More details
This sharedealing service is based in the UK and is provided by HSBC InvestDirect International, part of
HSBC UK Bank plc - so your portfolio will be subject to UK taxation. The HSBC InvestDirect International
sharedealing service is available if you reside in the following countries.
Things you should know
You must be 18 years old.
The HSBC InvestDirect International sharedealing service is available if you reside in the one of the eligible
countries detailed above.
You'll need a Bank Account with HSBC Expat and
an HSBC InvestDirect International account before you can access
the service.
You'll need to read and understand the 'Important documents'.
Your HSBC Expat account(s) will be governed by the terms of business of HSBC Bank plc, Jersey Branch. These
include Section 3 setting out additional terms which apply to the HSBC InvestDirect International Portfolio,
provided by HSBC UK Bank plc and based in the UK. Your HSBC InvestDirect International Portfolio will be
governed by the terms and conditions of HSBC InvestDirect International.
You should note that if you incur an informal overdraft on your HSBC Expat account as a result of trading
shares, HSBC Expat will have the right, after asking you to correct the position, to instruct HSBC UK Bank plc
to sell a sufficient amount of your shares to cover the informal position on your HSBC Expat account and HSBC
UK Bank plc will act on that instruction and pass the proceeds of sale of the shares to your account with HSBC
Expat. We recommend that you read the Important documents before you apply.
HSBC Expat is a division of HSBC Bank plc, Jersey Branch.
HSBC InvestDirect International is an execution only sharedealing service and doesn't offer sharedealing advice
to anyone who uses the service. This service is offered without advice and as such, we are not required to
assess the suitability of this service for you. This means that the protection offered by the Financial Conduct
Authority rules on assessing suitability will not apply to this transaction.
How to trade
You can trade securely online - and check the value of your share portfolio by logging on to your HSBC
InvestDirect International account.
To buy or sell shares online, all you'll need to do is Log on to your HSBC Expat online banking and
click on your InvestDirect International account.
Before you can start trading, you'll need:
-
To open an HSBC
Expat Bank Account
-
To register for Online
banking
-
An HSBC InvestDirect International account, this will be the account you use to settle your trades and where
your Stocks and Shares will be held electronically in our nominee company. You'll still remain the beneficial
owner of the shares.
Your trading limit lets you buy and sell shares before any money is taken out of (or paid into) your HSBC Expat
Bank Account - so you can react quickly to new investment opportunities.
The HSBC InvestDirect International service is available 24 hours a day from Monday to Saturday, and from 6am on
Sunday.1
Fees and charges
We don't charge any annual management or inactivity fees.
UK equities: £14.95 flat fee
Euro-denominated shares: €21.95 flat fee
US shares: $24.95 flat fee
UK equities: £19.95 flat fee
Euro-denominated shares: €41.95 flat fee
US shares: $29.95 flat fee for orders up to 1000 shares, $0.03 per share for orders above 1000 shares
Standard trading taxes and levies also apply to trades and there is a charge for transferring stock out of
your
account. See below for details. Standard trading taxes and levies also apply to trades.
These charges are not set by HSBC and are therefore outside of our control. All other sharedealing charges are
set by HSBC
Stamp duty on UK equity purchases: 0.5%. (From April 2014 purchases of stocks listed on AIM and purchases of
UK
ETF units will be exempt from Stamp Duty Reserve Tax).
Stamp duty on Irish equity purchases: 1%
PTM Levy on UK equity trades over £10,000: £1.00 per trade
PTM Levy on Irish equity trades over €12,500: €1.25 per trade
SEC Levy on US equity sales 0.00221% of US trade value
French Financial Transaction tax: 0.2%
Italian Financial Transaction tax: 0.1%
We don't charge you to transfer any shares held by your broker to your HSBC InvestDirect International
account.
But there's a charge for transferring shares out of your account. Standard trading taxes and levies also apply
to
trades.
How to apply
Before you apply please read and complete the relevant forms detailed below:
Account Opening Guidance Document
IDI
Portfolio Form
Nationality Identifier Form
Form A
Form B
If you are having difficulty downloading the forms please call us to request an application form:
HSBC Premier customers call: +44 1534 616 313
HSBC Advance customers call: +44 1534
616 212
New to HSBC Expat? Find out more about our HSBC Expat accounts**
Please have your 10 digit PBN and six digit PIN to hand before you call.
Calls may be monitored and/or recorded for security and service improvement purposes.
**HSBC Expat Advance accounts are not available for new customers.
FAQs
Below is a list of the most frequently asked questions about the HSBC InvestDirect International sharedealing
service.
What investments can I trade in?
You can trade in most UK and Irish equities listed on the London Stock Exchange and in a range of UK Exchange
Traded Funds (ETF's). You can also trade in US stocks listed on the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ American
Stock Exchange.
When can I trade/access my HSBC InvestDirect International account?
