US expats - pay your taxes or lose your passport

[IMA_FARANG]

I pay my U.S. taxes every year and have for nearly 60 years.

I didn't start working until I was 14 years old.

but, just for the record ,I have Never even MADE $60.000 annually . much less owed that amount in taxes.

I think the highest annual l income I ever had was around $56,000

And now that I am retired my income is $1700 a month from Social Security.

So I guess we are in a different income group.

[NickJ]

I think what happens is they give you a one way travel permit back to the US and Thai Immigration is involved somehow in that process.Not sure to what extent. But the one way back document is only valid a week or so.

[Sayonarax]

Good old American Government always violating human rights.

13. Freedom to move. We all have the right to go where we want in our own country and to travel as we wish.

[Sayonarax]

If Australia did something similar i'd like to see them take away my New Zealand passport

We just deport you when your criminals, then you all cry about it.

[sirineou]

Good old American Government always violating human rights.

13. Freedom to move. We all have the right to go where we want in our own country and to travel as we wish.

these freedoms are allowed to people who obey the laws, Jails are full of people who dont enjoy the freedom to move.

[Linky]

If Australia did something similar i'd like to see them take away my New Zealand passport

We just deport you when your criminals, then you all cry about it.

We also treat innocent people as criminals as what happened to Dr Haneef.

[crazygreg44]

Blood sucking US taxman, no other country taxes their citizens when they are not resident in their country!

well, Germany does so if you receive a pension or rental income in your home country. The german government has never handed out a double-tax treaty with Thailand.

Capital gains are taxed 25% flat in Germany and cannot be avoided if your stocks are registered in a german held depot.

become a german citizen - travel to Austria, throw your passport away short of the german border and tell them you are a Syrian

[gk10002000]

Typical overreaching government scheme. It won't pass constitutional muster without being amended. In order to meet basic due process requirements, there has to be a hearing on whether money is owed to the IRS. Typically, the IRS just files a tax lien with no due process hearing. That's not going to be sufficient to revoke a passport, over which the owner has a property right (5th amendment). Contrary to popular belief, the government does not own your passport. Just like a driver's license, it can't be revoked without the right of a hearing.

Sorry, but I think having a passport is a Privilege and not a right. It is not considered one's personal property. I don't think any constitutional challenge will be forthcoming. In addition, the IRS searches and seizes stuff all the time and with a huge amount of leeway and rarely gets over-ruled by other courts.

Interesting that you think freedom of movement is not a right.

Maybe we should all be grateful for the place we are born in and say nothing about irregularities and just

be grateful we have the 'altruistic' political system imposed upon us.

Do not travel, you may discover your paradise is hell?? Is that what you are advocating??

Strange post.

I do not think that freedom of movement is not a right. I meant to say the government considers having a passport a privilege and not a right

[Berkshire]

"Under a new law expected to take effect in January, the State Department will block Americans with “seriously delinquent” tax debt from receiving new passports and will be allowed to rescind existing passports of people who fall into that category."

This sounds fair enough. As an American, I pay my US taxes every year. Why would anyone have a problem with this?

[taxout]

It's simply a question of how far the State goes in exercising power.

Add them to domestic/international no-fly lists as well?

Rescind driving and professional licenses?

Dress them in sackcloth and ashes?

[phuketrichard]

Typical overreaching government scheme. It won't pass constitutional muster without being amended. In order to meet basic due process requirements, there has to be a hearing on whether money is owed to the IRS. Typically, the IRS just files a tax lien with no due process hearing. That's not going to be sufficient to revoke a passport, over which the owner has a property right (5th amendment). Contrary to popular belief, the government does not own your passport. Just like a driver's license, it can't be revoked without the right of a hearing.

Sorry, but I think having a passport is a Privilege and not a right. It is not considered one's personal property. I don't think any constitutional challenge will be forthcoming. In addition, the IRS searches and seizes stuff all the time and with a huge amount of leeway and rarely gets over-ruled by other courts.

my us passport states on Page 5

"US Government Property

Property of the united states.... it must be surrendered UPON DEMAND made by an authorized Representative"

its not mine and they can take it away at any time for any reason they want to

Edited November 23, 2015 by phuketrichard

[Rhys]

Then they can have it.

[SpokaneAl]

Then they can have it.

I would think that it would be a bit tough to travel and enter/exit a country without a passport.

