(edit title) Depositing a US dollar check Has anyone done this? Options

[RAFS]

I might be getting a refund of some USA tax from the IRS. Without a US bank account the only way to receive it is by check! Can I actually deposit a US check (which will be in USD obviously) into a Swedish bank account? I'm with Handelsbanken and have asked them, but got no response so far. Could open an account elsewhere if needed.

Alternatively does anyone know a trustworthy service that will provide a resident of Sweden with a US bank account number that can receive this payment?

[gsurya]

I assume you still have a bank account in the US? Deposit it there and then transfer the money here. It is far easier to also explain to IRS and Skatteverket.

[Svedallas]

I might be getting a refund of some USA tax from the IRS. Without a US bank account the only way to receive it is by check! Can I actually deposit a US check (which will b ... (show full quote)

I might be getting a refund of some USA tax from the IRS. Without a US bank account the only way to receive it is by check! Can I actually deposit a US check (which will be in USD obviously) into a Swedish bank account? I'm with Handelsbanken and have asked them, but got no response so far. Could open an account elsewhere if needed.

Alternatively does anyone know a trustworthy service that will provide a resident of Sweden with a US bank account number that can receive this payment? ... (hide full quote)

Sweden does not accept checks.

If you got no response, is because it checks is not a system we use. Only bank transfer.

[Saywhatwhat]

You will lose a small percentage but you can cash a check at a currency exchange. But then you will run into the problem of depositing cash at the bank perhaps... maybe take a picture of check first and keep receipt from exchange to show bank?

[RAFS]

You mean places like forex.se ? I actually have a credit card with them but didn't think to ask them. I'm fine with getting the money as cash, but how would that work - wouldn't they have to wait a month or more for the check to clear first?

[Saywhatwhat]

[RAFS]

I think they're talking about traveller's checks there - but sure, I will ask.

[Hanna Denize]

When I received an Australian check, I deposited it at the Handelsbanken's counter. They were first a bit confused and unsure about it but after a few calls here and there, they accepted the check. Handelsbanken took 250,00 kr charge for the service and it took several days before the amount appeared on my account because Handelsbanken had to contact the issuer of the Australian check first.

[RAFS]

Interesting! I finally called Handelsbanken today and was told (rather reluctantly) that they *might* be able to deposit a US check, but they'd have to look at it to be sure (!) and the fee would be 1000 SEK! (Plus currency conversion mark-up, no doubt)

[joshr]

Do a third party endorsement and give it to someone that you trust in the USA, then use a service like Transferwise to get the money.

https://www.moneyinstructor.com/wsp/endorse.asp
https://firstquarterfinance.com/list-of-ban...d-party-checks/

Far easier than dealing with it here.

[RAFS]

I've never endorsed a check (that seems to be a USA-only thing), but from your link it seems like that would require me to go in person to the bank with the new payee, so they can verify that it's really the original payee endorsing it. That makes sense - how would some bank that's never heard of me verify my signature otherwise? I have no plans to travel to the USA, however.

I may have found a solution, though! I opened a TransferWise Borderless account, which gives me a USA bank account number. According to their support people have had success with getting tax refunds in that account, so hopefully it works. If not I'll just have to pay the bank fee to deposit the check!

Payoneer also allows getting a US bank account number, but they explicitly prohibit using it to receive tax refunds. (Yes, I've spent a lot of time on this! I hope I get that refund!)

[joshr]

You can do it via the post- I did it many times when I lived in the US.

A properly endorsed check is essentially the same as cash. The bank receiving it though may wait for it to clear before allowing the person to take out the funds.

[Bsmith]

You would think in this modern age of money transfer that this would be no problem for any bank. You would think...

[joshr]

[RAFS]

No, it's the people that want to get money from the IRS that have the problem.

How would endorsing a check via post work though? How does the bank check the signature of the endorser?