Delayed and cancel flights: your rights
easyexpat
| 24 March, 2008 15:01
Last time I was in Dubai, my return plane to UK was cancelled. Bad luck, but the company was not willing to offer any help better than "come back in 2 days" [1]. There are protective rules for passengers who suffer such uncomfortable situation. Unfortunately it depends whether you are flying in Europe, US or the rest of the world.
In Europe, the European Union Air Passenger Rights rules for delayed and cancel flights apply to all passengers with a confirmed reservation for any flight taking off from any EU airport or flying to a European airport on a EU member's plane company.
Passengers who are delayed for more than 5 hours may request a refund of their ticket and free accommodation, but only if they decide not to travel. In case of cancellation, you are entitled to compensation of € 125 for short flights to € 600 for long flights, and have the choice of rerouting or refund, plus meals, refreshments, 2 phone calls.
Financial compensation is due unless you were informed 14 days before the flight, or you were
rerouted close to your original times, or the airline an prove that the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances (unfortunately this is unclear and has been used by many airplanes to deny compensation, using the wording "extraordinary circumstances" for strikes, fog, snow in Scandinavia...etc).
- If your flight depart from a EU country, call the freephone number during working hours (09:00–18:30 CET weekdays): 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11
- From outside the EU call (normal charges apply): (32-2) 299 96 96
- or by email: mail@europe-direct.cec.eu.int
In the United States, airlines are not required to compensate passengers. You can find information on http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/problems.htm
[1] Don't worry, a bit of stuborness and experience and I managed to catch a plane within the hour 
The end of the red light district in Amsterdam?
easyexpat
| 17 March, 2008 16:16
Amsterdam
is probably as well known for its canals, tulips and bikes, as for its
red light district and coffeeshop (as the name does not explain
clearly, places where you can legally smoke cannabis/marijuana as well
has having a drink).
But now the area known for its sex-shops,
sex-shows and brothels, is slowly changing, with the voews of the city
council which has decided recently to clean up the expanding sleaze,
crime and violence in the historic district (mostly blaming Eastern
European pimps and international organized crime attracted by the
Netherlands' lenient policies). The city bought 5 brothels and let for
free for 1 year the 18 windows (out of 500 according to the IHT) to
young artists, photographers and fashion designers.
Now, when you
walk along the Oudezijds Achterburgwal canal, you might give for excuse
looking at designer ateliers while staring at the nearly-naked mannequins
cavorting in the red windows... or vice and versa.
More information in the IHT.
UK: end of the non-dom threat?
easyexpat
| 10 March, 2008 08:31
Dating from the age of the empire, the non-domicile status was designed during the Napoleonic wars in the hope to get cash from workers in America. The law lets foreigners (and their British born children) claim a non-domiciled status and therefore put aside some of their wealth and income from Britain. Thus, 10% of the population living in Britain (bankers, but also east European workers) are entitled to use it , whereas the rest of the population are liable for tax on their income and gain worldwide.
We published an article back in October, explaining that the government, under the pressure of the opposition, was planning to tax a lump amount of £30,000 for anybody wishing to keep the protective non-domiciled status. Now, as explained in The Economist, the Chancellor of the Exchequer is back-tracking on the issue to tax foreigners. The fact is, according to the aticle, that 115,000 people who claimed non-dom status in 2006 still paid £4 billion in income tax on their earning in Britain (in 2006-7 tax year, HMRC collected £125 billion in income tax), and contributed £12 billion in GDP. Additionnaly they could pay up to £ 3 billion in VAT and £300m in property transaction.
In comparison the new rules would have raised £650m a year, with maybe only 3,000 people leaving Britain. However the Labour government added new rules that would have force non-doms not only to disclose their interest in offshore trusts, but also, potentially, to pay tax on earnings made and kept abroad, even retrospectively. It prompted immediately fears and concerned, and an army of consultant manage successfully to lobby the government... until the next attempt, maybe?
UPDATE 12/03/2008:
The UK pre-budget was released in Parliament yesterday by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling. Here is part of the speech (I put in bold the 2 important assertions):
Mr Deputy Speaker, we welcome the contribution made by people born outside the UK who choose to come and work here. They are an important and central contributor to our economy’s growth and prosperity.
They pay taxes on their earnings here and also pay tax on money they bring into the country from abroad.
But for those non-domiciled individuals or families who have chosen to make Britain their home, I believe that it is right and fair that they should, after 7 years, pay a reasonable charge to maintain the right to be taxed differently from other UK residents.
Beyond that, as I have said before, we will not seek to charge UK tax on offshore income or capital gains that is not brought into the UK.
This new charge will be implemented from April. There will be no further changes to this regime for the rest of this Parliament or the next.
Last October I said that I would consider a scheme to which claimed to raise an additional £2.8 billion. On closer examination it was clear that the sums that did not add up. Not for the first time given the source. And I have rejected it.
We will continue to be vigilant against tax avoidance and we are publishing today further measures to ensure fairness for all taxpayers.
Therefore a £30,000 levy will be put on those who seek to keep on their non-dom status after 7 years of residence in the UK.
