Trending: Taxpayers residing outside U.S. questioned at U.S. border regarding back taxes

Hey American Olim -- Remember the phrase, "No one expects the Spanish Inquisition"?



Well, no one expects to be questioned at the US border when flying to the US for a simcha or visit...by the IRS,  about back taxes.

This month's, "Journal of Accountancy" has a rather scary article about this very issue. First and last paragraphs are the key:

Taxpayers traveling to the United States with unpaid U.S. tax assessments can be detained at the border, questioned, and flagged for follow-up enforcement. If a taxpayer has an unpaid tax liability and is subject to a resulting Notice of Federal Tax Lien, the IRS may submit identifying taxpayer information to the Treasury Enforcement Communications System (TECS), a database maintained by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The database allows the DHS to identify taxpayers with unpaid tax assessments who are traveling to the United States (Internal Revenue Manual (IRM), §5.1.12.26).

...

A taxpayer who resides outside the United States may not be aware of outstanding federal tax liabilities if the address on record for the taxpayer is outdated or otherwise incorrect. Consequently, tax advisers with clients who reside outside the United States should ensure that the correct address for the taxpayer is used on the client’s returns and, if the client no longer is required to file U.S. returns, that the IRS still is able to contact the taxpayer about previously filed returns. Taxpayers should be advised that a failure to keep the IRS apprised of a change in mailing address may result in an unwelcome—and potentially embarrassing—surprise when the taxpayer seeks to enter the United States.

This could apply even if you DON'T owe money, but the IRS thinks you owe money, audited you (without your knowledge if they couldn't contact you), and then...while trying to visit...

So, make sure you file regularly, and make sure they have an address listed for you, which will actually reach you.

Remember the IRS motto: "We're not happy, till you're not happy..."

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Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

USA Olim Heart Obama?

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that I've discussed at length, the possibility of US citizens resident in Israel (legally) receiving a tax credit of up to $1000 per child.

Well, here's a news scoop: USA President Obama is proposing DOUBLING the Child Tax Credit to $2000 per child!

The details are a bit murky, but the CBS affiliate, "Las Vegas Now" website posted the story.

That's what President Obama says he intends to do. In his speech, he said he wants to offer tax credits to people struggling to care for their families.

"We've just come through what was one of the most difficult decades the middle class ever faced," he said.

The president plans to nearly double the child care tax credit for families earning less than $85,000.

For example, the rate would go from 20 to 35-percent, so a family with two kids and an income of $80,000 would get a tax credit of $2,100 instead of $900.

"During these tough economic times, I think it's going to help save money. Everyone is about saving, said Alexander Gonzalez.

At the very least, many people are grateful the credit might keep them from owing money. But some parents say their hope is that this tax reform doesn't take as long as the healthcare overhaul.

"He has promised a lot of things – well, not promised, but said he'll do a lot of things. So the proof is in the pudding," said Dan Land.

The nearly doubled tax credit is for families earning less than $85,000. Families earning up to $115,000 could also see a smaller tax credit increase, but the White House hasn't said how much.

I don't know if this will pan out, but its a story we'll be following here at the Muqata.

Instead of saying people that US President Obama is a negative reason to make aliya...we see him here actively helping US Olim in Israel!

Hmmm.



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Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

More Planeloads of People Achieve the Dream

More Olim make the flight home to Israel.



This Rosh HaShana, why not start seriously thinking about aliya?

When we complete the davening on Yom Kippur and say "לשנה הבאה בירושלים" (Next Year in Jerusalem) -- it doesn't mean NEXT year (as in, the next year after the present one), but rather, the coming year.

Earn El Al tickets to Israel and other rewards with the HAS Advantage Credit Card!

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Olmert to Olim: America is here?!

Continuing their mission of bringing World Jewry to Israel, yet another Nefesh B'Nefesh chartered airplane landed in Israel this morning, as 235 more Jews returned home -- as new immigrants. Dubbed, The "Singles" flight, 92 of the immigrants are singles (57 women and 35 men)...let's hope they don't get sucked into the Katamon "Srugim" swamp! (btw, How do we know Srugim isn't authentic? Because the characters never talk about the Srugim TV show! If they were authentic, they would be talking about the show, just as religious Jews are talking about the show all the time...)

