Passports for the 2017WC - Heads Up

[xrvlcruiser]

I know I'm way ahead of the game but we'll be visiting close to 30 countries on the 2017WC and many of those countries require a clean page in our passport for their stamp.

 

It makes sense to have 20+ clean pages for the trip - it's very inconvenient if any of us gets on board and the Chief Purser/Clearance Officer decides you do not have enough pages for Miami->Miami.

 

In reality, many of us board in Miami so if necessary, this could be done in the US Consulate in CA but I'm sure that there are more interesting things to do than spend the day at the Consulate.

 

And one more item: the passports need to be valid for a specific time beyond the end of trip - I think it is 6 months - but check that.

 

As I said - a heads up.

 

Peggy

Edited October 17, 2015 by xrvlcruiser

[JMARINER]

The best solution is to get a second passport and be sure the second on is the large 52 page one. It makes it nice to be able, if you have to, to get 2 different county visas processed at the same time.

 

The second one application requires a reason, but the passport agency is very lenient on reason why. A long cruise with with multiple visas need to be processed is acceptable. The other reason they see a lot of is traveling to the middle east.

 

Just be sure that you use the same passport for entry/exit from a particular county. The clearance officer on the ship is familiar with passenger having multiple passport and gets is right, almost always. (Almost always....another story)

 

J

[pwolftx]

Peggy, thanks for the heads up on the passports. I have another question. Since the world cruise starts at the beginning of January and ends in May, how do you get income taxes filed on April 15? We probably won't have all the information we need to do taxes before we leave and may not be able to access it online from the ship.

[fluckey]

Pwolftx,

 

File an extension. You will get an automatic 6 month extension to complete the return. However, your full tax liability will still need to be paid by April 15, so you'll need to estimate your full tax bill without preparing the return. If you are short you may have to pay interest at interest rates which are quite low today, but, of course, could change by 2017.

[forgap]

File an extension to 8/15 and pay them hush money based on last years taxable income. If your income is relatively stable, you will probably be able to figure out how much you owe in excess of what they already have!

[xrvlcruiser]

Hi Peggy,

 

You got some suggestions . . . .

 

Also, there is a World Cruise Forum on CC which touches on a few other areas - worth a quick look.

 

See you in 14+ months!

 

Peggy

[pwolftx]

Thanks for the quick replies! I'll check out the World Cruise forum.

Edited October 21, 2015 by pwolftx

[ChatKat in Ca.]

File an extension to 8/15 and pay them hush money based on last years taxable income. If your income is relatively stable, you will probably be able to figure out how much you owe in excess of what they already have!

 

The correct answer to Peggy's Question is she should ask her own accountant.

 

The 8/15 extension date is no longer applicable.

[forgap]

The correct answer to Peggy's Question is she should ask her own accountant.

 

The 8/15 extension date is no longer applicable.

 

Better now....6 months to October 15th......from the IRS instructions:

 

Use Form 4868 to apply for 6 more months (4 if “out of the country” (defined on page 2) and a U.S. citizen or resident) to file Form 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, 1040NR, 1040NR-EZ, 1040-PR, or 1040-SS.[/i]

[gnomie1]

It is quite easy to file an extension on line at the IRS web site. You can also file a paper form which should be available sometime in December, also available on the IRS website.

 

The payment requirements depend on your income - if you have a professional accountant prepare your returns they will be able to calculate any payment required, including the 1st quarter estimated payment that is due on April 15th. If you prepare your own taxes, I would follow what you normally do - if you are usually required to make a payment, I would make an estimated payment 20% higher than the previous year.

 

I know that some people are quite hesitant and nervous about filing an extension - there is no reason to be concerned. About 50% of my clients are on extensions because we are waiting for K-1's or other documentation. There are very few people who are in the "top 10%" (depending on their investments) who are able to file by the April 15th deadline.

 

Some news you can use - filing an extension is only an extension for filing the tax return, not for the payment of taxes. If you are due a refund, the only deadline that you need to be concerned with is that you have three years to file and claim your refund, after that it is a gift to Uncle Sam.

 

 

gnomie :)

Edited October 26, 2015 by gnomie1