[impulse]

"Under a new law expected to take effect in January, the State Department will block Americans with “seriously delinquent” tax debt from receiving new passports and will be allowed to rescind existing passports of people who fall into that category."

This sounds fair enough. As an American, I pay my US taxes every year. Why would anyone have a problem with this?

Walk on down to the dialysis ward in a hospital in Thailand (where they don't do 90 days same as cash like some hospitals back home) and ask any father or husband whether they have the dosh to pay their taxes AND buy their loved one a kidney this year. Then ask them which one they'd do if a kidney came available. Not everyone in arrears is a deadbeat tax dodger. Bad things happen, and a lot of times overseas cash is the ONLY solution. Sometimes it's cash that's owed to the IRS.

It's not so much about passports, it's about the fear that due process rights keep getting chipped away in the name of fighting drugs, fighting terrorism and collecting what "belongs to Caesar". And the IRS isn't known for their due process diligence.

[German Viking]

Americans: Pay Your Taxes--Or Lose Your Passport

By LAURA SAUNDERS

U.S. government will be able to deny new passports or revoke ones held by people with serious tax debts

Congress is poised to enact a law denying or revoking passports for U.S. citizens who haven’t paid their taxes.

Under a new law expected to take effect in January, the State Department will block Americans with “seriously delinquent” tax debt from receiving new passports and will be allowed to rescind existing passports of people who fall into that category.

The list of affected taxpayers will be compiled by the Internal Revenue Service using a threshold of $50,000 of unpaid federal taxes, including penalties and interest, which would be adjusted for inflation.

The rule has been passed in similar versions by both the House of Representatives and the Senate. It is part of a highway-funding bill, H.R. 22, that is before a conference committee.

Congress is expected to pass it in early December.

Full story: http://www.wsj.com/articles/americans-pay-your-taxes-or-lose-your-passport-1447971424

-- The Wall Street Journal

This rules are only valid for simple US citizen, the superrich having their own rules, caused they control the US government for over 100 years already.

[German Viking]

Would not surprise me in the slightest if the jolly old taxman at HMRC were, sooner rather than later, to press for similar measures to be introduced for defaulting UK taxpayers!

I wouldn't disagree if they did, but they don't seem able to withdraw the passports of terrorists who want to travel to and from Syria (or travel anywhere for that matter - what about the people who went to Pakistan for "holidays" and were rounded up in Afghanistan?). A few tax dodgers does rather pale into insignificance.

This Refugees wave this year into europe is a chaos, the most of this bandits loosing(throwing) their pasports away, but never loosing their iPhones.

[German Viking]

Here's what Simon Black has to say:

Sometimes you just have to stand in awe at the level of corruption and incompetence in government.

Case in point, the new highway bill in the Land of the Free. And, trust me, you’ll love this.

The latest version of the highway bill is called the “Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act.”

And yes, they abbreviate it as the DRIVE Act.

I cannot even begin to imagine how large the team of monkeys is that works on these silly acronyms. And as is typical for legislation, the more high sounding the name of the law, the more destructive its consequences.

On the surface, the DRIVE Act aims to fund the federal transportation network and investments in highway infrastructure for the next several years, as well as recapitalize the Highway Trust Fund.

Federal trust funds are supposed to responsibly and conservatively manage money that has been set aside for a specific purpose to benefit taxpayers.

There are so many of these trust funds. There are the big ones like Social Security’s “Old Age Survivor’s Insurance” and “Disability Insurance” (which is literally days away from running out of money).

And there are many more you’ve probably never heard about, like the “Black Lung” trust fund and the “Leaking Underground Storage Tank” trust fund.

Most of these funds are insolvent, or at least pitifully undercapitalized, clearly proving the government to be one of the worst asset managers in history.

The Highway Trust Fund is no exception: it has completely run out of money, and at this point literally has a ZERO account balance. The DRIVE Act intends to fix that.

And even though it has nothing to do with funding highways, the bill also aims to re-authorize the Export-Import Bank.

The Ex-Im Bank was created during the Great Depression and is designed to facilitate trade. That’s code for ‘boost the profits of Boeing and General Electric.’

Even the government’s own Congressional Research Service found that “more than 60% of Ex-Im Bank’s loan guarantees, by dollar value, supported the sale of Boeing airplanes in foreign countries”.

Ex-Im is essentially a gift on a golden platter from the taxpayers of the United States to a handful of mega-companies.

The Bank’s charter lapsed earlier this year. But rather than let it die, they’re jumpstarting Ex-Im with even more taxpayer money.