Yet as Israel's Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert is being recommended by the Israel police for charges to be brought against him for: fraud, bribery, and corruption, he found the time to welcome the new immigrants.

"You have come to the greatest country in the world. It's true that we face dangers and threats, but they cannot harm the State of Israel. The State of Israel will live forever as a Jewish state in the Land of Israel. The olim are the answer to any threat."

The prime minister went on to praise the Israeli economy, and added, "America is here."

America is here?!

Jews move to Israel because it's Israel, and not America.

Israel is not the "greatest country" in the world -- it is the most special country to the Jewish people, but not the "greatest". If Israel were America, Olmert would have resigned in shame months ago, instead of brazenly continuing as Prime Minister and pushing dubious political discussions with Syria and the Palestinians without a moral mandate.

Welcome home Olim -- and please try to ignore our Prime Minister. He's just an insignificant blip on the radar of Jewish history.

Among those who arrived in Israel on Monday were a three-month old baby and an 86-year-old woman, as well as 34 families, 48 children and 18 youths who will soon join the Israel Defense Forces. Ten new dogs will also have to get used to the Israeli climate from now on.

Israeli climate...and the Knesset.

Despite them -- welcome home! You will make this country better, and hopefully we will eventually be proud of our nation's government.

Lurker adds:

Olmert's stupid remark about Israel being America wasn't the only inappropriate comment he made to the olim. Apparently, he also saw fit to make some partisan politcal remarks, too:

"[MK Yoel] Hasson is a member of Kadima, he will be one of the party's senior
leaders, and it will remain a leading party in Israel."

Seeing a planeload of olim juxtaposed with Ehud Olmert is a study in contrasts. As a rule, olim are sincere idealists, committed to their Jewish and Zionist values. They are living models of Jewish selflessness, and tend to be interested in doing whatever they can to contribute to the Jewish people, and to strengthen the Jewish people's hold on its eternal homeland. Olmert, on the other hand, is practically the very opposite: He's a conniving cynic, interested in little but his own personal advancement. He has demonstrated his willingness to make tens of thousands of Jews homeless, and to jepoardize the security of his people, just in order to score a few political points. And his level of corruption has raised eyebrows even among the jaded Israeli public.

So its hardly surprising that Nefesh b'Nefesh felt compelled to take the embarrassing precaution of appealing to the olim to bite their tongues, and to refrain from showing any disrespect to this odious man while he was addressing them. You might imagine that Olmert, for his part, would have the minimal good sense to steer clear of politics when speaking to them. But you would be wrong.

This is one of the talkbacks on the article (#14), from Dr. David M. Feigenbaum of Netanya:

I attended the cermony. We were asked to respect the office of the Prime
Minister at least twice before he spoke. We honored that request until he
injected politics into his speech. When he mentioned Kadima we booed him.

Olmert is a boorish nincompoop.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

JPost: Biting the Hand that Reads You?

This post will probably kill my chances for being ever linked to the Jerusalem Post again, but I'm so annoyed at their current ad campaign that I had to post about this.

Last week, while driving through Kfar Sava, I saw the above huge red billboard.

Sorry, Stanley.

What the heck?

An ad for the Hebrew-only business magazine of the Jerusalem Post -- it's a nasty swipe at the head of the Bank of Israel, Stanley Fisher.

Stanley's an American, who was brought to Israel by then-Finance Minister Netanyahu. With an impeccable record, it's about time that Israel appointed professionals, rather than petty, incompetent political hacks -- even if they are "imported" from outside of Israel.

So, the ad people working for the Jerusalem Post thought it would be "clever" to make fun of the fact that Stanley Fisher is "imported from America" and they attempt to imply that his Hebrew is sub-par to understand the Hebrew-language Jerusalem Post Business Magazine. (FYI, his Hebrew isn't bad at all)

Not only are they insulting one of the most respected people in Israel's financial community, but *I* was insulted.

Making fun of olim for their lack of Hebrew skills?

And from the company that runs the primary English Language paper in Israel?

What the heck are they thinking at the Jerusalem Post?

They think that's funny?

Shame.



A special thanks to my wife for taking the pictures of the billboard for the blog while we were driving :)

On second thought, it would have been much funnier is if they wrote:

Olmert: You won't be able to read this in jail!

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael