Travelers to the USA may be looking forward to saving some money as the value of the dollar has diminished, but they will have to pay a new tourist tax first.
When?
On September 8th, 2010 the new tax will be initiated. The Travel Promotion Act was signed into law by President Obama in March 2010.
How much?
It is a $10 fee with a $4 administration fee equalling $14. It will only be collected once every two years.
The fee will fund up to 50 percent of America’s promotion activities. The tax must be paid in advance, electronically (by debit from a credit card). This is usually done in tandem with the application through the ESTA to enter the United States. The four dollar administration fee is non-refundable, even if the application is refused.
Who?
This tax will be placed on all travelers entering the US under the Visa Waiver Program.
Why?
Entitled the "Travel Promotion Act", the basic goal of this fee is to encourage travel to America. The country has seen a drop-off in the amount of foreign visitors and this act seeks to fund a large scale ad campaign promoting the USA. The US welcomed 2.4 million fewer overseas visitors in 2009 than in 2000. This initiative is not only relying on the fee to foreign travelers, but is funded by will be funded by up to $100 million in private sector contributions.
Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)
The ESTA is another new addition to US travel procedure. Started this January, it applies to international travelers who are seeking to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program.
Visitors must apply for authorization to enter the United States if:
You are a citizen or eligible national of a Visa Waiver Program country.
You are currently not in possession of a visitor's visa.
Your travel is for 90 days or less.
You plan to travel to the United States for business or pleasure.
Applications are made online and concern the identity, health, morality and the possible criminal background of the applicant. Status of an application can also be checked online.
Controversy
Many nations, and the EU as a collective, have criticized this new tax. The European Commissioner responsible for security matters, Cecilia Malmström, has said that the new American tax was "inconsistent with the commitment of the United States to facilitate mobility".
Some feel the tax is directly detrimental to the US tourism industry as it appears to be an attempt to "protect the frontier".
56 countries already levy a tax to enter their territory. And the fee is decidedly low. In others countries they fee may be as much as a hundred dollar.
During much of the history of the United States, train travel was the
primary means of long-distance overland routes. With the invention of
the airplane, train travel suffered a rapid decline. However, in the
21st century, Americans have begun to rediscover train travel. Between
May 2007 and May 2008, Amtrak, the nationally subsidized railway system
in the United States, had a 15 percent increase in ridership for
long-distance routes and a 14 percent increase in ridership for
short-distance routes. Americans are learning what other travellers
around the world have always known; train riders enjoy a number of
advantages over their counterparts who make overland journeys by bus,
plane or automobile.
Getting There is Half the Fun
On
a train ride, passengers enjoy scenery that is frequently little more
than a "fly over" on a plane ride. Trails and Rails is a cooperative
effort between the National Park Service and Amtrak designed to make the
most of this advantage. National Train Day is one of several programs
sponsored by Trails and Rails as a day of celebration for American
railroad systems. For 2010, National Train Day is scheduled for May 8,
with programs planned for cities across the country, including
Washington, D.C. , Chicago and Los Angeles.
On long-distance
train trips, passengers can book a sleeper berth and treat the trip as
part of the vacation. Passengers who purchase a sleeper berth enjoy the
same convenience as cruise passengers, who unpack once during a trip and
use their means of transportation as a base of operations. Meals are
also often included in the price of a ticket for a sleeper berth.
Less
Hassle and Inconvenience
As of April 2010, there was no
"3-1-1 Rule" on trains requiring passengers to limit liquids in their
carry on luggage to three ounce bottles or zip-top bags as there is for
airplanes. Passengers are not required to remove their shoes to board
the train. A change in travel plans or missing a departure carries less
financial penalty for train passengers than for those traveling by
plane.
In fact, many trains do not even require reservations;
passengers can arrive minutes before departure and board right away if
there are seats available. Train seats are also more comfortable and
offer more legroom than cramped airline seats. Train passengers have
little restriction in their freedom of movement, while airline
passengers are often confined to their seats for the entire duration of a
flight.
Short train trips can be nearly as time-efficient as a
plane trip, when the time is added for getting to and from the airport
through security checkpoints at the airport. Another advantage of train
travel is that train stations are often located in or near the heart of
the city, while airports are often located far from the center of town.
