What a US person can actually open in the UK
Some UK accounts open for a US citizen without fuss; some open with strings; some will not touch you. This is which is which, and the US tax rules that decide it.
Accounts, by type
Each page carries the verdict by provider, the conditions where there are any, and a link to the tax rule behind it.
Current accounts
Which UK current accounts open for US citizens, which add strings, and which decline. Verdicts by provider, with the FATCA reason behind each one.
Accounts 51 of 60 providers will take a US citizenSavings accounts
Which UK savings accounts accept US citizens, which ask for extra paperwork, and which say no. Per-provider verdicts and the reporting rules behind them.
Accounts 28 of 36 providers will take a US citizenCash ISAs
A cash ISA is tax-free to HMRC but not to the IRS. Which UK providers open one for a US citizen, and why the US still taxes the interest.
Accounts 17 of 46 providers will take a US citizenStocks & shares ISAs
Most UK funds in a stocks and shares ISA are PFICs, which the US taxes punitively. Which providers accept US citizens, and why the wrapper rarely helps.
Accounts 17 of 43 providers will take a US citizenBrokerage accounts
Most UK investment platforms decline US persons. The ones that accept you, what they let you hold, and the PFIC trap on UK-domiciled funds.
Accounts 29 of 49 providers will take a US citizenSIPPs
A SIPP can work for a US citizen, but most providers restrict what you can hold. Which SIPPs accept you, and how the treaty protects the wrapper.
Accounts 52 of 52 providers will take a US citizenMortgages
US citizenship is not a barrier to a UK mortgage, but US-source income and FATCA paperwork narrow the lender list. Which lenders work with US citizens.
Accounts 26 of 26 providers will take a US citizenCredit cards
A UK credit card needs UK credit history, not US citizenship. Which issuers accept US citizens, and how to build a UK file from scratch.
Accounts 7 of 7 providers will take a US citizenMulti-currency accounts
Multi-currency and money-transfer accounts that accept US citizens for holding dollars and pounds, and what FBAR reporting they trigger.
The tax rules behind the verdicts
Most refusals trace back to a handful of US rules. These explain why a provider says no, and why a tax-free UK wrapper often is not tax-free to the IRS.
FATCA
FATCA makes UK banks report accounts held by US persons to the IRS. It is not a tax; it is a reporting trail. Where it bites is access.
TaxFBAR
If your foreign accounts top $10,000 combined at any point in the year, you file an FBAR. What counts, when it is due, and what happens if you miss it.
TaxForm 8938
Form 8938 reports foreign financial assets on your US return. The thresholds for Americans living abroad are higher, and they are not the same as the FBAR.
TaxPFIC
Almost every UK-domiciled fund is a PFIC, taxed by the US at punitive rates with heavy filing. This is why US citizens hold individual shares, not UK funds.
TaxUS-UK tax treaty
The US-UK treaty stops most double taxation, but the saving clause lets the US tax its citizens almost as if it were not there. What survives the clause.
TaxISA US tax
The IRS does not recognise the ISA wrapper. Cash ISA interest and stocks ISA gains are taxable on your US return, and fund holdings drag in PFIC rules.
TaxSIPP US tax
The treaty generally lets a UK SIPP grow tax-deferred for US purposes, but the protection has limits. How the US treats contributions, growth and drawdown.
TaxUK Ltd, US owner
A US citizen who owns a UK limited company faces CFC rules, Form 5471, and GILTI on retained profits. Why a UK Ltd is rarely simple for an American owner.
How to trust this
Every verdict carries a source and a date, and anything not yet confirmed is marked as such rather than passed off as settled. Read how the data is checked, or why momo exists.
Common questions
Which UK accounts open for a US citizen?
Current accounts, savings accounts and mortgages are the open end of the market: essentially every provider checked here takes a US person. Investment platforms, stocks and shares ISAs and some SIPPs are the narrow end, where a large share of providers decline. Cash ISAs sit in between.
Why do UK banks turn away US citizens?
Because of FATCA, a US reporting law that requires non-US financial firms to identify US persons and report their accounts to the IRS. It is an overhead rather than a tax, and a firm with few American customers may decide the compliance is not worth carrying.
Is anything on this site financial advice?
No. momo is an information service, not a financial adviser, tax adviser or regulated firm. Acceptance policies and tax rules change and your own facts may differ from the general case, so confirm your position with a cross-border specialist before you act.