I’m Here – Sort Of.
Mar 26th, 2008 by Don Ray
I spent most of yesterday working on my taxes. I am pretty well done with the federal. I just need to double check my work. Then filling out a state return should only take a couple of hours. Even though this isn’t a difficult task, it always puts me in a “bummer” mood. I hope to have this all completed by the end of the week.
Once that task is over, I need to focus on updating my blogging software, WordPress. It is now several updates behind. When my web host decided to move me to a new server, they removed one of my maintenance tools. That makes updating more difficult. When I asked them about getting access to the tool, I was told that I am on a server for “trouble users”, and it would not be available.
That is going to require study on my part to manually upgrade my software. I doubt if it it is too complicated, I just don’t want to look at it.
I have a couple other issues that are occupying my mind and I hope they are resolved soon. However, since one has been in progress for over 3 years now, I am not holding my breath.
Anyway, until I get a few things over and done with, I wanted you to know what is causing the lack of new posts. I really don’t like to post, if I am not in a good mood.
that yankee government sure likes to hold onto it’s contributors.
I wonder if every american gringo fills in (and sends back) an annual return to the old homeland.
Sorry to hear of your bad mood, Don. Chin up tho.
It’s now near the end of April, and here in Ireland/UK I am still marooned inside this house. It’s essentially 7 or 8 months of hibernation. It’s overcast, cold and the rain is never far away. My cat and me can only stare out the window and hope for better days come May/June time.
Wish we had your weather.
I meant to add, that I have been dabbling with wordpress on and off now for a year or two. I have installed demo sites, tweaked, added plugins, etc. It is excellent software. And there are some superb commercial themes/templates now. I have been tweaking/testing one this past week.
I think that WordPress is the best blogging software out.
OOPS - I meant to say March above (not April). I know we are some time ahead here on this side of the atlantic pond - but it isn’t as much as a month.
Yes, Wordpress is now definitely the best. I love Nucleus and have used it in the past. But it just doesn’t have the massive worldwide communtiy that wordpress has - and thus has not been developed as much.
Don, what state makes you file a state return when you live full time in Panama? YUK!
Any state that you derive income from.
Richard;
Also be aware that some states such as Virginia have rather bizarre “residency” rules and just physically leaving the state may not be enough for them to release their claim on a portion of your income.
I know, I know; it sounds unbelievable and, yes, I understand and have heard all the reasons why “that can’t be” but it is true nonetheless.
Best take steps to establish residency in a non-taxing state before bailing out to ensure that you don’t eventually get caught behind the 8 ball and have to defend yourself against a summary judgement.
Virginia has successfully pursued cases like this with the US but I’m not aware of them having (yet!) gone after people residing outside the US.
Their “justification” is based on the fact that since each state has the right to establish residency requirements, the state also has the right to establish criteria for the termination of that residency. VA takes the position that unless you have established formal residency, not just a mail drop, in another state, you are still theirs to tax in whatever manner they see fit. Not every state takes this stance, but why leave yourself vulnerable?
Please don’t shoot the messenger and, yes, this is the advice we received from several US-based firms dealing with international taxation, not something I’ve pulled out of thin air or off an ill-informed email chain letter.
FWIW
Mike
Luckily, I don’t have residency in that state.
Mike, what a horrendous country.
The mob could learn a lot from the US and state Government.
I don’t have residency in the state I pay taxes, but I do receive income from the state. If you receive income of some kind from a state and that state has an income tax, then paying tax to that state is reasonable. The federal taxes allow you to deduct the taxes paid to a state.
Sunshine, I think your comment is without basis, since you have no understanding of the US and its state’s laws.
Sometimes you have to remind yourself: “Thank God for us. We’re still good stuff, even though we don’t enjoy preparing our tax returns.”
Don, the US is the ONLY country in the world to tax its people based upon their citizenship and not based upon their residency. Therefore while a US person is abroad, they continue to be subject to US taxation in addition to there new country of residence.
Maybe you were unaware of that fact.
The rest of the world doesn’t harass it’s citizens for taxes (and tax returns) when they decide to live somewhere else.
Sunshine, If you want to berate the US, then take it somewhere else. It doesn’t belong in this forum.
And to assume that you are more knowledgeable on world affairs, than I am, is a little presumptuous and insulting.
A critical attitude of a place where you have never lived is insulting to those that have lived there. Not a good trait to be bringing to Panama.
Speaking of taxes, a friend of mine who is British claims that England has television “police” who use tracking devices to discover those villians who are using untaxed televisions. I always reply by email to him that he must be joking, but he claims that it is the truth.
Ah, Don Ray, your last comment reminds me of your reply to my first post to Chiriqui Chatter. You thought that I must have been eating too many Boston beans. You haven’t into those Panamian frijoles, have you?
Hi Tom. Maybe I am in need of few more frijoles.
There is plenty to complain about in almost any country you live in. As they say, the only two good places to live in this world is the one I just moved from or the one I am moving to.
America is full of good people, Don. Heck, I have plenty of friends there, who I speak with on a daily basis.
Don’t get so wound up. You merely hold minority views on various issues e.g. Bush, America’s role in the world, the climate in David, etc, etc. I won’t hold it against you.
Heck, I believe in free speech and even welcome your opinion. I’m not so yippettedy-do-da admittedly when you ignore the issues raised and merely do personal abuse drive-by’s.
Anyways, reckons I’ll have another sasparilla here and raise a glass to the land of the fee.
Tom, it’s true. If you own a tv here in the UK (england, scotland, wales, northern ireland), you have to register and pay an annual TV license fee to the BBC (regardless of whether you watch the BBC’s two channels or not).
They always have tv detector vans on the prowl, and snoop on those homes without a license. And if you have more than one TV, I believe you have to have additional licenses.
A black and white tv license is cheaper than a colour one….but heck, nobody owns black and white TVs these days.
Whatever, you do Sunshine, please don’t tell our tax people about that.
As for your comments that “might” be contrued as political, keep in mind that the nice thing about Don Ray’s blog is that it is just about completely non political. There is no shortage of political blogs.
Oh, and my British friend never fails to complain about your weather. When I was in London, I was constantly thinking about the common line in English novels: “And, a light rain was beginning to fall.”
Wow! All I was trying to do was add a cautionary bit to Don’s tail of woe about the annual tax dance…
The last time I was in London was February 2003. When we left the Washington, DC area, there was over two feet of snow on the ground; in London we hardly needed a jacket.
Go figure…
LOL And just remember Tom, that London has the best weather in the UK. It’s down south. For those of us in the northern regions - e.g. N. Ireland and Scotland, it is much chillier and usually wetter. Although admittedly England has had a lot of flooding in recent times.
The climate here in N Ireland, is why I have been researching for a better place to live since 2002. It’s the regular drizzle (fine rain showers that go on and on) that is so depressing. It’s like chinese water torture.
I agree re the non-political blog aspect you refer to. But Don has been on my case over even the bleeding weather in David. He pulled me up (on another forum recently) for merely suggesting that David is seen as hot and humid. He’s got a flea in his bonnet.