Clearly the government needs cash. They need to fund Ex-Im, the Highway Trust Fund, and all the improvements for America’s dilapidated infrastructure.

And their solutions to address this cash crunch are nothing short of remarkable.

For example, they plan to steal $300 million from the Leaking Underground Storage Tank trust fund (LUST… yes, that’s really what they call it), and transfer that money to the Highway Fund.

The only problem is that LUST is insolvent. So they’re stealing from one insolvent trust to fund another insolvent trust. It’s genius!

One of my favorite sections in the bill is a directive to sell off 100+ million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Only a politician could think to sell off oil supplies at a time when oil price is at multi-year lows.

(It also really gives you a sense of how broke the government really is that they’re driven raise cash by selling off strategic assets.)

Another gem buried in the 864 pages of the bill is a provision that allows the government to revoke your passport if they believe that you owe more than $50,000 in federal tax.

There will be no judicial review, and no due process. You don’t get to go in front of a judge first to have a fair and impartial hearing over whether or not the government’s tax allegations are accurate.

The language in the law is very clear: they can simply revoke your passport if you owe them money in their sole discretion.

Once the law is passed, this would go into effect on January 1, 2016, and they claim it will generate $40 million per year in tax revenue.

There was one more provision that proposed raising revenue from the biggest banks in America by reducing the dividend they receive from the Federal Reserve.

Curiously, though, this specific provision was defeated yesterday after a heated committee meeting in Congress.

So while the banks’ profits are off-limits, and the government will spend billions of taxpayer dollars to boost profits at Boeing, American citizens are threatened with having their passports revoked in order to raise money.

It couldn’t be any more obvious how much the system is stacked against the little guy.

They treat you like a dairy cow that exists only to be milked dry… like a medieval serf tied to the land and forced to serve his overlords.

It’s revolting. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

You can take sensible, rational steps to divorce yourself from this madness, or at least have a Plan B to protect yourself from it.

If the government is threatening to take away your passport, for example, there are countless ways you can obtain another one from a country that will roll out the red carpet for you.

If you’re sick and tired of having your income confiscated so that you can bail out big companies, there are completely legal steps you can take to reduce what you owe.

It’s hard to imagine you’ll be worse off being more free and having more control over your life and finances.

Just check who owns the FED since ever, Boeing, Lockhead etc. they rule the USA for about 1 century and almost the entire world already NWO. I guess in Fort Knox is not 1 ouze of gold left.

[German Viking]

Typical overreaching government scheme. It won't pass constitutional muster without being amended. In order to meet basic due process requirements, there has to be a hearing on whether money is owed to the IRS. Typically, the IRS just files a tax lien with no due process hearing. That's not going to be sufficient to revoke a passport, over which the owner has a property right (5th amendment). Contrary to popular belief, the government does not own your passport. Just like a driver's license, it can't be revoked without the right of a hearing.

But they do, great democracy,

[German Viking]

Typical overreaching government scheme. It won't pass constitutional muster without being amended. In order to meet basic due process requirements, there has to be a hearing on whether money is owed to the IRS. Typically, the IRS just files a tax lien with no due process hearing. That's not going to be sufficient to revoke a passport, over which the owner has a property right (5th amendment). Contrary to popular belief, the government does not own your passport. Just like a driver's license, it can't be revoked without the right of a hearing.

But they do, great democracy,

[German Viking]

Meanwhile corporations get away with paying nothing so they come down on the easiest targets, us the taxpayer

Caused the politicians getting their cut, after their political career, as lobbyists.

[German Viking]

Blood sucking US taxman, no other country taxes their citizens when they are not resident in their country!

Newsflash

They all do and you pay more in taxes abroad and get no benefits vs being in your home country with benefits. In my country it is a loss of benefits mostly medical and 15% more in taxes they want their money upfront. Being a retiree does not give you any golden opportunities only the shaft of the gold mine up your wazoo. You worked all your life and paid taxes and now that you want to leave the country and they help you leave with a kick in your financial posterior. Wake up folks government is not on your side!!!! they are only on the side of the banksters, super rich and fellow politicians. Your only chafe blowing in the wind used up and spent.

