Utterly Overwhelmed and Angry
I know that I have written about this before but I really am now totally overwhelmed by US taxes as I think are many overseas US citizens. US citizens living overseas are treated like criminals by the USA and heavily penalized in the form of a growing web of complex rules and reporting requirements that even the IRS doesn’t actually seem to understand and that now required specialist tax assistance (i.e expensive). When you add to that filing in the Czech Republic – which is actually relatively simple – it is just too much. Tomorrow, I head to Prague where I will review and file tax returns for each year from 2009 – 2013. I will also file a whole array of other special tax forms and reports to the
Read More »Sometimes Everything Just Goes Tits Up….
This last few weeks has been pretty interesting. Its not so much that we have a had a run of bad luck but that things just appear to be testing and frustrating us. First off, we have a had a string of unexpected bills. First we got a fine for having no car insurance last year for a few days – it just arrived in the mail saying we notice you had no car insurance and here is your fine, signed the Czech Government. They are correct actually as the car was leased and insurance included and I forgot to get new insurance when the lease ran out (and no one wrote from said insurance company saying would you like to keep your insurance going)… Next, we got a gas
Read More »How to Waste a Morning in Prague
So today I had to send a letter to the IRS. Since I need it to arrive before December 23rd, I thought I would send it by courier – DHL in fact. Around 10am, I duly set out and drove the 10-minute drive to the airport where DHL have an office. I walk in to the DHL office armed with my reading glasses (their air bills use such small typeface its unreadable) and a pen…. yes, last time I was there they had no pens available! This is the Czech Republic people after all where customer service cannot be translated into the local language because it simply does not exist as a concept….. Entering the office there was what looked like a 15-year old behind the desk and on the
Read More »Dear Mr. President
Hi our Prezza! How the hell are you? Had enough vacations on my tax dollar, thrown enough star studded parties yet to actually DO something – anything? Or still pinning the blame for everything (like all of your loathsome kind) on your predecessor. Yes, I’m sorry, I don’t care much for politicians of any party or persuasion. Actually, to tell you the truth, what I want to ask you about is rather selfish of me but here goes…. When I became a US citizen, I was quite proud, especially when the examiner at the joke of a test that passes for a citizenship examination told me “Congrats, you got all the answers correct, most Americans couldn’t do that!” “Really?” I asked, “How many would they get right then?” “Three or
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