State tax exposure resulting from voting in federal election -
Subject: State tax exposure resulting from voting in federal election
Expert: [email protected]
Date: Friday January 11, 2008
Time: 11:48 PM -0000
QUESTION:
I am a dual-national (American/Canadian) citizen currently living in Victoria. My last place of residence in the U.S. was Richmond, Virginia, although I have not resided anywhere in the U.S. since 1965.
I file a U.S. Federal Tax Return every year, but while attempting to vote in an earlier U.S. federal election (around 1980) I was informed that if I listed Virginia as my last State of residence I could also be subject to Virginia State income tax, and at the very least I would be required to file a Virginia State tax return in order to register.
So, the question now is: Can I register to vote in the next U.S. Presidential Election without exposing myself to Virginia state income taxes, or being required to file a Virginia State tax return?
david ingram replies:
The rule is that an offshore US citizen has to register in the last state that he or she lived in. if they want to vote in state elections or they can just register without the state affiliation if they only wnat to vote in the federal presidnetial election. You will remember that in 2000, there was a wait for the Florida offshore vote to come in as part of the GORE - BUSH election.
The registration has nothing to do tax. In 44 years, I have never heard of anyone in your position being asked for a statre tax return although i guess it might have happened.
However, if you did do the non-resident Virginia tax return, there would be no tax unless the source of themoney was form Virginia.
In the last month, I have done late West Virginia and South Carolina returns where the US citizen resident of Vancouver had state tax liabilities bu that was because of monies received from family farms in those states. And every year I do a Minnesota Xmas Tree Farm with tax owing to Minnesota and a California Almond farm. By the way, Almonds are California's largest tree nut crop and the largest horticultural export from the USA. And just to make it clear, if a BC resident has a share of a family farm in Saskatchewan or Manitoba or Ontario, the BC resident has to do a multiple jurisdiction return and pay Manitoba or any other province, their share of the tax owing on the provincial business.
And good on you for registering to vote. I have six of the Florida Voting machines which contributed to the hanging chad debacle.
I do not have a Republican site for overseas people but the Democrats are very active in registering out of country people.
Click here http://www.overseasvote2008.com/ to register to vote, get absentee ballots. There is nothing stopping a Republican from using the Democrat site that I know of.
This is from a subpage within the overseasvote2007 site at http://www.overseasvote2008.com/sec_info_1.php
--------------------------------------
Democratic Global Presidential Primary 2008
From February 5 to 12, 2008, Democrats Abroad will hold a Democratic Global Presidential Primary by Internet, fax, mail and in-person at Voting Centers in 34 countries around the globe. This will be the FIRST global primary ever!
Who can vote? The Democratic Global Primary is open to any U.S. citizen living overseas who will be 18 years of age by November 4, 2008, and who is a registered member of Democrats Abroad.
Can I vote in my home state, too? U.S. voters living overseas may vote for a presidential candidate in either the Democratic Global Primary or their state primary back home. You may not vote for president in both. (When you receive your state primary ballot, you can vote for all offices other than President, but you must not vote for President on that ballot.)
Is it safe to vote by Internet? Secure Internet voting is powered by Everyone Counts, a leading expert in high-integrity online elections. We are using the same system the Michigan Democratic Party has used since 2004. Alternatively, you will have the option to vote by post, fax or in-person at Voting Centers in 34 countries around the world.
Sign me up! Click here to register to
vote, request your state ballot, and join Democrats Abroad. On screen 6, answer
yes to the question, "would you like to join Democrats Abroad?" Then, in January
2008, you will receive your Global Presidential Primary ballot and further
instructions.
-------------------------------------------------------------
It is very unlikely that blind or unexpected email to me will be answered. I receive anywhere from 100 to 700 unsolicited emails a day and usually answer anywhere from 2 to 20 if they are not from existing clients. Existing clients are advised to put their 'name and PAYING CUSTOMER' in the subject line and get answered first. I also refuse to be a slave to email and do not look at it every day and have never ever looked at it when I am out of town. e bankruptcy expert US Canada Canadian American Mexican Income Tax service and help
david ingram's US / Canada Services
US / Canada / Mexico tax, Immigration and working Visa Specialists
US / Canada Real Estate Specialists
My Home office is at:
North Vancouver, BC, CANADA, V7N 3L7
Cell (604) 657-8451 -
(604) 980-0321 Fax (604) 980-0325
Calls welcomed from 10 AM to 9 PM 7 days a week Vancouver (LA) time - (please do not fax or phone outside of those hours as this is a home office) expert US Canada Canadian American Mexican Income Tax service help.
$1,700 would be for two people with income from two countries
Catch - up returns for the US where we use the Canadian return as a guide for seven years at a time will be $150 to $500.00 per year depending upon numbers of bank accounts, RRSP's, existence of rental houses, self employment, etc.
Just a guideline not etched in stone.
David Ingram expert income tax service and immigration help and preparation of US Canada Mexico non-resident and cross border returns with rental dividend wages self-employed and royalty foreign tax credits family estate trust trusts income tax convention treaty advice on bankruptcy
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.2/1221 - Release Date: 12/01/2008 2:04 PM
What's Related