Getting into town from the airport in many locations requires an
expensive taxicab ride, because public transportation options are
limited or nonexistent.
A Greener Alternative
Train
travel frequently has a lower ecological impact than other forms of
transportation, especially driving alone or flying, according to a
report by Carbonfund on its website and also described on the Planet
Green website. This calculation includes both carbon emissions and fuel
efficiency for cars, trains buses and airplanes. Driving alone in a car
with average fuel efficiency or flying resulted in the greatest
environmental impact of all forms of transportation. Bus travel often
had a lower ecological impact than train travel, but with much less
comfort, especially for long trips.
Since being chosen as one of the four Candidate Cities for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games (along with Madrid, Spain; Rio De Janiero, Brazil and Tokyo, Japan), Chicago has had a steady stream of events to showcase its advantages – and make its best appeal for winning the final vote to host the Games, officially known as the XXXI Olympiad.
Chicago won its place as the United States candidate city by beating out four other cities which had hoped to be the American representative for the Games: Houston, Texas; San Francisco and Los Angeles, both in California; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It then went on to make the cut for the final four Candidate cities – with Doha, Qatar; Baku, Azerbaijan and Prague, Czech Republic being eliminated in an earlier selection process by the International Olympics Committee (IOC).
More than one million people have expressed their support for Chicago’s bid, including celebrities such as Michael Jordan and even President Barack Obama, who lives in Chicago. Many people who support the Games say that the United States needs the positive impact of the Games to repair its tarnished image with the rest of the world after eight years of the Bush administration.
However, along with all the enthusiasm, there are skeptics. A group calling itself No Games Chicago has been campaigning actively to keep Chicago from winning the bid. Many people involved with No Games Chicago say that the city cannot afford the expense of the Games, and that residents of the areas being considered for Olympic venues will be displaced. Others say that there is too much graft and corruption in Chicago for the Games to be a real success.
Nonetheless, Chicago, with the full backing of Mayor Richard M. Daley, has moved ahead with its bid to win the right to host the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralypics. Since becoming a Candidate City, Chicago has hosted a number of events to showcase its advantages, and attempt to persuade the members of the IOC.
One of the most important events occurred in April 2009, when Chicago hosted several members of the IOC as they made official visits to each of the Candidate Cities. The weather in Chicago did not cooperate, with gray, cold and inclement conditions. However, the spirit of most of the participants in the various events were high – including a venue tour where demonstrations of several sports were staged for the benefit of the IOC observers.
A few weeks later, the weather was much better for Chicago’s celebration of Olympics Day, which took place in cities across the United States on 23 June 2009. The skies were blue and the air was warm as athletes participated in a range of events to be featured in the Games – a total of 21 sports, including a Fun Run, basketball and boxing. More than 30,000 young people and 1200 adults participated in the Fun Runs, with another 3000 athletes participating in the other sports.
Several Olympic and Paralympics athletes made appearances in Chicago during Olympics Day to show their support for Chicago’s bid, including Mike Day, Paul Hamm, April Holmes and Jackie Joyner-Kersee. The day ended with a concert on the beach, with two local bands: Elevation, a U2 tribute band complete with a Bono lookalike, and the Freddy Jones Band. An estimated 20,000 people showed up to watch the various events.
The selection process has reached the home stretch, with less than 100 days remaining before the full IOC meets in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2 October 2009 to announce its decision for the winning city.
Audrey Henderson Freelance writer based in Chicago
As I was saying on Tuesday the 5th, in the primary held in London by the Democrats Abroad (DA), my personal feeling was well confirmed worldwide: 66% of voters chose Barack Obama against Hillary Clinton in the DA global primary result, representing thousands of ballots submitted by 164 countries and territories between Feb. 5 and Feb. 12.
As explained by the IHT, Americans living abroad had the possibility to vote online, by mail, fax or in person (in some 30 countries). The overseas Democrats allocated a small number of delegates on Thursday: 4.5 (Obama wiining 2.5 and Clinton winning 2). A further 2.5 delegates will be allocated at a DA convention in April 12 in Vancouver, British Columbia. The group also holds 4 superdelegate votes, for a total of 11 votes in the national convention scheduled for late August in Denver.
