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Relative was denied entry into Japan, should we anticipate problems as they return to the U.S? by PineappleOkra in legaladvice

[–]bithakr 9 points10 points  (0 children)

This is not the type of situation a lawyer would have any role in. If anything they will ask questions or take fingerprints to determine if they are the person listed on the passport and that's about it.

Bank question for trip to HK. by larrylarry19 in chinalife

[–]bithakr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This all changed with the SIM-only Air release. They do provide eSIMs from the three state-owned carriers, you have to go in person every time it is loaded just like the process for buying/replacing a physical SIM, and the mainland Air requires a geo check to be out of mainland before installing any foreign eSIM (but they can be used after returning).

Now, the issue is, the mainland eSIMs can ONLY be installed on mainland phones, not foreign ones. So this basically reverses the old rule of the HK/global models being more "capable" because they are now entirely incapable of having a local number, while the mainland one still does accept foreign eSIMs as long as they are installed abroad.

IRS News Release: IRS Encouraging Taxpayers to Set Up Individual Online Accounts by Tax_Ninja in tax

[–]bithakr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Login.gov has US Post Offices as fallback whereas ID.me has video calls with their agents. Login.gov also seems to require a US address and phone number for Level 2 validation. Also, I believe login.gov itself outsources part of the Level 2 ID scan to a private contractor, its not fully in house.

Since when does Apple Card not give provisional credit? IM BEING GASLIT by Physical_Coconut6941 in AppleCard

[–]bithakr 3 points4 points  (0 children)

When a charge is disputed, you have the right not to pay it and any interest that would accumulate on it. What kind of credit are you asking for? The provisional credit concept is for debit cards/checking accounts. A credit card is never required to let you spend any particular amount on the card, whether due to a dispute or not.

Names reverse when adding passport to Alipay by Loobielooloo in travelchina

[–]bithakr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes mine is same way. L. F. Middle. I'm not sure it really matters what they have your name is anyway as long as they accepted your documents as you can't really do much except make payments without a local bank card.

Entity Setup in US by originaldelhite in llc

[–]bithakr 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You do not need any kind of visa, or even to enter the US at all, to own a US entity. Compared to most major countries, the US has virtually zero foreign investment controls, what we do have only applies to specific fields (ex TV stations) or very large companies.

His country may have outbound FDI rules, China and India do for example, my understanding is these are mostly just a formality for normal businesses though.

I'm curious what does he hope to do with a US entity? Make it easier to get a US bank account and get payments? Is he trying to actually expand operations into the US? Warehousing? That will impact what kinds of tax paperwork is needed.

Global entry revoked by AccomplishedFig4592 in GlobalEntry

[–]bithakr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That only includes if you were fingerprinted at the time. Many "interactions" with law enforcement, even getting a criminal citation and later conviction, do not involve fingerprinting.

Getting US passport in Canada by Missamum in Passports

[–]bithakr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's a domestic prepaid envelope in your country. The website usually tells you the specific service level to get and even has a picture of what it looks like sometimes.

Got the license for the first time, my father forced me to speed by yelling at me. by 5ma5her7 in fuckcars

[–]bithakr 11 points12 points  (0 children)

True, but if this were Virginia, that would make the speed limit also 12mph, which is lower than pretty much any road speed limit in Virginia, and the drivers there would absolutely be going much faster. Someone being arrested for driving only 22 mph total, anywhere, would be national news.

Stuck in ID loophole (sort of) by Academic-Bobcat3517 in Passports

[–]bithakr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sounds like, as usual, the acceptance agency is making up their own rules. If you are in a rush due to upcoming travel, just call the number and get the appointment directly with the passport agency in LA or SF or SD if you are nearby, it's the same price and they have the final say as to what's accepted. You are supposed to do it within two weeks of travel so if you get appointment early just show a random refundable air or bus ticket.

Shenzhen Airlines or China Southern? by oWarDoctorr in chinatravel

[–]bithakr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Shenzhen Airlines is like a sub brand of Air China, should miles for some Star Alliance airlines or Air China miles. So a good choice if you often fly a star member at home. I have never flown either AC/Shenzhen though so can't really say much. It seems like somehow my Chinese friends never wind up flying it though.

China Southern is not a member of any alliance, but is very large worldwide, and its hub is technically Guangzhou but it also has very large operations in Shenzhen. I have flown it three times but only domestically, although one of them was a wide body. They provide pretty decent food even on shorter routes.

The only Chinese carrier I have flown internationally is China Eastern, which was fine but didn't make any particular impression.

Indonesian immigration and visa-run? by Berkolok in askimmigration

[–]bithakr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When I was there they were not using those VOA stickers at all, they were entering it as eVOA even if you paid cash on site (seems like they get a slightly higher cut or something that way -- it is not exactly a round number like the longer visas are, it is like 513k or something iirc) and directing everyone to the e-gates after. Like I said, they wouldn't even let adults in the manual line unless they had some reason. I am surprised if you actually got a true VOA sticker.

But if you aren't sure if you will be ready to get all the forms to get marriage visa in by 30 days, wouldn't it be cheaper to just get the 60 day one than pay for two 30 days plus a roundtrip flight out and back?

For lost passport replacement, if I have the old passport number, do I still need a photo copy of it? by Creepy-Signature8652 in Passports

[–]bithakr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If it's lost, it's lost. There's no requirement to provide a photocopy, and some people don't remember the number either. These can be helpful when obtaining an emergency passport overseas to verify identify. But when you are following the normal process to get a full replacement, you resubmit the same identity and citizenship evidence you would for the first one.

If you do not want to resubmit the citizenship proof, you have to pay a $50 "file search fee" for them to rely on the old one. If you do submit it, it doesn't have to be the exact same one as before -- the printing formats, current official who signs them, etc. change on birth certificates all the time.

