New bill pushed by Obama admin would revoke passports

[Impaler]

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/04/ ... taxpayers/

Although the bill is aimed at people who "owe" $50,000 or more in back taxes, it should be noted that if you merely fail to file, the IRS will calculate your taxes for you -- using zero-basis-cost for all transactions. This is how, after my tax return was lost in processing one year, I received a bill saying that I owed the IRS about $70,000. (It was easily cleared up by refiling, but if I'd been traveling at the time, and if this bill had already been law, I would have been prevented from leaving at the airport.)

As there have been threads here about people failing to file returns for several years (since they're not earning money in the U.S., and owe no taxes), it should be noted that if this passes, you could very well end up having immigration/Customs problems when you travel.

Also note that since the U.S. government "guarantees" student loans, it would not be at all surprising to see people who fail to pay their student loans suddenly lose their travel privileges.

[flike]

I have no problem whatsoever with the IRS using whatever legal means necessary to find tax cheats - even given that the IRS is run by humans and given further my knowledge that humans make mistakes - the horror, etc. Occasionally they make colossal, huge, big-ass, fuck-up mistakes, yeah.

It happens, check. Got it.

Look, I'm a law-abiding American who SEARCHES out the cable company so I can pay for online videos, so I know I don't fit Forumosa's mainstream poster (who might, say, have access to HBO's Game of Thrones second episode before me, a paying HBO suck...er subscriber ). Even so, I don't really understand how any American can object to our government taking any legal action to claim lawful revenue (note that qualifier, 'lawful' - it's the key to my statement).

Fiscal deficits are the result of too much spending in the face of too little tax revenue, so anything to lawfully maximize tax revenue is a sweet aspect of American life among me and the people who live on my block. I have absolutely no problem with tax cheats in airports - including me - who might be inconvenienced by an Executive cabinet gelded funding-wise by a Congress confused about tax inflows and spending outlays.

Welcome to the America you have chosen to expatriate.

Once again I guess I gotta shrug my shoulders and ask, so the fuck what?

[ChewDawg]

Also note that since the U.S. government "guarantees" student loans, it would not be at all surprising to see people who fail to pay their student loans suddenly lose their travel privileges.

I guess that means more gender studies and other liberal art students might not be able to jump on a plane to teach in Taiwan to throw sticky balls around after not paying their loan obligations. I'm sure Starbucks, Hooters, and Taco Bell will be happy with the additional domestic labour opportunities for people that can no longer go overseas.

[headhonchoII]

Were you not one of these liberal art students you so despise?

[ChewDawg]

Were you not one of these liberal art students you so despise?

Arts and Sciences. Bit of Ying and bit of Yang!

[Indiana]

I was able to file and submit my taxes online this year, but still had to complete form 90-22 (the report of foreign bank accounts to the IRA) and send it by snail mail. Since the address it needed to be sent to is a PO Box, I was unable to DHL it or even send it registered mail. Snail mail was literally the only option when sending mail to a PO Box. My concern is that if it does not arrive, I could face penalties.

Considering the fact that mail has been 'iffy' from the UAE for the past couple of years (not one person received my Christmas cards this past year, and last year some mail sent to the States took over two months to arrive!), I'm worried....I can't imagine being unable to renew my passport or face financial penalties / jail time if my form doesn't arrive to them on time (or at all)!!!

[jdsmith]

I was able to file and submit my taxes online this year, but still had to complete form 90-22 (the report of foreign bank accounts to the IRA) and send it by snail mail. Since the address it needed to be sent to is a PO Box, I was unable to DHL it or even send it registered mail. Snail mail was literally the only option when sending mail to a PO Box. My concern is that if it does not arrive, I could face penalties.

Considering the fact that mail has been 'iffy' from the UAE for the past couple of years (not one person received my Christmas cards this past year, and last year some mail sent to the States took over two months to arrive!), I'm worried....I can't imagine being unable to renew my passport or face financial penalties / jail time if my form doesn't arrive to them on time (or at all)!!!

Do you think you'll have to pay 50K in taxes???

How good IS the pay there?

[Okami]

http://forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.php?f=86&t=108629

Beat you to it

[sulavaca]

You can't loose travel privileges simply because they revoke a passport as passports aren't legally required in order to travel. This has been part of common law for quite a few hundred years now. It's every human's inalienable right to travel. On the other hand it is also common law that contracts must be upheld when in accordance with laws of the land. However stopping someone from traveling is not legal before sentencing.
The government therefore already know that they aren't stopping people from travelling by simply revoking passports. They are only making it more difficult to do so conveniently.

[Indiana]

I was able to file and submit my taxes online this year, but still had to complete form 90-22 (the report of foreign bank accounts to the IRA) and send it by snail mail. Since the address it needed to be sent to is a PO Box, I was unable to DHL it or even send it registered mail. Snail mail was literally the only option when sending mail to a PO Box. My concern is that if it does not arrive, I could face penalties.

Considering the fact that mail has been 'iffy' from the UAE for the past couple of years (not one person received my Christmas cards this past year, and last year some mail sent to the States took over two months to arrive!), I'm worried....I can't imagine being unable to renew my passport or face financial penalties / jail time if my form doesn't arrive to them on time (or at all)!!!

Do you think you'll have to pay 50K in taxes???

How good IS the pay there?

Ha ha, good point!!! I don't owe any taxes, but not submitting the 90-22 can result in jail time and / or a fine ($10,000 I believe).

I guess that as long as they keep getting my tax files every year, I'm out of the woods on getting my passport renewal denied!