Open Side Menu Go to the Top
Register
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad

08-22-2011 , 06:12 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Prospace
Banks are international and require ss#. IRS special agents have instant access to #'s. Trust me I know.
Social security numbers are an exclusively US institution. They are not used outside the US whatsoever.
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 06:18 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Foucault
Aside from the fact that you'd rather not pay taxes, what is it that you all find so ridiculous about this?
Why do you pay taxes? For government services obviously. Protection, health care, road systems, water works, etc.

When you're living abroad the US provides you nothing whatsoever anymore, yet you're expected to continue to file with them. Its simply illogical. The US is one of the only countries that requires all their citizens to file/pay taxes regardless of their residency. And now they're taking it one step further by demanding you file even if you owe nothing and will try to take money from you if you don't. I don't mean to engage in hyperbole but that is really starting to become an extortion racket similar to the ones run by the mafia. The government is demanding money for services they don't actually provide you anymore. All you get for your payment is protection from the government itself.

There's also the not entirely minor problem somebody else already mentioned. Poker players are not welcome in the United States due to religious fundamentalists taking over Washington, yet the US still wants their cut of our profits even if we're forced to live elsewhere in another country that's happy to have us. They don't want us but they want our money. That is taxation without representation and was one of the biggest driving forces behind the American revolution.
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 06:21 AM
Well I hope you are all happy with yourselves now. We told you independence was a bad idea, but of course nobody listened, and this is where you end up.

If you had have stayed with us Brits America would be exactly the same as it is (except maybe you would have a more refined taste in clothing/the arts/better manners etc), but you would be free to gamble your merry little hearts away with minimal intrusion from the state. Certainly nothing as demeaning as taxation.

Think twice next time.
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 06:45 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flip-Flop
Lol, where do I start.
Actually I don't think it's worth my time, I'll pass.
I'll say this though:
ITT: Non-US citizens are actually angry about how hard americans are getting raped and the rapees instead of being furious they actually take it in the pooper with a smile and even argue with us...
Amazing
There's something about the American mentality, speaking as an American myself. So many people simply refuse to help themselves here or pursue what is in their own self interests. Perhaps they cannot figure out what is in their own self interests. The example I love are the numerous individuals earning less than 40k a year yet who are strongly politically active in favor of tax cuts primarily geared at people earning millions, while those same millionaires simultaneously vote to strip away social programs benefiting the people earning < 40k a year in no small part to compensate for the cost of their tax cuts. And if you point this out, you must be a tree hugging socialist which is of course just a hair away from a gay communistic anarchistic terrorist Satanic Muslim. God bless America.
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 06:47 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Do it Right
And if you point this out, you must be a tree hugging socialist which is of course just a hair away from a gay communistic anarchistic terrorist Satanic Muslim. God bless America.
Don't hate!
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 07:25 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas Chuck
No other citizenship is worth more than American citizenship still is in spite of all our failings--death penaly, high incarceration rates, poor wealth distribution, substandard education, racial strife, online poker ban, etc...
This ammount of ignorance is just sad
I wonder what exactly needs to happen for people like Texas Chuck here to wake the **** up?

Last edited by SGT RJ; 08-22-2011 at 01:00 PM. Reason: Don't evade the profanity filter
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 08:33 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flip-Flop
I wonder what exactly needs to happen for people like Texas Chuck here to wake the f@#k up?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Median_household_income

US still has very high median income. Median income is a good indicator of the chance for a "Joe Nobody" to achieve a prosperous lifestyle.

The US has a huge waiting list (currently 4+ years with lottery unless you have a "special relationship) for immigration so "supply and demand" currently indicates the world values the chance at residency. While residency isn't the same as citizenship for most people it is a pre-requisite.

I think it is funny (sad) that so many people think the US is some 3rd world country yet millions of people wait years for just the chance of coming here, millions more do so illegally, and millions more would come if they simply had the chance. I guess all those millions got it wrong and continue to get it wrong year after year after year.
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 08:53 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by DeathAndTaxes
I think it is funny (sad) that so many people think the US is some 3rd world country yet millions of people wait years for just the chance of coming here, millions more do so illegally, and millions more would come if they simply had the chance. I guess all those millions got it wrong and continue to get it wrong year after year after year.
It's just a rich third-world country.
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 12:16 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flip-Flop
This ammount of ignorance is just sad
I wonder what exactly needs to happen for people like Texas Chuck here to wake the **** up?
Lol at ur reading comphrension. You name the country where being a citizen has more raw/intrinsic value--u cant or u would have. That doesnt make us better people. I repeat for the billionth time--it doesnt make us better people. Stop being so freaking sensitive.

