Member Info for paradigm

Yes, disappointing share price at the moment. Bookings for transatlantic on QM2 seem buoyant enough judging by what was left for next April when I recently booked. This is in the face of marked price increases from last year.

I did wonder how the business was going when the adverts started appearing on LBC.

Been with both ATS and iWeb for many years. Had excellent service from iWeb at very low cost - a few complaints directed at ATS. Had been intending to move away from ATS due mainly to the high charges, clunky website, etc. - ATS are being taken over by ii.

Take a gentleman by his word.......take a cow by the horns.......

Interesting - contrarian views after all are what make the market!

Thanks Ken. Reckon we just have to live with the tax at source on divs in despite the agreements in place. I have found no problem with US/Canadian holdings (held in my own name) where submission of the W8-BEN forms achieve the reduced rate of tax without a problem.

I am also looking at topping up on IAG at sub £5.

I have some IAG in my iWeb Share Dealing account. The dividends are paid subject to 19% Withholding Tax as IAG is a Spanish company. However the UK has a double-taxation agreement with Spain which covers share dividends whereby only 15% tax should be deducted. I have been unsuccessful in persuading iWeb to complete the necessary registration in order that tax of only 15% is deducted in line with the Spanish/UK double taxation agreement. I cannot apply in my own name as the holding is in a nominee account held by iWeb. I suspect that all platforms are similar in this respect. Anyone with any solution to this? I don't think this applies to GLEN as the withholding tax rate is zero.

Only ever been with Cunard - several times now which is a recommendation in itself. Did the Fjords on the Queen Elizabeth - 127 miles inland at one point! Crossed the Atlantic to New York and back on the Queen Mary 2 last summer - really enjoyed the experience. There is so much to do on board, you will not get bored. 100 Carnival shares qualifies for an extra $250 on-board spend.

Yes, I saw this too - a single very large sell this morning.

Thanks - I'm sure you are correct in this!

I have just remembered that Burford is an AIM stock which would not be subject to stamp duty in any case! The issue of the taxation of dividends still applies however.

Thanks for the confirmation.

Regarding dividends, can you please say if you receive the benefit (via iDealing) of any double-taxation agreement the UK may hold with GG? It has been my experience that, e.g. my holding of IAG with iWeb (within my share-dealing account) does not benefit from the reduced tax payable at source through the double-taxation agreement the UK holds with Spain. iWeb indicate no hope of registering the pooled assets to reduce the tax rate, in this case 19% down to 15%.

Issue country being GG, can anyone confirm whether Stamp Duty is payable on Burford purchases?

Yes, but not particularly reflected in share price where there has been long term decline. I tend to think that new developments are likely to come from the mobile phone manufacturing companies looking for a competitive edge who are desperate to integrate new features and who also have the funds for development. There may still however be room to successfully market a niche application and I wish them well.

Sorry, 2018 !

Super. Incidentally there was an informative 4-page feature on Withholding Tax, "A Taxing Chore" in The Investor's Chronicle dated 26 October 2019. However, still leaves a few questions.............

Thanks for the suggestion Super. I have accounts (ISA & Share Dealing) with two of the lowest cost platforms and they both have a 1.5% Fx charge. My Canadian dollar dividends are quite large and the existing bank charges would actually be lower. Is there a UK platform which truly has no charges associated with foreign holdings/dividends? There is also the question of regular W8-BEN submissions to qualify for the withholding tax exemptions.

I have been very wary about ending up with Takeda shares and was 'relieved' to sell my entire Shire holding.

I have a Canadian share holding, originally in BRASCAN, which has now developed into at least four separate Brookfield company holdings with dividends paid in Canadian dollars. Check what your bank charges to handle and convert foreign dividend cheques or other forms of inpayments. At least I can hold a dialogue in English with Brookfield Registrars - some holdings have DRIPS open to foreign investors, others do not. Things would be fine if it were not for the high bank charges - anyone found a workable way round this?

At least Peter Young is reported to be retiring rather than moving on to other pastures.

Agreed! The basic principle of shorting is easy enough to understand, however the shares do have to be bought back again at some point and, market forces being equal (and often they are not!), the price should rise. To depress the price again for more buying back would require further selling (ideally in concerted action) which would be counter productive. Has always seemed a risky strategy to me and, as you say, easy to get wrong! Other events, general sentiment, etc. are likely to be more significant.