Yet Another Fee Hike in Oz

[socaldmax]

Quote:
Originally Posted by El Pinguino View Post
I think Tulla is still in Oz.....

Originally Posted by Wotname

Make sure you tell the residents of Tulla all of the same wonderful benefits of charging them $380 for this "service" instead of 1/3 of one cent. Please post the conversation on Youtube, I have a feeling it's gonna be very educational, especially for those of us interested in learning the more colorful slang.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by socaldmax

Please post the conversation on Youtube, I have a feeling it's gonna be very educational, especially for those of us interested in learning the more colorful slang.

I think most residents of that area (Broadmeadows, Airport West, etc) have arabic or swahili as their first language.
Oz and NZ used to charge outbound punters at the airports a departure tax... in fact they still do...you just don't have to stand in a queue to do it any more.. its in the cost of your ticket.

[monte]

Housos

[nimblemotors]

So how far offshore must I keep my boat from OZ to keep the termites in my fiberglass boat from invading?
I'm thinking I can just dinghy in to visit land.

[socaldmax]

Originally Posted by monte

Housos

Wow! I just read a quick synopsis of that show on wikipedia. That's some pretty wild stuff, probably even funnier watching it on TV!

We have an area similar to that, we call it "Chicago." It's full of "Projects." I think it was an attempt to confine the crime to a relatively small area.

[IdoraKeeper]

Originally Posted by socaldmax

Wow! I just read a quick synopsis of that show on wikipedia. That's some pretty wild stuff, probably even funnier watching it on TV!

We have an area similar to that, we call it "Chicago." It's full of "Projects." I think it was an attempt to confine the crime to a relatively small area.

Max, we don't need to worry about Americans living in the PI. He will certainly be kidnapped and nobody will shell out for the ransom. (Don't want that to happen to del Marrey though when he gets there. But I'll bet his wife will keep him outta trouble.)
If you want to have a great nation you gotta spend the bucks. That means taxes and fees in corrosponding measure to the greatness you desire. Those fees and taxes must be taken from those who have the money. Your State of California is returning to past greatness by virtue of raising taxes. There is a positive linear relationship between the extent of redistribution and greatness. Oz is a great nation (with mandatory voting, not bogus suppression of voting) perhaps we could aspire to the same integrity in the US if we raised taxes enough to pay our bills.
Finally, regarding the cost of a passage all the way to Oz, I am certain that $20,000 would not be a big enough beer budget for a trip of such magnitude. You would not want to be out of shape when you finally got there. It is Australia after all.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by IdoraKeeper

. Your State of California is returning to past greatness by virtue of raising taxes. There is a positive linear relationship between the extent of redistribution and greatness.

I left the Great State of Kalifornia in 1984 and have never been back. My ex-wife went back in 2012 (we separated in 2009) for a more "favorable" settlement. Because it is a joint property state this exposed my worldwide income to Kalifornia tax (on her "half"). I now apparently owe those bastards $20k... My (Ill)logic is that she should pay that - but she didn't. On top of 35% federal and 9% (or something) Connecticut.

Yeah, tell me how much I love 'merica...

I feel sick - Can we talk about boats instead...

[savoir]

Originally Posted by socaldmax

How does it cost $20K to get across the Pacific? The wind is free.

Or is that your beer budget for the passage?

That much would be easy to spend. I paid $15,000 in general expenses plus $20,000 for sails.

Make the passage, keep the receipts and get back to us. I started from SD in 2007.

[nimblemotors]

More appropriate OZ culture, here ya go..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_qbMgO0wxM

Originally Posted by socaldmax

Wow! I just read a quick synopsis of that show on wikipedia. That's some pretty wild stuff, probably even funnier watching it on TV!

We have an area similar to that, we call it "Chicago." It's full of "Projects." I think it was an attempt to confine the crime to a relatively small area.

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

I left the Great State of Kalifornia in 1984 and have never been back. My ex-wife went back in 2012 (we separated in 2009) for a more "favorable" settlement. Because it is a joint property state this exposed my worldwide income to Kalifornia tax (on her "half"). I now apparently owe those bastards $20k... My (Ill)logic is that she should pay that - but she didn't. On top of 35% federal and 9% (or something) Connecticut.

Yeah, tell me how much I love 'merica...

I feel sick - Can we talk about boats instead...

I got married in Nocal. When the divorce papers were served, I looked at them and laughed. California is a strange State. Her lawyers demanded everything. I returned the divorce papers to the courts whereupon they sent them back to me because I has not filled them in correctly, ie not typed.

