hah!

Oh my - this looks hellish! Who on here is first up to attempt it? Would be very interested to see how it goes! I'll be doing in in 2037 - anyone doing it in the next few years?

I imagine some on here must already have undergone it. Whether they survived it is another matter. If current pension ages stay the same I will be doing it the year before you. Will keep you posted

Deep Blue wrote: ↑Sun Jun 04, 2023 3:54 am You will be subject to Japanese rather than UK tax on your pension income.

You can read up on the subject here

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... x-treaties

Thanks for a clear response, the government publications don't make for easy reading though

Hi everyone,

sorry for not picking up on these replies for a while. More urgent messes have needed cleaning up.

Wow it certainly seems I opened a box full of cans of worms !!!

I'll try to get back to each of you individually, but for now a general thank you to everyone who has responded.

Sarge

Tkydon,

thanks for the info, good confirmation that I am taxed in Japan even on UK pension.

A lot of reading there that I haven't got round to yet.

Gen Question.

For the last 10 years I have been filling out online tax returns for the UK. There has never been much income to report but I still have to fill out the whole form for both me and my wife. Do I need to keep doing this ?

thanks, Sarge

Adamu,

thanks for the info

Sarge