UKC

Mum used to let my Dad do all the financial stuff... and (it turns out) has ignored it a little since his death.

Mostly that's fine and I've sorted it out.  However, she missed a deadline when a previously UK company de-listed and went to NASDAQ and now has three very modest holdings of shares that are only quoted in the US.

She's now had an almost unintelligible letter about US withholding taxes and has handed me the file.  We've agreed it would be best to sell them.

But how?

There are online brokers... but all seem to require a US bank account.

Is anyone familiar with the US process and can recommend the simplest way to dispose?  One holding is worth perhaps $400, the other two are sub $50 each (single share scrip dividends from way ago).  I'm not expecting to get much cash back to the UK (if any), just to tidy up an administrative mess.

Ideally the mechanism would be as unstressful for the holder (Mum) as possible.

Thanks

I have a trading account with Hargreaves Lansdown in the UK and am able to buy and sell US shares through that. I had to fill in a special form for trading US shares.

This, or similar. Contact HL and I am sure they will be able to sort it out for you.

Most UK brokers will be able to deal in US shares for you (e.g. Hargreave Lansdown etc).  You will have to fill in a W8BEN from (from memory, that's what it's called) which the UK broker will give you for the US tax authorities, but the UK broker should guide you through that.

For that sort of sum:

Contact your favourite US-based charity (or an international one with a US presence), and offer to make over the shares to them to deal with. 

Thanks all - very helpful.

For that value you will be wanting a shredder for both the file, the letter from the IRS and any future communications.

I'd forgottten: thanks for the prompt.  Try http://www.sharegift.org/

And if you gift the shares to a charity, I believe (IIRC) you should get some tax relief (if applicable) as well.