About to move to Belize, have some tax debt here in the US. Thats not the reason Im leaving, but wondered if they really would hunt me down over there and deport back to jail......or, could I ever open a bank account there.....if anyone has experience or opinions on this subject, would love to hear it.

Thanks

Oh brother . . .

"oh brother"......what does that mean?

Means that she has no idea....

means two things . . 1) shannon is a troll 2) even if not, then is this the type of person you wish to have relocating into your country, jesse?

And, if that's not the reason for leaving the US, then what is the reason? Something much more straight up, I'm sure.

Why do you respond? You have no answers for him. You are not a USian.

At the very least, I respond because of #1.

" A troll".....wow. First, I am moving becuase I have a deal to run a little place on one of the Cayes...2nd, what I owe is not substantial, I could pay it, its just more of a principle thing. I will not go into bashing the US or our government, I just dont agree with a lot of things. 3rd, where I live, South Louisiana, just 15 miles from the coast, one of the most terrible ecological disasters known to man is unfolding, certain to change everyones lifes where I live. So yes, I want out, and yes, I am mad at this government and dont want to pay because of that....if that makes me a troll, then I guess I am.....but I would hope "seashell" you would refrain from making personal judgement against someone you dont know a thing about.....

No Marty, have no idea what your talking about....dont know any Pedro....just had some honest questions......had no idea drama would ensue by simply asking.....

I know you don't want to pay your taxes, so I guess I know a little bit about you.

And you have divulged a lot about the type of person you are as well....but thanks for your input anyway....

i doubt they would hunt you down (i really don't know) but it will never go away and will be right there to bite your ass some day.

Yeah I know your right Barnacle....I guess a lot of has to do with my pessimistic view of whats going to happen to this country anyway...but I know I could be wrong, and then be stuck in another country unable to return due to warrents or something back here....thanks.

I hate looking over my shoulder, so I prefer to leave with integrity (is that an oxymoron?). My guess is what you owe is a moving target these days, so my advice is.... RUN RUN RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN

NOTE: I would add an LOL, but me thinks it is not so black or white.

pay the small amount of taxes and then u won't have anything to worry about...u will be able to enjoy yourself without any worries

Oh, they may not "hunt you down" but eventually, you WILL want to return to the good ole US of A where your friendly INS rep will gladly escort you into the private interrogation, ummm I mean VIP rooms where you will be given the royal ummm ummmmmm I mean.....phone call to your lawyer AFTER the INS and IRS are finished. Perhaps several days later.......

And why in the hell would you ever make such an inquiry on a travel message board. SS has it right.

I guess maybe I should have rephrased the question, I hear about people all of the time who go for decades without paying taxes and live abroad....How?

Why would I put the question here, because I had a question, I haven't committed a crime...I was curious about something...

Thanks Kerry, its nice to see people can just converse about something without making it personal and judgmental..

Sorry Shannon, call me judgemental if you want to, I've got no problem with that. You come on an international message board and tell everyone that you are considering breaking a major law. Then, you go on to tell everyone that you will be running a resort in Belize. So, people and not just the ones that will speak up about it here, have already made judgements about your character. You should wonder if they will want to stay at a resort, where the management has already announced the potential for dishonesty. Sorry Shannon, sorry . . .

As for calling you a "troll", here's the definition: "In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into a desired emotional response[1] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.[2] In addition to the offending poster, the noun “troll” can also refer to the provocative message itself, as in that was an excellent troll you posted. While the term troll and its associated action, trolling, are primarily associated with Internet discourse, media attention in recent years has made such labels highly subjective, with 'trolling' being used to describe many intentionally provocative actions outside of an online context."

Since it now appears that you are only foolish but not a troll, I apologize for assuming and calling you a "troll".

Its not a matter of calling you judgmental, its a simple fact that you are judging me. Im amazed that that simple question has led to this which hunt in which you go as far to say this could effect my business. Anyone would not want to stay in my resort because I am so fed up and repulsed by the government that runs the country in which I live, to the point that I am leaving the country and, I am thinking about not paying the 17k I owe for last years taxes, anyone that would not stay at my place because of that, I assure I wouldn't really care, nor miss their business, and that surely includes you. Hypocrisy is such a sad character flaw of so many humans, but, Im sure you pick up stones so quickly for the fact that you have never broken a law or been dishonest....good luck to you "Seashell"....

Unbelievable . . .

Shannon1111 - you should come here and find out what HAS happened to a few individuals that Uncle Sam has eventually caught up with. As for posting this information here, who else do you think reads this board?

I agree...........

Shannon, if you plan on leaving the US. PAY YOUR TAX DEBT FIRST. There is no question it will bite you in the arss later with interest and possibly jail time. There will be a point when you will return to the US even for a vacation, etc.

If you are living abroad and make zero income from the US, you are entitled to an income (earned abroad) that is tax free, up until the first $92K(?). You will owe uncle sam for income earned on top of that. As US citizen, you are obliged to file your income tax every year regardless of where you live. This is just a basic summary and may not even be 100% accurate. I strongly suggest you speak to a professional before doing anything.

Thank you JZB.......I guess its like the old saying, the only two things you can count on are taxes and death..... appreciate your input.

You got a work permit for Belize?

Belize is just like the US...except you can't hide!

Yes, I have a work permit. All of this started simply because I saw someone post they hadnt paid taxes in the US in 20 years. All of this was just a thought, im not bad person or a criminal. It was just a thought, and one I now know was not a good one. Im going to pay my 17k in taxes and leave the country in good standing...so everyone can calm down......

It would be nice for you to post a copy of that canceled check to the IRS......would really make us feel good about you

There is a difference between not incurring taxes and hence not owing any, and incurring them but evading paying them. The first is legal, the second isn't.

I'm really interested in knowing how you got your work permit without residency. We can't comfortably retire yet so we'd love it if the mister could legally work, even part time, in Belize.

Residency isn't tied to Work Permits.
Separate government programs.
A work permit empowers you to work in Belize for a 1 yaer period at a specific job..and costs quite a bit to obtain.
Residency requires a 1 year stay before applying and then a wait while its processed however is a permanent status...forever!

Unpaid taxes = big penalties and interest, which keeps accuring and accuring and accruing...whereever you go, there you are.

This thread just made my night. Thank you all. That being said, Jesse is correct... work permits and residency are apples and oranges. At least the guy had the guts to post the question. Had quite of few acquainteces here leave only to find out later they tried unsuccessfully to flee the IRS.
Good Luck Bro!

b) Application for Temporary Self-Employment:
This category would apply to foreign investors, among others. All applicants must be in the country legally, with proper visas and/or permits issued by the Immigration Department. They are required to produce proof of reasonably sufficient funds for their proposed venture (i.e.: local bank statement of account). Applicants must also obtain a reference from the relevant Ministry or Local Organization concerned with the category of work involved. In such situations, the six-month residency requirement is waived, and it is assumed that the venture will lead to creation of employment for nationals in the future

I think you shut some people up......you obviously have it together........good luck!

thank you Loansum.....wish the best as well.

Is this something new or something old? Either way, I have never of it as alternative to the one year work permit or waiting the year and then applying for residency. If in fact it is real and current it might help a lot of people that want to try there hand in running a business enterprise in Belize.

i know this has been in effect since 2004, at least...can't say prior to that

If you already filed and owe taxes, perhaps on a payment plan to the IRS, then just continue to pay regularly. Maybe arrange for auto0draft from your US bank account.
If you owe, and do not pay, you will eventually jeopardize your ability to one day collect Social Security or perhaps even renew your passport.
Now, if you do not care about those things, and have no intention of ever living in the US again, then dont worry about it if it isn''t too much.
Remember, not filing and not paying are two different things.

This is nothing new. The Temporary Self-Employment Permit noted above is a work permit for one year.

You can get two types of "work permits" -
Working for somebody else - difficult.
Working for yourself - not so difficult.
"Work Permits" is what we casually call them, but they are also referred to as Temporary Employment Permits or Temporary Self-Employment Permits.