Born in Hawaii, Obama did particularly well in the Asia-Pacific region, winning 79% of the vote in Japan and 76% in Indonesia. He also did well in Europe, carrying more than 70% of the votes in Switzerland and France. Clinton won in Israel, the Dominican Republic and the Phillipines. her best regional showing was in the Americas, with 44% of the vote.
Republicans do not hold a global primary but they cast votes directly in their home districts (also on option for DA).
Biba has been specializing in networking for years. Her company, Biba4Network, helps business owners to connect to who they need and maximize their networking results.
Focus on Career aims to help Francophones to start their own businesses in the US and facilitate their expatriation.
Company:
Biba4Network, LLC / Focus on Career
City - Country : New York/Miami - USA
On which economic sector are you acting and what is its advantage?
Biba4Network international network for proactive entrepreneurs and small business owners, helps people to maximize their networking results, connecting them to who they need to meet & training them to network more effectively so that they can grow their businesses faster.
Focus on Career, French division of Biba4Network, is a One-Stop-Shop specialized to help Francophones to start their own businesses in the US. From incorporation to immigration, accounting, banking, communication, public relation, launch of products, business development, real estate investment and a lot more.
As a One-Stop-Shop, we save time and money to our clients. As a Francophone network, we speak their language, know their culture and can advise them on the American business culture to avoid the biggest mistake that most foreigners made when they try to start a business on their own.
Can you talk a bit about your company?
Started in 2003 in New York, Biba4Network open a second office in Miami in 2007. Based on networking, our company works with business partners and experts, all specialized on their own field, to serve the clients and facilitate their expatriation . Thanks to our extended network of professionals we can serve 99% of any demand of our clients.
Can you talk about your activity?
The easier way to learn more about of activities, is to read our series articles on how to work, live, and start a business in the US at www.focusoncareer.com/articles.html
Do you offer additional services?
Biba4Network organizes monthly teleclasses on various topics like networking and marketing, and a mastermind group to help entrepreneurs to grow their business.
Learn more at www.biba4Network.com
Focus on Career also helps Francophones and Europeans to invest in real estate in the US, and take advantage of the all the wonderful deals thanks to the down US real estate market and a very strong Euro. Today we can offer condos or houses for –50% to –70% less than there value.
What is the profile of your clients?
Our Biba4Network’s clients are Americans small business owners and solo-entrepreneurs, starting their business or wanted to refocus their business.
Our Focus on Career’ s clients are Europeans and mainly Francophones small business owners, from France, Belgium, Switzerland and Africa. People who already have a business in their own country or want to immigrate with a new project.
What is your first advice to somebody who want to start a business in the US ?
Want to live the American Dream is Great, but you need to be prepare. Too many people think that itw ill be easier than in France, and that they will pay less taxes. If it is your first motivation, forget about it.
Starting a business in the US, will be take longer than you think, will cast you a lot more than you think, and will get a lot more obstacles than you think.
When people come to me at first, I help them to structure their idea. I very often hear “Oh I have a great product and no competition” but when I ask about their strategies to launch the product or their investment available for this project, I have no answer.
The first think I ask my clients, is to have a very clear idea of their business and how they will promote and develop it. Then I ask them to calculate how much it will cost them for the first year, both on the business side and personal side. One third stop there, because they quickly realize that a good idea is not enough, and without a solid business plan and substantial financial investment, there is no viable business.
What are the conditions of success for a business in the US ?
As a foreigner, whatever your nationality is, you need to understand the US market, and the “American way of business”. Even if you have a very successful business in your own country, it is not a guarantee of success in the US. You need to forget almost everything you learned and start again from scratch “thinking US”. Ask help of professional, don’t try to do everything on your own, it may seams to be cheaper at first, but you will pay it ten time later, as far as time and money. If you start on the right track, then motivation and focus are the two ingredients for success.
What services/information/help do you provide to individuals?
Specializing in networking, connecting people together, we always find the right resource for our clients, using our network and creating strategic alliances and partnership on various field related to business and starting a business.
Can you speak about your service/project and the difference regarding competitors?
