My_question_is: US-specific Subject: us cit. work in UAE re. irs tax and time limits Expert: taxman at centa.com Date: Saturday January 27, 2007 Time: 11:13 AM -0500 QUESTION: I am a US citizen working in UAE (for a contractor)... I have been working there for 4 years with visits back home 3 to 4 times a year. Is there a limit of how many years I can work over there without having to come back to US for a year or whatever to maintain citizenship and tax status ------------------------------------------------- david ingram replies: Once a US citizen, always a US citizen unless you attend at a US Consular office and formally revoke your US citizenship in front of a US Consular officer and fill out a 4 page form letting them know that you" think" you know what you are doing. But! A US citizen has to continue to file a US return and calculate tax on their worldwide income no matter where they live. If in Canada, Spain, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Japan, Indonesia, Libya, Bulgaria, Chile or any other country with an Income Tax, there is not usually any tax because you can deduct $82,400 of earnings on form 2555 (if you are a bone fide resident of the other country for an entire calendar year or out of the US for 333 out of 365 days. There is also a housing allowance deduction of about $36.00 a day ($13,000 a year) which means that for most Americans out of the country the first $95,000 is tax free to the US. Any income over that is subject to tax but the American can claim a Foreign tax credit (form 1116) for tax paid to the other country and that usually wipes out any tax owing to the US. Note that prior to 2005, at incomes of over about $150,000 US, there was an AMT owing to the US but it was not usually very much. However, If you are a resident of the UAE, Dubai, Qtar, Kuwait, Saudi, Grand Caymans, Bahamas or any other tax free country, there is no foreign tax to claim so the US citizen starts being paying US tax for sure at around $100,000 US and lower if no Housing allowance involved. Canadians, Brits, Australians and citizens from most other countries can make themselves a non-resident of their home country and avoid having to pay their home country tax. In fact, as a non-resident with no income from Canada, a Canadian (as one example) does not have to file a Canadian return once they have left Canada. I/we specialize in out of country tax returns for persons in your position and can process your US tax return for you by email (pdf only please), snail mail, courier or fax. Note that because you are living out of the USA, your actual 1040 is not due until Friday June 15, 2007 for the 2006 year. However, any tax you owe was due on April 15 to avoid late paying penalties and it is likely that you should have been making instalment payments to avoid interest charges all together. sample pricing follows: Phone consultations are $400 for 15 minutes to 50 minutes (professional hour). Please note that GST is added if product remains in Canada or a phone consultation is in Canada. This is not intended to be definitive but in general I am quoting $800 to $2,400 for a dual country tax return. $800 would be one T4 slip one W2 slip one or two interest slips and you lived in one country only - no self employment or rentals or capital gains - you did not move into or out of the country in this year. $1,000 would be the same with one rental $1,200 would be the same with one business no rental $1,200 would be the minimum with a move in or out of the country. These are complicated because of the back and forth foreign tax credits. - The IRS says a foreign tax credit takes 1 hour and 53 minutes. $1,500 would be the minimum with a rental or two in the country you do not live in or a rental and a business and foreign tax credits no move in or out $2,400 would be all of the above and you moved in and out of the country. This is just a guideline for US / Canadian returns We will still prepare Canadian only (lives in Canada, no US connection period) with two or three slips and no capital gains, etc. for $150.00 up. With a Rental for $350 A Business for $350 - Rental and business likely $450 And an American only (lives in the US with no Canadian income or filing period) with about the same things in the same range with a little bit more if there is a state return. Moving in or out of the country or part year earnings in the US will ALWAYS be $800 and up. TDF 90-22.1 forms are $50 for the first and $25.00 each after that when part of a tax return. 