jeffandgop

Need to replace 9-year old iMac. Would like recommendations of Window-based alternatives...principally used for streaming, and not gaming.....

At my house Maejo area 

On 3/13/2019 at 9:10 AM, jeffandgop said:

Here's an update to my original post...

 

Having still not received my refund, and being no change to the IRS "Refund Status" webpage ("In Process") after filing electronically 6 1/2 weeks ago, today I called the IRS' International Taxpayer assistance line; and to my surprise almost immediately got a live person to ask for my status...after waiting on hold for about 7 minutes, she told me that the IRS had made some sort of error when processing my return, and on 4Feb the IRS "re-processed" my return...and this resulted in the delay; and I needed to wait 6-8 weeks after their "re-processing" date (4Feb) to receive my refund (direct deposit).....

No more than 4 hours after I provided the update above, a letter from the IRS arrived in my mailbox.  The letter advised that my tax return had been flagged for possible identity theft, and I was required to call the telephone number provided to confirm my identity and verify I had indeed filed the tax return they had in hand; until such time I had called to confirm my identity the tax return was NOT going to be processed and no refund would be forthcoming.

NOTE that the date on this IRS notification letter was 12 Feb- 8 days AFTER the IRS agent had told me during my call earlier that day that my tax return was in process.

I called the IRS's identity verification hotline and confirmed with the agent my identity and tax return details. My tax return was flagged due to the reporting, for the first time, Social Security income on my tax return.  This IRS agent also stated that the information I was provided by the other agent was totally incorrect.  I was then told that my tax return would now be processed and to expect a refund within 9 weeks since it was being manually processed.

Today the IRS's "Refund Status" webpage reported I would receive the refund in my bank by the middle of this week.

Outside my home in Maejo 

Sent OP Thep’s tel by PM

Here's an update to my original post...

Having still not received my refund, and being no change to the IRS "Refund Status" webpage ("In Process") after filing electronically 6 1/2 weeks ago, today I called the IRS' International Taxpayer assistance line; and to my surprise almost immediately got a live person to ask for my status...after waiting on hold for about 7 minutes, she told me that the IRS had made some sort of error when processing my return, and on 4Feb the IRS "re-processed" my return...and this resulted in the delay; and I needed to wait 6-8 weeks after their "re-processing" date (4Feb) to receive my refund (direct deposit).....

10 minutes ago, kensisaket said:

Get a debit card for your U.S. bank account.  Then go to BKK bank accounts desk (you need to go to a bank, not an auxiliary).  They have a debit card machine that you can use to transfer large amounts of money.  My U.S. credit union allows me to transfer $4000 USD per day with no fee on either end.  I remodeled my house last year and transferred over a million baht that way. It's an instantaneous transfer takes less than 2-3 minutes. I'm sure every U.S. bank has differing policies; but, it would be worth looking into.

 

 

I do the same w/BKK Bank. HOWEVER, be cautioned that when you deposit the funds into your BKK Bank your bank book most likely will not reflect that the funds deposited were from outside Thailand, making it useless for supporting annual extensions of stay renewals (if you're are relying upon the 65,000 per month approach....).

I went Wednesday with the passport copies and the TM47 and previous receipt. At the desk to pickup my que number they returned everything but the prior receipt. When I got called the officer did ask if I would show her my TM30 which I had brought with me just in case. She didn’t take it from my hand to examine the details; just looked to see that I had one. 

Thanks

7 minutes ago, Pib said:

Maybe the govt shutdown earlier this year actually impacted refunds although the Trump administration tried to ensure the public there would be little or no impact/slowdown. 

The shutdown was over by the time I did my return...fyi...thanks...

18 minutes ago, Pib said:

Haven't even filed my yet since I owe the a little money, but have your checked the IRS Refund Status page or used their new refund status app...a status should be there....see below

 

https://sa.www4.irs.gov/irfof/lang/en/irfofgetstatus.jsp

 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901303-what-if-my-irs-refund-is-taking-longer-than-21-days

Hi Pib- I have been doing so as I wrote originally...."Their "Track My Refund" website continue to say "Being processed" with no forecasted date to complete the refund"...

I file by the end of January electronically every year. Normally I see my refund deposited in my account no later than 4 weeks after filing. It's now been 5 weeks and no refund. The IRS did accept the return the day after I transmitted the return. Their "Track My Refund" website continue to say "Being processed" with no forecasted date to complete the refund.

Anyone else seeing delays or not?

3 hours ago, EricTh said:

Well, something must have changed since then.

 

It could new passport number, new TM30, new visa expiry date etc.