There is no one offering the same services as a one-stop-shop as we do. When a client come to us, he doesn’t need to look for other contacts, we provide him with everything he needs and all the contacts he needs, in a more effective and efficient way, than other, because they have only one interlocutor to take care of their file instead of wasting time to look for XYZ contacts or solutions.
What is your activity on the Internet?
All our communication is provided via our websites on internet, and most our services provided by phone.
We us a client doesn’t even have to come to the US to start his business or invest in real estate. Thanks to our network everything can be done online, or over the phone.
We also offer products, like books or CD of seminar we recorded live in New York, on the topic of starting a business in the US.
What advantages/discounts could you offer to our readers?
We offer a 30 minutes free consultation to any one who want to start a business, to discuss their project and answer their questions.
The way of choosing the candidate for each party is rather complicated in America, even for insiders.
In
the year of the presidential election (hold in November), political
parties conduct national conventions to choose their candidate. During
those conventions (summer preceding the election), delegates at the
party convention choose the candidate.
Those delegates are
selected at the state level according to rules determined by each
political party (for example, this time, the Democrats - under the
reform of Howard Dean - have decided to run a proportional vote
everywhere, where each candidate is awarded a number
of delegates in proportion to their support in the state caucuses or
the number of primary votes they won). There are two types of
primaries, closed and open. In a closed primary, voters may vote only
in the primary of the political party in which they registered (i.e. a
voter who registered as a Republican can only vote in the Republican
primary). Most states hold closed primaries.
The caucuses
are political meeting where the voters of the party (selected by the
primary election) select the delegates who will be voting for the
presidential candidate of the party at the convention.
So as a summary: American voters SELECT registered supporters for the Party at the state level who SELECT delegates who will go to the national convention to SELECT the presidential candidate of the party.
Super Tuesday
refers to the Tuesday (usually early February or March) where most of
the states will hold caucuses (24 states will be voting today - the
largest super Tuesday to date).
In order to follow closely the election and the selection process in the US, we recommend reading the blog: http://www.pollster.com
And for a more relaxed way to approach the (s)election day, here is the Seesmic video about Caucuses:
The new "Tax Cut Package" from George W Bush looks actually like a tax increase for American expatriates. As expressed by the IHT actually, those expected to feel the most pain are expatriate workers who earn comfortable, but not lavish, livings and semi- retired workers earning some foreign income while drawing U.S. Social Security, pensions and other income from U.S. sources. Many of these expatriates will be pushed into higher U.S. brackets, as will employees and independent professionals in no-tax and low-tax areas like much of the Middle East, some Caribbean nations and Hong Kong.
The foreign-earned income exclusion is expected to be lifted to $82,400 in the new law and indexed to US inflation after 2008. However there are some new legislation proposed by a Republican Senator hoping to ease expat income tax and eliminate the cap on income that Americans working abroad can earn
without having to pay both local and U.S. taxes on it, a change meant
to bring the U.S. system
in line with those of other industrialized countries.
On the other hand, the new law cap the exclusion for housing allowances (rent, utilities, insurance ...). It is currently calculated as 30% of the foreign-earned income exclusion, minus the 16% that would be paid in the US. With the new law it is more or less eliminated.
Usually in most countries the US have signed treaties to avoid double taxations. But in countries such as Saudi Arabia or Hong Kong with low or none income tax, American expats will fill the change more painful. For senior executives, it is more likely that companies will take charge of the increase in taxation. But people affected will be probably middle-tax payers and people who retire while still earning an income from abroad.
Foreign salary of $150,000 and US ordinary income of $10,000
Old law: $1,519
New law: $2,686
%change: +77%
Foreign salary of $1,000,000 and US ordinary salary of $50,000
Tourist Tax in America
30 August, 2010 08:28
Since being chosen as one of the four Candidate Cities for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games (along with Madrid, Spain; Rio De Janiero, Brazil and Tokyo, Japan), Chicago has had a steady stream of events to showcase its advantages – and make its best appeal for winning the final vote to host the Games, officially known as the XXXI Olympiad.
Find more information about 
Biba has been specializing in networking for years. Her company, Biba4Network, helps business owners to connect to who they need and maximize their networking results.
Focus on Career aims to help Francophones to start their own businesses in the US and facilitate their expatriation.
