The Un-US Politics Discussion Scenario

[petitesuite]

U.S. citizens always have to file tax returns on income made overseas, but only have to pay if it is over a certain amount (I want to say that when I was living in Korea, so 2013-2015, the amount was something like 80k/year?). It is still a dumb system because it is a flat fee across all countries even though obviously making $80k living in London would be very different from making the same amount living in Bulgaria and it doesn't take into account other ways your employer might compensate you (many overseas jobs trying to hire Americans will provide housing, for instance). Anyway, that's a long-winded way of saying that I often see people saying Americans always have to pay taxes and that is not true.

[Deleted]

A Geniunely Historic Moment from January 1st, The Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018 will be law, it has passed its final hurdle in our Seanad tonight.The Bill will now be signed into law by President Michael D Higgins, having passed through the Dáil last week.
It's by no means prefect but its better than what was there before which failed too many for far too long.
Remembering all the women who travelled that lonely difficult journey and those who have had to do it since the referendum. Thinking too of Savita her family, young Ann Lovett and so many others. Every story, too many.

The 8th amendenment, its really gone.

[Karrit]

I am a US citizen in the UK, and I pay taxes to the UK, which are equal to, or more than I would pay in the US, so I file my US income tax every year, but I don’t owe anything. I also have to report my bank accounts if at any time there is more than $10,000 in any account or if the total amounts in my accounts combined is more than $10,000.

Boris Johnson was born in the US, and held a US passport. He made more than the US income threshold for citizens abroad when he sold a house, and the IRS wanted their share. This is because the UK doesn’t tax capital gains on your primary home. Since Boris didn’t pay UK tax, he had to pay the US.

He paid the tax and renounced his citizenship thereafter. The number of US citizens who give up their citizenship has exploded because how complex the US makes taxes. Some banks don’t take US citizens because of the reporting involved.

It sucks, because it is a real hardship on normal working people, but the mega rich who are more likely to be the tax scofflaws, have people to deal with the complexities and get away with it.

[biondetta]

It's also really expensive to denounce your US citizenship.

[batmom]

My mom's friend is American and they've lived in Vancouver the last 30+ years. During that time the Vancouver housing market has exploded so the home that they raised their kids in is worth over 3 million. Sounds like a great problem to have, but it means they can't sell because if they all, they have to pay the taxes and then they can't get back into the market. So they stay in their big house.

[Deleted]

Actively preparing for No Deal Brexit

Genuinely scary this.
Its insanity that after over two years it might come to this.. I know it could be seen as project fear and scare Ministers into ba k May's deal all I'm seeing is the need in no deal for customs checks on border and customs checks on our border will need guarding and those guarding will become targets again.
Its all too real and scary and all just because David Cameron wanted to win an election...

I'd better get visiting my northern relatives before it's gets increasingly more difficult again and my UK ones aswell as I'm sure an EU citizen to UK travel will also have its delays and difficulties.
Yes I'm very pessimistic about all this.


Edit Thurs 20th Dec 2018 bolded the date as The Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018, the President has signed the Bill and it has accordingly become law.

[Carolina]

So Parliament just voted against Theresa May's Brexit deal. Is a People's Vote/second referendum actually a real possibility now?

[Deleted]

Who knows.?!
I think I heard read something that Theresa May has 3 days to come up with plan b I don’t think there is one
Options I think that might happen before a second ref is extending the transition time (article 50), snap general election, start all over again with new PM!
Who knows ?!


edit. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn tables no confidence motion in Theresa May’s Govt.

If it succeeds I think that triggers an election I’m not sure.

[chonies]

Jan 15, 2019 15:58:22 GMT -4 @fitz said:

Who knows.?!
I think I heard read something that Theresa May has 3 days to come up with plan b I don’t think there is one
Options I think that might happen before a second ref is extending the transition time (article 50), snap general election, start all over again with new PM!
Who knows ?!

It's like the political version of the Odyssey of Flight 33!

[Deleted]

Buses, you wait ages for one and then a very accurate one comes along...