You can access your Sharedealing account via Internet Banking. The HSBC InvestDirect International Account is
available 24hours a day from Monday to Saturday, and after 6am on Sunday. (We do maintenance work between
midnight and 6am on Sunday to keep the HSBC InvestDirect International website running smoothly.)
If you need help, the HSBC InvestDirect International customer services team is available from 7.30am to
9.30pm (GMT) Monday to Friday.
To contact HSBC InvestDirect from outside the United Kingdom call: +44 1226 261090* and from
within the United Kingdom call: 03456 080 848
Please have your 10 digit PBN and six digit PIN to hand before you call.
*Calls maybe monitored and/or recorded for security and service improvement purposes
If you place an order to buy or sell shares when the stock market is closed, your order will be sent
to the market the next trading day. There's a risk of higher price volatility if you place an order when the
market is closed, or near to its closing or opening time - so you should consider entering a price limit.
How do I know when my shares have been sold - and at what price?
When you log on to your HSBC InvestDirect International account, you can track the progress of your orders on
the 'Trade history' page. As soon as a trade is executed, you'll see the execution price. You'll also receive a
contract note to your sharedealing account shortly after trading.
What's a trading limit?
Your trading limit is an agreed 'settlement' limit that lets you trade up to a certain amount before any money
is taken out of (or paid into) your settlement account. When you open a Sharedealing account (HSBC InvestDirect
International account) we'll give you a trading limit of £10,000. If you want to change your limit, you can
send us a secure message via Online banking or call us on:
HSBC Expat Premier customer: +44 1534 616313
HSBC Expat Advance customer +44 1534 616212
*Calls maybe monitored and/or recorded for security and service improvement purposes
How do I apply for a trading limit?
You'll automatically receive a trading limit of £10,000 when you open an HSBC InvestDirect International
account. If you want to change your limit, you can call us on:
From outside the United Kingdom: +44 1226 261090*
Within the United Kingdom: 03456 080 848
Please have your 10 digit PBN and six digit PIN to hand before you call.
If you need help, the HSBC InvestDirect International customer services team is available from 7.30am
to 9.30pm (GMT) Monday to Friday.
*Calls maybe monitored and/or recorded for security and service improvement purposes
What are my dividend options?
When you apply for an HSBC InvestDirect International account, you'll be asked to choose how you want to
receive your dividends - either in cash or, where appropriate, as shares (scrip/stock dividends). If you choose
to take your dividends as shares, you'll receive the equivalent dividend value of shares in the same stock - and
we'll add these shares to your existing shareholding in your HSBC InvestDirect International account.
If you give us a standing instruction to always receive your dividends as cash or shares, you can change the
instruction for each dividend, but your standing instruction will be the default for future dividend payments,
unless you ask us to change it.
How will my dividends be paid?
Cash dividends will be credited to your HSBC InvestDirect International settlement account and cash in your
settlement account will be transferred to your nominated HSBC Bank International Limited bank account. If you
choose to receive your dividends as shares, we'll add them to your existing sharedealing account in your HSBC
InvestDirect International account.
You can see details of your dividend payments by logging on to your HSBC InvestDirect International account.
Or call HSBC InvestDirect from outside the United Kingdom call: +44 1226 261090 and from within
the United Kingdom call:
: 03456 080 848*
Please have your 10 digit PBN and six digit PIN to hand before you call.
*Calls maybe monitored and/or recorded for security and service improvement purposes
Can I transfer shares held by my broker to you?
Yes. It's free to transfer shares into your HSBC InvestDirect International account from your broker. All you
have to do is complete a share transfer form - and we'll contact your broker to arrange the transfer.
To download a share transfer form, log on to your InvestDirect International account, select 'Services' and
then select 'Share transfer'. You'll need to complete and return the form to us.
HSBC InvestDirect International lets you transfer:
over 1,300 shares on the main London Stock Exchange
over 150 shares on AIM
over 800 shares on NASDAQ
over 2,800 shares on NYSE
over 700 shares on AMEX.
If you're not sure whether you can transfer the shares held by your broker, you can send us the details in a
secure e-message from your HSBC InvestDirect International account. We'll check if they can be transferred - and
let you know as quickly as possible.
Will I get a fixed price quote on all my deals?
A fixed price quote is available for most UK shares, but only when the market is open. A fixed price quote may
not be available for all orders, particularly large orders. If you want to buy or sell a large quantity of
shares, you shouldn't split your order into a number of smaller orders so they can be executed with a fixed price
quote. This practice is in breach of stock market conduct and may result in your executed orders being cancelled.
If we're unable to give you a fixed price quote, your quote will be labelled '@ best' with a message 'The
price at which your order is executed may differ from the indication price'. The price you pay or receive
for your shares will be based on the market price available at the time of the deal, and may differ from the '@
best' price you've been quoted.
When I place an order to buy or sell shares, is the price I'm quoted guaranteed?