Good post mate you forget only to this superrich bandit the problem is the list is today pretty long. I will only name smoe organisations who control almost the entire world already. Illuminati, Bilderberg, Skulls & Bones. Bohemian Cove etc. etc. the control the Banksystem of our entire world.

http://humansarefree.com/2013/11/complete-list-of-banks-ownedcontrolled.html

http://realitieswatch.com/complete-list-of-banks-ownedcontrolled-by-the-rothschild-family/

[German Viking]

Blood sucking US taxman, no other country taxes their citizens when they are not resident in their country!

I do not disagree with paying income tax, it's the amount. If you think your country is unfair with the

tax they want from you then don't declare it all.

In germany they send fines, when you don't make your Taxreport, does'nt matter you have somethings to declare or not.

[German Viking]

Blood sucking US taxman, no other country taxes their citizens when they are not resident in their country!

Wrong!

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/business/international/china-starts-enforcing-tax-law-for-citizens-working-abroad.html?_r=0

This is NWO already full bank control, the simple ppl(Milking cows) have to pay taxes like hell, the superrich nothing or only a fraction, caused they control the system.

[German Viking]

Blood sucking US taxman, no other country taxes their citizens when they are not resident in their country!

Newsflash

They all do and you pay more in taxes abroad and get no benefits vs being in your home country with benefits. In my country it is a loss of benefits mostly medical and 15% more in taxes they want their money upfront. Being a retiree does not give you any golden opportunities only the shaft of the gold mine up your wazoo. You worked all your life and paid taxes and now that you want to leave the country and they help you leave with a kick in your financial posterior. Wake up folks government is not on your side!!!! they are only on the side of the banksters, super rich and fellow politicians. Your only chafe blowing in the wind used up and spent.

and that is why it is your duty to pay as less tax as you can, the more you pay, the more your giving your country (if it's the UK) for MPs "expenses", 11% wage increases, foreign aid

and not paying OAPs annual increases etc, etc.

The politicians in Europe filling up Europe with social cases(refugees), and the working ppl should pay for this desaster, these bandits created.

[German Viking]

I personally support this. It's one thing to say that the taxes are not right, disagree with how the money is spent or even claim graft/corruption, but in the end you have to pay it.

If you don't like it, there's processes for objection; be that legislative or even judicial- but simple tax avoidance to me isn't an option, therefore I support the withholding issuance of a US passport to those in arrears.

Yes, you do have the right to free movement if you will, but there is no "right" to a passport unless you meet the issuance standards.

We all should try to getting our countries back, before it's to late. It's max 1 minute to high noon.

[German Viking]

I think US democracy should be forced on every country, by military force if needed, as it is the most open and non corrupt system there is...

Not only that they should be the judge and jury of how other countries conduct themselves...

OH.... wait a minute....

(sarcasm)

You are in a way right, but it's no only about USA, the target is our entire Earth. First the banksters destabilize all economies, this will lead to big social problems, this will ending in civil wars, all over the world. The rest will be controled, by corrut military force and mercenaries like Black Water(Academi), ISIS, Al Qaida etc. etc. They like to reduce the world population down to less then 1 billion. They like also to earn as much money as possible and this desaster, caused they own over 90% of the worldwide Banksystem, Weapon-, Pharma- and Foodindustry and much more. They lauched inclusive the french revolution 1789 and since all major wars. They intervened in the USA independence war already etc. etc.

[German Viking]

....and to add insult to injury,

Call this number, and turn in a buddy. You will receive a "reward".

1-800-829-0433

http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/02/pf/taxes/rat_out_tax_cheat/index.htm

"If you knew coworkers, former bosses or exes who cheated on their taxes, would you turn them in? The Internal Revenue Service can make it worth your while."

*** I pay mine....make sure you pay yours *** lol

I have no problem to pay taxes, as long my tax money is used well, and the superrich bandits pay also a fair part.

[German Viking]

Obama wants more war dollars.the cia.spent it all on Isis

ISIS is installed by USA l Qaida also, USA is involved in conflicts in about 147 countries, why?

Simple answer that their Weapon industry runs, which is owned by this superrich bandits, they ruin the USA and the entire world economically.

[German Viking]

Obama wants more war dollars.the cia.spent it all on Isis

You mean all those drug dollars made from dropping bombs full of opium on Laos are gone?

Not gone, but mainly in the hand of these banksters.

[German Viking]

How can one figure out 6 years of back taxes or what was reported? And what is one to do about 6 years of under the table wages abroad? If someone wants to get straight and protect their passport in this type of situation? Thats 12 years...

This with the black money will be soon over, when there will no physical money will exist anymore.