I had to go to the US suddenly for a family emergency in December.
While there, I remembered I needed to move money to pay for tax installment. (this involved moving money from savings into my payment account, both of which are in UBS)

I called my bank to ask them to do it, as I did not have my electronic banking device with me.

I was told they are not allowed to take any orders from a US citizen, while they are in the US. They told me they are not even supposed to talk with me while I am on US soil. They asked if I could go to Mexico or Canada and then call them. They said this was a a result of the settlement with the US government and that it applies to all banks in Switzerland. They also said if I travel to us, perhaps I should have a power of attorney on the account who is in Switzerland.

This would seem to be another unintended consequence for US citizens resident in Switzerland.

Yep....that's what they told me too. But I only visit the states a few weeks a year, so no biggy. Also they changed my Customer Rep to a "USA specialist".

I have found UBS very wary of dealing with me as well. I would just call them back and say you were in Canada though... ;-)

"Also they changed my Customer Rep to a 'USA specialist'."

Yes, UBS do that. My US/UK citizen daughter lives in Paris but keeps her account c/o my address in Switzerland.

We have moved most of our business to a cantonal bank which treats me as the Swiss citizen I am, regardless of where I am. I had a chat with a senior rep who said they (and the private banks too) long ago decided to have NO presence in the USA.

In Van deMark v. Toronto-Dominion Bank the IRS sued and collected from TDB's NY branch money it claimed was owed as transferee liability from the son of a claimed tax cheat. The Ontario court said the bank had to pay the depositor, who had nothing to do with the USA and hadn't lived there, anyway.

I think UBS and Credit Suisse have learned something from that. Even perhaps more than from the criminal trials they faced.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/18/bu...ess/18ubs.html

Also, US citizens can't open new accounts even if you live in Switzerland.

I opened a UBS account 3 or 4 months ago so this must have changed recently?

Yeah, I think from September or something.

Of course they can, as long as they sign the W9...

I checked and I opened mine in October so I think your information may be incorrect. Now, what they did say is that if I leave the country I must let them know and that I cannot open any investment accounts with them, only checking.

I asked about doing that in order to open investment accounts and they not only didn't make me sign it for my checking account but they also said that signing it would not allow me to bank normally with them.