Last edited by SGT RJ; 08-22-2011 at 01:00 PM.
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 02:38 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by DeathAndTaxes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Median_household_income

US still has very high median income. Median income is a good indicator of the chance for a "Joe Nobody" to achieve a prosperous lifestyle.

The US has a huge waiting list (currently 4+ years with lottery unless you have a "special relationship) for immigration so "supply and demand" currently indicates the world values the chance at residency. While residency isn't the same as citizenship for most people it is a pre-requisite.

I think it is funny (sad) that so many people think the US is some 3rd world country yet millions of people wait years for just the chance of coming here, millions more do so illegally, and millions more would come if they simply had the chance. I guess all those millions got it wrong and continue to get it wrong year after year after year.

here it is a comparison made in 1991 between the U.S., Northern Europe, Canada and Japan that Americans should look instead of just income (now add to these statistics the wars, the debt, the printing of money, the patriot act, guns control, the crysis, black friday, etc,etc)

http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/8Comparison.htm




If I lived in most of these countries I would love to come to the U.S.


"We thought it would be interesting to share with you this list. This is taken from statistics compiled from the U.S. Department of State’s website. For each country, the list includes the total number of legal immigrants who received green cards last year, whether from being issued immigrant visas overseas or from having their status adjusted in the U.S. It includes family-based and employment-based immigrants, and even special immigrants and diversity-lottery immigrants.

The results were pretty much what were expected, with a couple of surprises. Can you guess which country is # 1 in sending immigrants to the U.S. last year? Hint: it’s a neighbor of ours

Here is the complete list with the number of legal immigrants in 2008:

1. Mexico (166,271)

2. India (64,857)

3. China (60,720)

4. Philippines (53,171)

5. Vietnam (39,915)

6. Dominican Republic (33,230)

7. Pakistan (25,972)

8. Haiti (24,726)

9. South Korea (23,077)

10. El Salvador (17,193)

The amazing thing about this is that 4 out of the top 5 countries sending immigrants to the U.S. are in Asia. In fact, 6 out of the top 10 are in Asia, with the remaining 4 countries in North and Central America and the Caribbeans, with of course, Mexico is #1, which is not really much of a surprise.

What about our other neighbor, Canada, you might ask? Well, not even close. It’s 18th on the list. As for Great Britain? A measly 20th. In fact, no other country in Europe even cracks the top 20. One country in Africa made the top 20, Nigeria, in 16th place.

In the 19th century and early 20th century, immigration to the U.S. was mostly composed of immigrants from Europe. However, beginning in the mid-1960s, most immigrants have come from Latin America, Asia, and Africa."
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 02:46 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Luso4ever

The amazing thing about this is that 4 out of the top 5 countries sending immigrants to the U.S. are in Asia. In fact, 6 out of the top 10 are in Asia, with the remaining 4 countries in North and Central America and the Caribbeans, with of course, Mexico is #1, which is not really much of a surprise.

not that amazing when you consider its worth it for the people in Asia/poorer countries because they get a huge upgrade in quality of life and chance to make decent money while in canada/europe its not worth the hassle to uproot to USA for a slightly better situation.
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 03:06 PM
Not sure it is a slightly bnetter situation in the US v Europe tbh but whatever...
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 03:18 PM
Some interesting stats on that page. This one has to hurt! Ouch!


Average paid vacation per year:

Finland 35.0 days
Germany 30.0
France 25.5
Denmark 25.0
Sweden 25.0
United Kingdom 25.0
Netherlands 24.0
Switzerland 22.0
Norway 21.0
United States 12.0
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 03:47 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Geof11061
Some interesting stats on that page. This one has to hurt! Ouch!


Average paid vacation per year:

Finland 35.0 days
Germany 30.0
France 25.5
Denmark 25.0
Sweden 25.0
United Kingdom 25.0
Netherlands 24.0
Switzerland 22.0
Norway 21.0
United States 12.0
UNITED STATES should be 7.0 NOT 12.0. Most companies only allow one week which is 5 days vaca after the first year. 2 weeks (10 days) vaca after 3 or 4 years and thats it. That number is way off.
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 05:01 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by chok1
UNITED STATES should be 7.0 NOT 12.0. Most companies only allow one week which is 5 days vaca after the first year. 2 weeks (10 days) vaca after 3 or 4 years and thats it. That number is way off.
I think it is looking at all paid time off. Most employers have 5-7 holidays (new years, memorial day, labor day, independence day, thanksgiving, christmas, , etc) plus vacation.

If you call it vacation time or holiday time isn't real material. Still that Finland 35 would be nice!

Last edited by DeathAndTaxes; 08-22-2011 at 05:06 PM.
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 05:16 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by starvingwriter82
FYM
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 05:43 PM
i thought this was standard? you cant just leave the country, have your rights and not pay your taxes lol

not to say that our taxes arnt outrageously high...
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 05:47 PM
Yes our government is collecting way more from the disadvantaged than it is from the super wealthy.

The good news is that it is also taking the necessary steps to insure that the dollars we pay are becoming more and more worthless all the time!

So, in a sense, we are paying less and less! And the super rich, who have nearly all the dollars are losing more and more value all the time.

USA! USA! USA!
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 05:51 PM
Oh yeah? Well, my country can beat up your country, so there! :P
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 05:54 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flip-Flop
Just give up your US citizenship and gtfo of that tirany, while you still can.
You still have to pay taxes even if you give up your citizenship fyi
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 05:55 PM
i mean i hate taxes as much as the next person and I think there are many holes in the US gov. But the fact is if you want roads/infrastructure, military protection and a million other things the US govt wastes tax dollars on you have to pay them. If not, vote for Ralph Nadar like I did

and I love how people from outside the US always say how arrogant Americans are (probably true as a group) but they are usually the same people listening to american pop music, drinking american beer, watching american films etc... get a clue about the fuel you are feeding the the fire before you bitch about it being too hot.
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 08:03 PM
I'm European and when I was younger I used to love everything about Americans and all that they represented but the truth is that in the last 20 or more years your country has gone down and down (especially in the Bush years) and the more I know about how things are done there the less I like what I see and it would be one of the last countries I would ever choose to live in, thats for sure

American beer???? I never knew it was that famous

American Films??? have you seen the oscars lately LOL (they used to be great but now most films have too much smoke but almost no fire)

American pop music it's the only thing that it's still good but imo even that used to be better

There is still a lot of good stuff in the U.S. but you have been overtaken by the corporations and their lobbies and they are the ones that really make the rules and when that happens there is only one side that looses on the long run and thats the people (the sad thing is that the American model has been imported, partially at least, to other countries, namely European ones, but things here are a little bit more difficult to pass as normal stuff because we at least had a lot of superpowers in the past and we know how they started and how they ended, and that gives us a little edge over you)

I don't even want to start talking about your media news, thats the biggest joke ever

I don't think Americans are arrogant, they just should travel more to other countries that aren't right next to them in order to have a real feeling of what happens there and experience other realities with an open mind

Taxing a citizen that isn't living in the country is just another unbelievable thing that only Americans could have invented and accepted, LOL

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/ta...-single-worker

"In addition to being complex and uneven, the United States corporate tax code is inefficient and has become a diminishing source of revenue. Corporate taxes accounted for about 9 percent of all federal revenue in 2010. At $191 billion, they were equal to 1.3 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product. Most industrial countries collect more from companies, about 2.5 percent of output. Only a portion of that disparity can be explained by the many types of businesses in the United States that elect to be taxed at an individual rate."

full article here
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/bu...y/03rates.html
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 08:12 PM
lol america
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 08:23 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by tobikosan
Yes our government is collecting way more from the disadvantaged than it is from the super wealthy.
The good news is that it is also taking the necessary steps to insure that the dollars we pay are becoming more and more worthless all the time!

So, in a sense, we are paying less and less! And the super rich, who have nearly all the dollars are losing more and more value all the time.

USA! USA! USA!
Cite please for the bolded, exceedingly ignorant statement.
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote
08-22-2011 , 08:46 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Luso4ever
I'm European and when I was younger I used to love everything about Americans and all that they represented but the truth is that in the last 20 or more years your country has gone down and down (especially in the Bush years) and the more I know about how things are done there the less I like what I see and it would be one of the last countries I would ever choose to live in, thats for sure
Yes, that is "the truth" -- the USA sucks. Let us know of any updates to your opinion, especially after you manage to actually visit the country. We await with bated breath.

Now that we have that over with, not derailing this thread with silly stereotypes and xenophobic nonsense would be good.

Last edited by moki; 08-22-2011 at 08:52 PM.
PSA! Important Tax Rules Changing for Americans living abroad Quote

      
m