When you place an order to buy or sell UK shares, in most cases you'll see a fixed price quote on the order
preview screen. A fixed price quote is only available for UK share orders when the market is open. It may not be
available for all orders, particularly large orders. The fixed price quote system automatically compares share
prices from a number of market makers to ensure that the fixed price quote offered to you is the best price
available from any of these market makers for the size of your order at the time you're buying or selling your
shares. The price will be shown with the label 'fixed price quote' along with a countdown giving you 15 seconds
to confirm your order.
Fixed price quotes are not guaranteed. This is because the prices are sourced from third party market makers
who may withdraw the price - for example, if there has been market volatility in the 15-second countdown.
However, in most cases you'll receive the price you accepted when you confirmed your order. If your fixed price
quote is withdrawn, we'll contact you as soon as possible.
Are there any charges?
Yes. Standard trading taxes and levies also apply to trades and there is a charge for transferring stock out of
your account.
Charges for deals placed online
UK equities: £14.95 flat fee
Euro-denominated shares: €21.95 flat fee
US shares: $24.95 flat fee
Charges for deals placed by phone
UK equities: £19.95 flat fee
Euro-denominated shares: €41.95 flat fee
US shares: $29.95 flat fee for orders up to 1,000 shares, $0.03 per share for orders above 1,000 shares
We don't charge you to transfer any shares held by your broker to your HSBC InvestDirect International account.
But there's a charge for transferring shares out of your account. Standard trading taxes and levies also apply to
trades.
Trading taxes and levies
Stamp duty on UK equity purchases: 0.5%. (From April 2014 purchases of stocks listed on AIM and purchases
of UK ETF units will be exempt from Stamp Duty Reserve Tax).
Stamp duty on Irish equity purchases: 1%
PTM Levy on UK equity trades over £10,000: £1.00 per trade
PTM Levy on Irish equity trades over €12,500: €1.25 per trade
SEC Levy on US equity sales 0.00221% of US trade value
French Financial Transaction tax: 0.2%
Italian Financial Transaction tax: 0.1%
Other charges
Transfer securities to another broker/share certificate in your name |
£15.00 per line of stock |
Duplicate tax certificate, statement or valuation |
£15 + VAT |
Duplicate contract note |
£10 + VAT per trade |
Please note: Fees are subject to change at our discretion. You will receive a 30-day notice if any of
the fees are increased or if a new fee is introduced.
Can I reclaim tax that has been deducted from my non-UK dividends?
Your eligibility to reclaim tax deducted from your dividends will depend on the terms of any tax treaty between
the country where the tax was deducted and the country where you live. There's a wide range of tax treaties, so
we can't give specific advice on this. We recommend you speak to a tax adviser for further advice.
I'm not resident (or ordinarily resident) in the UK. Will I be liable for any UK tax?
In most circumstances, you won't be liable for UK tax on the income and gains from any shares you hold. This is
a very complex area, and your UK tax liability is determined by your place of residence and your place of
domicile. If you're in any doubt about your tax obligations, we recommend you get professional advice - or read
the HM Revenue & Customs guidance leaflet HMRC6
Where can I find details of tax credits on my dividends - and tax deducted from my dividends?
Following the end of each tax year, we'll send you a tax certificate with details of all the dividends you've
received during that tax year. Your certificate will also show the tax credits associated with UK dividends, and
any overseas tax deducted from non-UK dividends. UK tax residents will receive a tax certificate for the year
ending 5 April. All our other clients will receive a tax certificate for the year ending 31 December.
What is withholding tax?
Before dividend payments are made, they're often subject to a tax deduction. These are known as withholding
taxes. There's no withholding tax on UK dividends. Where a reduced rate of withholding tax is available to whole
classes of client, this will be claimed by HSBC InvestDirect International and reflected in the dividend payment
made to our clients. Where specific conditions have to be met for individual clients, tax will be deducted at the
standard rate, but a client may be able to reclaim some or all of the tax through their own tax authority.
What should I do if I change my country of tax residency?
Your tax residency determines the rate of US withholding tax you have to pay. It also determines whether you
can use our HSBC InvestDirect International sharedealing service. So you should notify HSBC InvestDirect
International immediately if your country of tax residency changes.
From outside the United Kingdom call: +44 1226 261090*
From within the United Kingdom
call: 08456 080 848*
Please have your 10 digit PBN and six digit PIN to hand before you call.
If you need help, the HSBC
InvestDirect International customer services team is available from 7.30am to 9.30pm, Monday to Friday, and from
10am to 4pm on Saturday. (We're closed on Sunday.) Please note that all times are Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
*Calls maybe monitored and/or recorded for security and service improvement purposes
What tax treaties will affect me?
The tax treaties that affect your tax liability will be those between your country of tax residency and the
country where your income originates.
Who is the IRS?
The IRS is the Internal Revenue Service of the United States Treasury. They impose certain obligations on us to
report the income of clients from the US.