 

The best is to go to immigration because you can't do it online like the rest of us this time around. 

I quite clearly wrote that absolutely nothing has changed. Not very helpful

21 minutes ago, ProbPossConf said:

Did my report on Sunday 3/3 and received approval on Tuesday morning 3/5.  Perhaps you are inputting too much info in fields not required, i.e. flight number or middle name.  Certain required fields (*) do display historical input.

Keep trying unless the system has locked you out for too many rejections.

I didn’t input those non required fields. Every field I inputted contained the correct same info as my prior 4 online 90 day notifications.

20 minutes ago, Dante99 said:

My experience, data input rejected, try again and accepted.  Data input rejected two times, try different browser and accepted first time.  Data input rejected with both browsers, try two hours later or two days later and works first time.  

 

Seems necessary to use the drop down menus where available.

Used the drop downs as well. Have tried 7 times using different browsers and devices over the last 2 days. I conclude must be the system is missing some/all my historical data so it just doesn’t recognize me

25 minutes ago, KarlS said:

Are you sure that you are within the reporting time window for online reporting? Too early or too late will result in rejection.

Am within the window

9 minutes ago, clokwise said:

I just did it on Monday, it worked fine and was approved the next day. However, I unknowingly mis-remembered my passport # and it failed with that message, took me a dozen more tries before I noticed. So make sure you have entered everything in exactly correct.

No errors in my inputting of the data. Thanks

19 minutes ago, EricTh said:

I did my 90 days just 3 days ago and didn't have any problem having it approved.

 

I suggest it could be you inputting some wrong info.

 

Make sure you don't have any spaces in the flight number.

 

Make sure you key in the departure card number, passport number etc properly and retry.

 

If you still can't, last resort is to go to immigration after two retries.

 

No errors in my inputting of the data. Thanks

I’ve been able to process my 90 day reports online for the last 4 or 5 times. However, this time while able to input my data on the first page without any issue, after inputting the captcha the dreaded “contact immigration” stops any further progress. None of my data being inputted has changed in the last 4 times I’ve been able to process the report online. Anyone else running across this?  No replies about mailing is needed. Thanks

9 hours ago, NancyL said:

In the U.S., the Thai Embassy has required the equivalent of 800,000 baht in a bank (doesn't have to be a Thai bank) or 65,000 baht of income per month (doesn't have to be deposited into a Thai bank) in order to obtain a non-imm O-A retirement visa ever since Hubby and I first investigated back in 2006. 

 

I think the point that Rhys was making was that the money doesn't have to come into Thailand if you return to your home country and apply for an O-A retirement visa.  All the money can remain in your home country.

 

This is a god-send for those who don't want to bring money into Thailand for whatever reason but have it in their home country.  

While not requiring money in a Thai bank to obtain the Non Immigrant OA Visa, you WILL need to have the funds in a Thai bank in order to apply and receive annual extensions of stay.......

5 hours ago, NancyL said:

It's still unknown how Immigration is going to confirm that those using money in a Thai bank such as 800,000 baht for a retirement visa are going to prove that the money remains in the bank for three months after the annual extension and doesn't drop below 400,000 baht for the balance of the year.  And, as Mr. Bonney point out, there is a new chief of CM Immigration coming soon and a national election, so don't expect any definite rulings soon.

 

He didn't comment on whether there will be an "exodus", but did mention other ways to remain in Thailand legally, such as returning to your home country to apply for a non-immigrant O-A visa if you don't want to bring a large sum into Thailand, or a multi-entry tourist visa if you're here for just part of the year, education visa, volunteer visa.  Expat-expat couples can have one as a dependent, etc, etc.  Personally, I've seen too many people panicking needlessly rather than looking at all their options.

16 minutes ago, JimGant said:

There has apparently never been a precise look, by an IRS expert, on how the Thai-US tax treaty addresses the taxation of IRAs. But, there has been for the Swiss-US tax treaty. I don't know the circumstances of that request, but the question was asked by the "tax attache" assigned to Paris, and answered by the "senior technical reviewer" in the Office of Chief Counsel, Internal Revenue Service. Certainly a major step above a cursory audit, if any, of a tax filing by Mr Carden.

 

Yes, there are no two tax treaties exactly alike. But they all follow the OECD and/or UN Model Tax Treaty example. And for all US tax treaties (except with Pakistan), there is a saving clause, most with the same exceptions (e.g., child support and alimony) -- but none with an exception for pensions.

