Oh no!!!! Tax emergency for the Yanks

[Didacts and Narpets]

Did I hear correctly that CX is about to throw all the Yanks under the bus? Talk about running off about what? 10% or so of your pilots?

Truly and honestly, what is wrong with Cathay and their management? They really have no business meddling in this and no way capitulating to America. Oh so CX can't fly to the US, well then DL,UA, AA, Atlas,Fed Ex can no longer fly to Hong Kong.

I thought the Chinese were standing up to the Great America?

Wow Cathay, WOW!:D

[cxorcist]

Exactly right, Batman. Nothing new here really, unless you're a tax dodger.

I do think the email was a bit over the top in its tone and lack of pleasantries.

[Trafalgar]

...sometimes I despair as to the naivety and ignorance of my fellow pilots. Batman and Cxorcist, I suppose you also hold to the tenant with all authorities when they say to you, " why wouldn't you submit to a search, have you got something to hide?"....missing the greater point about privacy. Cathay has NO legal requirement to withhold for Americans who are working OUTSIDE of the US, ie:, in HK. Some clerk has just 'decided' that they are going to do so. It's not about tax avoidance. It's about CX making an arbitrary decision not based on fact. Watch what you hope for boys.......it might be CX messing you about further in the US also.

[airplaneridesrfun]

It's pretty clear they are just trying to figure out who has a green card and can take a base. They already know who the US passport holders are. This is no biggie, it will work itself out.

[Didacts and Narpets]

1) Are there any other airlines abiding by this? Emirates, Korean etc...
2) isn't there a double taxation deal with Hong Kong and the Yanks?
3) Will there not be mass exodus amongst the Yankee Gweilos? I mean why in the hell would you stay. I'd imagine this has pretty big financial implications.
4) Is it not in your contract that tax issues, you are on your own?

Seems like CX is always making a bigger mess than needs be. It also seems the management handling this is not educated or trained in these matters.

Is Paris not sort of the same issue? Is CX presently being sued by pilots? You would think they would put out one fire before starting another!

Maybe I just don't get it. Seems every year it gets worse and worse over at Green.

I would imagine the Americans, like the Parisians, will NOT take this lying down!:ugh:

[Oval3Holer]

This will affect tax dodgers only. If you don't want CX to withhold tax, just put 50 allowances on your Form W-2. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing at all.

[Trafalgar]

Three Holer. You are missing the point. CX is trying to do something that isn't legally required. Surely even you can appreciate that we don't need them messing about in areas that are not their concern.

[cxorcist]

Trafalgar,

Somehow I doubt your concern for even one American is sincere whether it is rooted in principle or not.

If I were betting, I would venture to guess that you are scared of the precedent being set. As a Brit, or whatever nationality, commuting to Hong Kong you fear that your own government might adopt a similar policy to the Americans wrt taxation. That notion scares the crap out of you, and you don't want your employer peeing all over its own belly when the foreign taxman comes calling, essentially eliminating your ability to cheat your way out of it.

Am I correct?

[Oval3Holer]

Trafalgar, I agree that it appears CX is doing something that is not legally required. However, since we can do nothing to change that, (To whom will you complain, the Hong Kong government? The US government?) it becomes moot.

[Oasis]

The question then becomes:
Why would Cathay bother to do something it is not required to do?

[LongTimeInCX]

The answer clearly becomes:
a) Because they can
b) Because they know it will tick off yet another group of crew
c) Because it is another distraction to coerce guys into taking their eye off the ball in forthcoming chats about RP's FTL's and moolah

[SloppyJoe]

Is our CEO an American?

[ColonelAngus]

Used to be American but changed to Chinese effective June 1, 2010.

See here:

http://www.societies.govt.nz/scanned-images/16/BC10059347416.pdf

[I'mbatman]

Whats that all about?!

[Baywatcher]

He won't have to pay US taxes!

[744drv]

Will he be allowed back to reside in US after he is done with CX/Swire and HK?

[Soul planet]

Americans turn in passports as new tax law hits - Sep. 4, 2013 (http://money.cnn.com/2013/09/04/news/citizenship-us-tax/)

The number of Americans choosing to give up their citizenship has spiked dramatically this year as the government works to implement a new disclosure law aimed at stamping out tax evasion.

[Oasis]

Warning: thread-drift!

[Didacts and Narpets]

Cathay AND Hong Kong need to fight the U.S./IRS. This will just be the beginning! If CX/HK capitulate to one of the most egregious and hypocritical nations in the world, more will follow! A privacy ordinance is just that!

The U.S. Cannot just go around bullying foreign countries and companies hunting for people. The is truly the most outrageous issue I have ever seen in my life. If you Americans dont't fight this hard, you'll only have yourselves to blame and then will wind up screwing the rest of us.

Again, this recent tax issue is just the beginning of what will be giving up ALL your rights at a citizen/person. Honestly, how did that f$&@?!', ass get voted back in as president of the U.S.?

The SCMP needs to have a huge full page cover story on this!

[slowjet]

This & the "To the SCMP" threads could be tied together ? Not looking for the Mods job ; just saying !

[cxorcist]

D&N,

So am I hearing you right? It will be the Americans fault if other nationalities at CX someday have to pay tax to their home countries from HKG. Huh?

We already pay tax to the US gov't from HKG. That's the law being a US citizen. It may be a ridiculous overreach, but no moreso than having to pay 40%, half, or more of your income to support Western socialism.

No, if you're worried about it, you fight it!

[ASH1111]

Hear hear!

[Trafalgar]

Gentlemen:

Do NOT respond to the email. Without a response, they can take no action. It is none of their business, it is NOT based on the law, and it is illegal under HK laws. Ignore it.

[nitpicker330]

Yeah good on ya
That'll work :D

[teedub]

If you respond to the "email", even to say NO NO NO, then "ipso facto" you confirm you are one of those they want to identify per the email!!!!
If they wanted to give any info about you to anyone (the police, the IRD, HSBC etc) somehow the resulting 10 year lawsuit from you, over the data protection bit ain't gonna phase them!!!

They know who is who.

[Shep69]

As far as US law, most US nationals know about it and have tax withheld. All US citizens are subject to US tax on their income. Non issue and the hype is what is silly. Fill out a W-4 with appropriate exemptions if you're a US citizen/PR who hasn't done so and leave it at that. Non-citizens can declare residency wherever they please (as can US citizens with their home state of residence) and keep doing what they are doing.

For those not so doing they face the wrath of the IRS at their own risk--Al Capone easily got away with murder but was thrown in the pokey when he stiffed Uncle Sam from HIS cut. The US is 18 trillion in debt but has no problems hiring a whole bunch of IRS and DHS agents.

As far as ANY outside entity telling ANYTHING to the US government it doesn't absolutely have to this is a bad idea on many levels.

The US is rapidly becoming a police state (and has been for some time) but this is a somewhat different issue.