8891 forms are generally $50.00 to $100.00 each. 18 RRSPs would be $900.00 - (maybe amalgamate a couple) Capital gains *sales) are likely $50.00 for the first and $20.00 each after that. Just a guideline not etched in stone. --- 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: 4466 Prospect Road 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) email to taxman at centa.com <mailto:taxman at centa.com> www.centa.com <http://www.centa.com/> www.david-ingram.com <http://www.david-ingram.com/> Disclaimer: This question has been answered without detailed information or consultation and is to be regarded only as general comment. Nothing in this message is or should be construed as advice in any particular circumstances. No contract exists between the reader and the author and any and all non-contractual duties are expressly denied. All readers should obtain formal advice from a competent and appropriately qualified legal practitioner or tax specialist for expert help, assistance, preparation, or consultation in connection with personal or business affairs such as at www.centa.com <http://www.centa.com> . If you forward this message, this disclaimer must be included." Be ALERT, the world needs more "lerts" David Ingram gives expert income tax & immigration help to non-resident Americans & Canadians from New York to California to Mexico family, estate, income trust trusts Cross border, dual citizen - out of country investments are all handled with competence & authority. international non-resident cross border income tax help estate family trust assistance expert preparation & immigration consultant david ingram, income trusts experts on rentals mutual funds RRSP RESP IRA 401(K) & divorce preparer preparers consultants This from "ask an income trusts tax and immigration expert" from www.centa.com <http://www.centa.com/> or www.jurock.com <http://www.jurock.com/> or www.featureweb.com <http://www.featureweb.com/> . David Ingram deals on a daily basis with expatriate tax returns with: multi jurisdictional cross and trans border expatriate problems for the United States, Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, United Kingdom, Kuwait, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, China, New Zealand, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Russia, Georgia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Scotland, Ireland, Hawaii, Florida, Montana, Morocco, Israel, Iraq, Iran, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mali, Bangkok, Greenland, Iceland, Cuba, Bahamas, Bermuda, Barbados, St Vincent, Grenada,, Virgin Islands, US, UK, GB, and any of the 43 states with state tax returns, etc. Rockwall, Dallas, San Antonio Houston Denmark, Finland, Sweden Norway Bulgaria Croatia Income Tax and Immigration Tips, Income Tax Immigration Wizard Antarctica Rwanda Guru Consultant Specialist Section 216(4) 216(1) NR6 NR-6 NR 6 Non-Resident Real Estate tax specialist expert preparer expatriate anti money laundering money seasoning FINTRAC E677 E667 105 106 TDF-90 Reporting $10,000 cross border transactions Grand Cayman Aruba Zimbabwe South Africa Namibia help USA US David Ingram expert income tax 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 New York, Boston, Sacramento, Minneapolis, Salem, Wheeling, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Pensacola, Miami, St Petersburg, Naples, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Orlando, Atlanta, Arlington, Washington, Hudson, Green Bay, Minot, Portland, Seattle, St John, St John's, Fredericton, Quebec, Moncton, Truro, Atlanta, Charleston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, Taos, Grand Canyon, Reno, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Sun City, Tulsa, Monteray, Carmel, Morgantown, Bemidji, Sandpointe, Pocatello, Bellingham, Custer, Grand Forks, Lead, Rapid City, Mitchell, Kansas City, Lawrence, Houston, Albany, Framingham, Cambridge, London, Paris, Prince George, Prince Rupert, Whitehorse, Anchorage, Fairbanks, Frankfurt, The Hague, Lisbon, Madrid, Atlanta, Myrtle Beach, Key West, Cape Coral, Fort Meyers, Berlin, Hamburg Warsaw, Auckland, Wellington, Honolulu, Maui, Kuwait, Molokai, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Manilla, Kent, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Red Deer, Olds, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Moose Jaw, Brandon, Portage La Prairie, Davidson, Craik, Edmonton, Calgary, Victoria, Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Edinburgh, Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, Copenhagen, Oslo, Munich, Sydney, Nanaimo, Brisbane, Melbourne, Darwin, Perth, Athens, Rome, Berne, Zurich, Kyoto, Nanking, Rio De Janeiro, Brasilia, Colombo, Buenos Aries, Squamish, Churchill, Lima, Santiago, Abbotsford, Cologne, Yorkshire, Hope, Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon, Fort MacLeod, Deer Lodge, Springfield, St Louis, Centralia, Bradford, Stratford on Avon, Niagara Falls, Atlin, Fort Nelson, Fort St James, Red Deer, Drumheller, Fortune, Red Bank, Marystown, Cape Spears, Truro, Charlottetown, Summerside, Niagara Falls, income trust David Ingram specializes in giving expert income tax and immigration help to American and Canadian citizens living out of their home countries from Zimbabwe to Saudi Arabia to Mexico to China or Chile - Cross border, Non-resident - dual citizen - out of country investments are all handled with competence and authority. 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