Halifax Share Dealing Limited · DRN-5978314

The complaint Mr C complains that Halifax Share Dealing Limited, trading as IWeb Share Dealing, didn’t provide him with the information he needed to make a tax reclaim. IWeb Share Dealing is now known as “Scottish Widows Share Dealing” But, as it was known as IWeb when the matters Mr C complains about took place, I will refer to the business as IWeb throughout my decision. What happened Mr C has an execution only stocks and shares ISA account with IWeb. He holds a Spanish registered investment in his ISA. The dividends he receives have tax withheld. Mr C asked IWeb to supply him with a tax deduction certificate or dividend voucher so that he could reclaim the tax. IWeb told him that it didn’t get involved with tax reclaims. Mr C phoned IWeb to complain. He says he was told the information couldn’t be supplied and he later received a final response to his complaint saying that it had been resolved. He didn’t think he’d been treated fairly and referred his complaint to this service. Whilst we were investigating the complaint, Mr C found the information he needed in his IWeb account under “dividend history”. Our investigator concluded that IWeb should have directed Mr C to this information. She recommended IWeb pay Mr C £150 for the distress and inconvenience its poor service caused. IWeb said the dividend information was in the statement section of its website which is where he was referred to during his phone call. And that Mr C clearly successfully opened this. It didn’t agree to pay any compensation. Mr C said he didn’t know yet whether his claim to the Spanish authorities would be successful and that, if it wasn’t, he will have lost around €390. What I’ve decided – and why I’ve considered all the available evidence and arguments to decide what’s fair and reasonable in the circumstances of this complaint. Having done so, I agree with our investigator that IWeb provided poor service here. Its terms are clear that it doesn’t support reclaims for withholding tax on foreign securities. But Mr C was submitting the claim himself and asked IWeb, not unreasonably, to supply him with the dividend information to make the claim. He was told “we don’t get involved”. When he phoned to complain, and to ask for help, he was directed to the wrong statement, which didn’t show the tax withheld. IWeb suggested to us that to provide the information Mr C wanted would need the creation of a taxation department, so this isn’t a service it offers and this is reflected in its terms, and its costs and charges. But the information Mr C asked for was available in his account through the online portal. IWeb didn’t direct him to this and he found it by accident, after he’d

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referred his complaint to us. IWeb’s failure to provide help to Mr C when he first asked for the information and the failure to direct him to the correct part of his online account, caused distress and inconvenience. I agree with our investigator that compensation of £150 is fair and reasonable in the circumstances. Mr C told us he will have lost around €390 if his tax reclaim is unsuccessful. But IWeb isn’t responsible for the tax deduction and it isn’t responsible for claiming the tax back. My final decision My final decision is that Halifax Share Dealing Limited, trading as IWeb Share Dealing should pay Mr C £150. Under the rules of the Financial Ombudsman Service, I’m required to ask Mr C to accept or reject my decision before 19 March 2026. Elizabeth Dawes Ombudsman

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