Some time ago,

when I was a studying in the UK,

I had opened a personal bank account in NatWest.

After I have finished my studies I have left the UK and I live in Europe now.

I have not used my bank account since then until a few months ago when I have made one purchase.

I have recently received a letter from NatWest where it says

"We need your confirmation about where you're a tax resident".

I have not received anything similar before.

It starts by saying the following:

"We've a legal requirement to identify your tax residencies.

This is because the United Kingdom Government has signed international agreements to share information for tax reasons.

This information can include name, address, tax number, account number(s), gross amount of interest paid/received and the balance or value of the account(s)."

Then there is an individual tax status declaration form provided,

which I have to fill in (I am not allowed to post links, hence you can find this form by typing Tax_Status_Declaration_Form_Individual.pdf in Google).

I really don't like the third part of it where I must give my permission to share all the data NatWest has about me to any interested party.

What can I do about it?

Do I have an obligation to sign this form (in that letter it says "Can you please respond within 30 days.", so I don't see any direct obligation if I am understand it correctly).

Can I just close my account to avoid signing that form?

Can I do it from abroad?

You can close the account if you wish. If you don't do this in person, i think you have to send proof of identity. Contact NatWest and they will explain the process.

I think Banks are required to obtain such information, when the account holder is living outside of the UK. Without the information NatWest might well have to close the account, so you should contact them about this. Also contacting NatWest might ensure that the request is genuine and not a letter from possible fraudsters trying to get your Banking information.

I wouldn't see a huge problem if they asked my permission to share my "name, address, tax number, account number(s), gross amount of interest paid/received and the balance or value of the account(s)" as they stated in the beginning. But it turns out they want to get my agreement to share any information they have with any party interested. I feel it is too much to ask for.

I have only found it saying that "To close a Personal or Business current account you will need to visit your local NatWest branch". I will try to contact them tomorrow about this.

By the way, what do you think will happen if I don't respond within 30 days? Will they fine me, close my account etc.? I would love to keep my account, but not at the cost of compromising my privacy.