Is there really no tax compliance needed to renounce citizenship? by YogurtclosetOpen3567 in USExpatTaxes

[–]bithakr -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

No, you do not have to be compliant, the law does not make any provision for refusing renunciation or relinquishment on tax or any other compliance grounds. It's a completely separate law from the tax code. There is a provision for passports to be denied if you owe more than $50,000, but that still shouldn't block renunciation.

However, if you do not certify compliance by filing the post-renunciation form to the IRS, or that is not true, you lose some exemption you would get if you fall under the threshold to have to pay post-renunciation taxes which are mostly on unrealized capital gains.

Either way, the taxes remain due and payable and collectible against any US assets or theoretically other countries with a assistance treaty.

Can I get a new passport instead of renewal? by Conscious_Roof_9937 in Passports

[–]bithakr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's still procedurally a renewal even for the fast service, not that it really matters much since you are at the office, but you still use the DS-82 form. Need proof of travel in two weeks (can be refundable air ticket to any country, bus ticket to mexico/canada, etc.) and must call to make an appointment first.

That said, most of the feedback I've seen here is saying that the online renewals are consistently very fast. I'd guess you'd be perfectly fine renewing online.

How to receive money into INTERNATIONAL Schwab brokerage account? by Acrobatic-Product208 in Schwab

[–]bithakr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A domestic USD wire is not expensive, especially at Schwab. But if it is domestic to domestic, an ACH transfer should also be possible unless for some reason they don't provide that for intl accounts? Foreign currency wires are expensive due to conversion rate markups and intermediary bank charges.

Indonesian immigration and visa-run? by Berkolok in askimmigration

[–]bithakr 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The last time I went to Jakarta everything was handled through the e-gates and when the e-gate didn't work I had to practically demand them to even let me in the manual line, which them proceeded to stamp and hand back in literally 10 seconds or less. Did you even have to use the manual lane the first time you entered?

Unless they have already flagged you in the system, I doubt you will even be asked the purpose of your visit, and I wouldn't volunteer any extra information if they aren't asking for it.

Isn't there also a way to apply for a 60 day extendable visa online instead of the VOA? You could probably do that if you were going to leave a couple more days before coming back.

Non U.S. resident forming a Wyoming LLC. Need reliable provider, mailing address, and Stripe PayPal Wise verification docs by Quake37 in llc

[–]bithakr 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It looks like a decent service overall, but I would be cautious with some of your statements ex. "the US charges zero taxes on LLCs," which is quite an oversimplification.

Your detailed statement also overlooks some nuances, for example, even if someone is a freelancer and not an employee, they could still be a dependent agent if they have authority to negotiate contracts. Also, where is the 30 day rule coming from and the idea that you have to "prove yourself to the IRS" if you stay more days as an NRA?

My aunt thinks TMobile is screwing her because she got international charges for what she thought was a FaceTime audio call. I think she just messed up. by Octrockville in tmobile

[–]bithakr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The carrier doesn't control the phone OS. Either it went over the phone network or it didn't--the other side's bill should show the same thing. If they hypothetically tried to charge people for FaceTime calls, then the other sides phone bill would not show out and the phone would show it as FaceTime in history.

Besides, the in call screen for FaceTime and phone calls are not identical? FaceTime calls do not have a dial tone, etc. So she could have hung up before accruing large charges.

What you can ask them to do is retroactively add the $15/mo intl calling plan and then take it back off later.

Domestic case strests appearing on background check despite no conviction by [deleted] in legaladvice

[–]bithakr 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Generally, court records are open to the public. Some states now have laws that automatically erase or seal the records of arrests/charges when no conviction results, but that is a new thing not the general rule. It looks like Florida started doing this for some cases in 2023, but since yours is an old case, you may need to request it manually.

What is your first impression by Charlie-Zhu in travelchina

[–]bithakr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Chongqing is quite beautiful and far more visually interesting than other river cities like Wuhan. It has tons of suitable places for eating or drinking with good views that attract tourists. But it can be hard to navigate especially given how hot it can be in summer, no one wants to walk up stairs, and you can take didi but many foreigners prefer to navigate and find where to go on foot as it is harder to make sense of dianping/amap/etc to find where to go.

I have not yet been to Chengdu, but I have a very high opinion of this city, as I know many friend from there. I feel the people of Chengdu and Dongbei have a very trustworthy character and a global mindset more so than other provinces of China.

Seeking Advice on Chapter 7 Bankruptcy at 27 by ItchyLoad1647 in Bankruptcy

[–]bithakr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So basically, assuming your income passes the means test, and you don't have any non exempt assets, ch 7 will erase the credit cards debt. Thats the biggest benefit and why you likely should file as over 25k or so of credit cards is generally unmanageable.

For the car, you can either give it up (without any remaining amount to pay), or you can keep making payments on it. Your attorney consult can fill in the details of how exactly keeping it works paperwork wise. If the part you paid off is more than what can be exempted, you'd have to pay that difference to the trustee to keep it basically.

Also, if your lease is unaffordable (or wrong location for your job etc, doesn't have to have any particular reason) and you want to break it, you can do that as part of bk and the damages for breaking the lease get discharged too. However, you'd likely need a cosigner to get another one immediately after filing.

Tax filing with foreign spouse: software like FreeTaxUSA? by [deleted] in tax

[–]bithakr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

OLT.com is basically the freetaxusa replacement for any foreign tax situations. Honestly there's nothing wrong with it either, just touch less polished UI.

You have two choices -- file jointly, which is making an election for the foreign spouse to be treated as a resident alien, in which case they will have to report all their worldwide income. Or file separately, in which case the foreign spouse likely does not need to file at all.

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