 

So, jeff, as we now seem to be going in circles, could you scrutinize the Swiss-US tax treaty in comparison with the Thai-US treaty, read the senior technical reviewer's findings, and comment on why a senior auditor at the IRS would not conclude that the same findings apply to Thailand. Thank you.

 

Of course, Mr Carden, as a tax professional, has already asked for a comprehensive review from the Office of Chief Counsel, IRS -- just to confirm that he's on solid, ethical grounds with his Form 8833 conclusions. ????

Jim- I want to first express my admiration and respect for all of your extensive comments and articulate arguments you have so diligently offered in this discussion. I took all of your writings and read and re-read the applicable documents you posted links to and commented on as well.  I am not in a position to conclude what a senior auditor at the IRS may or may not conclude based on other findings.  Only the senior auditor can; and until such time that he/she does conclude that the same (Swiss-US Treaty) findings apply to Thailand, I can only conclude that the IRS, by their actions in currently providing refunds to people for these taxes collected by the IRS is the IRS conclusion.

Regards....

21 hours ago, OneZero said:

Quote JimGant: "However, due to the savings clause, you also have to declare your IRA proceeds in a US tax filing. But, you get a tax credit for every baht you paid to Thailand; thus, if those taxes were more than what the US requires, you pay zip to Uncle Sam -- the savings clause takes nothing away from the treaty's intent of avoid double taxation."

"Tax treaties were never meant to provide an expat with paying no taxes -- their main intent was to prevent double taxation"  "-- to make sure expats are either paying their mother countries, or their new resident countries. No more free lunches, offered by countries trying to attract particular types of expats by ignoring their exclusivity clauses in tax treaties. The US, with its savings clause, already guards against this -- "

 

Quote jeffandgop:  "The treaty defines the right to tax pensions to be Thailand's only."

 

My comment:  I cannot agree with jeffandgop's personal interpretation of the savings clause.

I don't believe the USG  would be so stupid as to allow a 180 day+ retiree to claim the right to tax an IRA to be Thailand's only. 

BTW. It's NOT the savings clause that I am "interpreting". And I never said in filing a tax return that you are not required to declare (pension) proceeds. You are.

21 hours ago, OneZero said:

Quote JimGant: "However, due to the savings clause, you also have to declare your IRA proceeds in a US tax filing. But, you get a tax credit for every baht you paid to Thailand; thus, if those taxes were more than what the US requires, you pay zip to Uncle Sam -- the savings clause takes nothing away from the treaty's intent of avoid double taxation."

"Tax treaties were never meant to provide an expat with paying no taxes -- their main intent was to prevent double taxation"  "-- to make sure expats are either paying their mother countries, or their new resident countries. No more free lunches, offered by countries trying to attract particular types of expats by ignoring their exclusivity clauses in tax treaties. The US, with its savings clause, already guards against this -- "

 

Quote jeffandgop:  "The treaty defines the right to tax pensions to be Thailand's only."

 

My comment:  I cannot agree with jeffandgop's personal interpretation of the savings clause.

I don't believe the USG  would be so stupid as to allow a 180 day+ retiree to claim the right to tax an IRA to be Thailand's only. 

My "personal interpretation"? OK.  As is yours and Jim's. But the difference in my "personal interpretation" is that it does not exist in a vacuum without the evidence that the IRS has accepted tax payer income tax returns exempting payment of taxes on private pensions to the US on the basis of the treaty giving Thailand the exclusive right to do so (as long as the the tax payer meets the residency requirements).  People can go on and on as to their opinion on what the treaty's intents are or are not, what one can do or not; but in the end, factual evidence or results on how it is actually being applied by the IRS remains the proof of what is or is not allowable.

21 hours ago, JimGant said:

Sigh. You forget the savings clause. From the technical explanation:

I could try and explain it to you -- again -- but I'll let you dig through the Technical Explanation to discover what are, and what are not, exceptions to the savings clause. Private pension are NOT -- not in Thailand, not with any country.

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-trty/thaitech.pdf

It's you that needs to stop selecting pieces of the treaty and Treasury explanation that fit your contentions.  Treasury explanation for Article 20 para 1 states "For example, a pension paid to a surviving spouse who is a resident of Thailand would be exempt from tax by the United States on the same basis as if the right to the pension had been earned directly by the surviving spouse."  The savings clause does not supersede this exclusivity as both have to be read collectively to to appreciate where and when one clause supersedes another. There would be no cause to cite the exclusivity for Thailand to tax pensions in the Treaty if the intent of the savings clause was to globally render null and void it and all other articles in the Treaty defining when and where a Contracting State reserves the exclusive right to tax on a particular matter.