Lost My Green Card

[Basecamp]

I've been living in BKK for a few years now but am in Thailand under 50% of the time. One of the reasons for this is to ensure I fall outside the tax req'ts for people living in Thailand. If you're outside the country more than 50% of the time, you don't have tax liability for earnings made. I don't make my earnings in Thailand, I don't actually do any work here but spend about 40% of my time here.

Ok, that was worded very unclearly but now to the heart of my dilemma.

I'm a Canadian citizen and was a US resident up until very recently. I didn't send enough time in the US, so they took my green card from me on my last trip through a couple of weeks ago.

I work for a US company and up until now have been paid in the US as a US resident so the minute I relinquished my green card, my company became unable to pay me. I am on unpaid leave as of now even though I'm working same as ever. I work for a small US company and we don't have any offices outside of the US. I work out of my condo here in BKK when I'm not traveling for work.

I am being set up as a consultant and my company will pay me via my bank account in Canada. I've just heard that this is not allowed, US companies can't just pay a Canadian into their Canadian bank account.

Anybody have any knowledge of this. How would a US company pay a non US resident who doesn't live in his home country and where the US company is too small to have presence in any non-US country?

Thanks for any education on this....

[Thanyaburi Mac]

I've been living in BKK for a few years now but am in Thailand under 50% of the time. One of the reasons for this is to ensure I fall outside the tax req'ts for people living in Thailand. If you're outside the country more than 50% of the time, you don't have tax liability for earnings made. I don't make my earnings in Thailand, I don't actually do any work here but spend about 40% of my time here.

Ok, that was worded very unclearly but now to the heart of my dilemma.

I'm a Canadian citizen and was a US resident up until very recently. I didn't send enough time in the US, so they took my green card from me on my last trip through a couple of weeks ago.

I work for a US company and up until now have been paid in the US as a US resident so the minute I relinquished my green card, my company became unable to pay me. I am on unpaid leave as of now even though I'm working same as ever. I work for a small US company and we don't have any offices outside of the US. I work out of my condo here in BKK when I'm not traveling for work.

I am being set up as a consultant and my company will pay me via my bank account in Canada. I've just heard that this is not allowed, US companies can't just pay a Canadian into their Canadian bank account.

Anybody have any knowledge of this. How would a US company pay a non US resident who doesn't live in his home country and where the US company is too small to have presence in any non-US country?

Thanks for any education on this....

Basecamp

Hmmm, strange situation.  How about you emailing your bank and your U.S. company and asking about filling out an IRS FOrm W-8BEN  "Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner For United States Tax Withholding"?

My Thai wife filled out such a form when she opened up a U.S. bank acount 10+ years ago and used our Thailand address.  She's never had a Green Card, just been to the U.S. on tourist visas.

Don't know if this would resolve your situation but might, can't hurt to try.

Check out this url:

http://sedm.org/Forms/Tax/W-8BEN/AboutIRSFormW-8BEN.htm

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Why must We Use It?

Citizenship, Domicile, and Tax Status Options Summary

Withholding on Nonresident Aliens

Why the government agrees with this article on the liabilities of "nonresident aliens" not engaged in a "trade or business"

Traps to Avoid with this Deceptive Form-WATCH OUT!

5.1 You're NOT a "U.S. resident", "U.S. citizen", "citizen", or "U.S. person"

5.2 You're NOT a "Beneficial owner"

5.3 You're NOT an "Individual", but rather a "transient foreigner"

5.4 You're NOT an "alien"", but rather a "nonresident alien"

5.5 Tricks pulled by usually unscrupulous institutions

5.6 Deception in IRS Publication 519 about the definition of "United States"

How to Complete IRS Form W-8BEN

Examples

Opening bank accounts as a nonresident alien not engaged in a "trade or business" without a Taxpayer Identification Number

Frequently Asked Questions

Saving and reusing completed forms

Further Reading and Research

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mac

[nidge]

I work with many Canadians in Saudi Arabia. We work for an American company and like you are consultants. I get paid by cheque that is posted to my house in Thailand but the Canadians all get paid directly in their Canadian Banks.

[jstumbo]

We (US company) pay our Asian employees by just doing a wire transfer into their bank account in their home countries on a monthly basis. We just write them off as consultants. What they do about taxes in their own country is up to them. But I imagine none of them report it as income.

[Basecamp]

I work with many Canadians in Saudi Arabia. We work for an American company and like you are consultants. I get paid by cheque that is posted to my house in Thailand but the Canadians all get paid directly in their Canadian Banks.

Anybody know what kind of tax these Canucks pay in Canada? Since the money goes into a Canadian account, you would have to guess the Canadian tax authorities would want to get their hands on some of it. I haven't lived in Canada for 13 years now and am not a resident.