I ripped them up. I refused to answer ANY questions or demands from there in. I moved out of California shortly after. For me, this strategy worked. It took her several years to obtain a divorce. No answers meant no action could be taken on several points simply because they were scared to be seen to do the wrong thing. I also think the courts could see the divorce petition was contradictory on several points and they could hear Cuckoos singing every time they read it. I wrote off a couple of years of my life in the marriage, and a little money in the house. I got away lightly in California. If you get it wrong its not light and can last a long time.

I dont miss it. The sailing area from Santa Cruz to San Fran was not my preference, not that it bad, I just didnt care for the area. More fun in other sea bordered States, for me anyways.

As for tax liabilities.... The USA is demanding tax for any passport holder that lives abroad now based on the income you earn abroad. You are supposed to fill in a tax return to the States as well as your own in your country of residence. Wonderful. No wonder Tina Turner and others handed back their passport. She lives in Switzerland.

I have long been an advocate that governments of countries who charge for visas are charging entry fees. They conduct a search on the passport of someone entering the country EVERY TIME and without permission or fee involved. They will not let you in if they choose not to so money for a 'visa' is a tax collection.

I had my passport damaged in Spain this last trip. I went to the Consulate and was issued with an "emergency" passport that was attached to a single named/dated return ticket only. I filled in a couple of forms, the checked against the passport details and I had it in 4 hours.124 EUROS.

Now I am back here, I have applied for a replacement passport. Yes you guessed, I have to pay full price AGAIN! nOt to mention that the questions asked on this application are far more stringent etc, even though they had they original passport with biometrics to see and it was good enough in Spain to be issued another!

Im not convinced the 'stringent' health requirements of Australia is what keeps critters out. How many insects does it take to start an infestation? 2? In Florida, My house and the medical centre was sprayed regularly against bugs and cockroaches. Does this mean we never saw any? No it didnt, and the sprayers got in and under many things to be sure of best coverage.
I always wondered how two cans of aerosol spray dispersed from the aisle of an aircraft would kill bugs if they were in someones nice leather bag. Nothing makes sense anymore.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by weavis

As for tax liabilities.... The USA is demanding tax for any passport holder that lives abroad now based on the income you earn abroad. You are supposed to fill in a tax return to the States as well as your own in your country of residence. Wonderful. No wonder Tina Turner and others handed back their passport. She lives in Switzerland.
.

Well, that's a bit of a partial truth. Yes, you have to file a return. However, if you meet the expatriate requirements you will not have to pay tax. If you're a legal resident of the other country for a year or out of the country at least 330 days in the year you get the foreign income earned exclusion and don't owe on it. The income is excluded up to a certain level.

The other situation is that you don't qualify for expatriate. You file but you also get credit for taxes paid in the foreign country, assuming we have an agreement with them.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by socaldmax

That's one way of looking at it. Another way of looking at it is it's an arbitrary and ridiculous way to leach money off of tourists. How many other fees are there to check into that country? What is the real total cost to visit the place via yacht, vs flying there?

At some point, it does drive people away when you add in all of the other costs (I'm sure there are a few more fees involved) and it's not a service anybody requested, it's an intrusive inspection, and to charge the visitor for it just adds insult to injury.

When the time comes for me to pick my cruising destinations, the choices will be made on the basis of relative costs of visiting including entering, cost of marinas, labor, etc. As long as there are cheaper destinations that are equally as nice in that portion of the world, I'll choose the cheaper destinations. I would expect costly fees in places like Monaco, the party scene for the rich. Australia is not quite Monaco.

No, Australia is one hell of a lot better than Monaco! You get to visit several World Heritage listed natural wonders, tens of thousands of miles of coastline, thousands of fantastic FREE anchorages, experience some near pristine environments, you can anchor on miles long beaches where there is no other living soul for hundreds of miles.....

All for $380? What an absolute bargain! Sure other places have cheaper entry fees. However some have hidden costs - for instance Vanuatu looks cheap at about $70.00 for customs and quarantine, then another $20 to get rid of your garbage (included in the entry fee for Aus) and then there's "port fees" which amount to about $1.50 per day. And then almost every place you anchor belongs to someone...

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by nimblemotors

So $380 is the total fees, thought this was just the inspection fee,
isn't there other fees?

Nope, the $380 covers Customs, Immigration and Quarantine services.

The only additional fee you MIGHT incur is if your boat has a high proportion of timber in it's construction, and you've recently visited a "high risk" country. You may require a termite inspection.

This can be pretty expensive. And if your boat has termites treatment can be VERY expensive.

AFAIK foreign boats can stay for 11 months with no inspection though. (Which seems a bit weird to me.)

[weavis]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

AFAIK foreign boats can stay for 11 months with no inspection though. (Which seems a bit weird to me.)

Therein makes the whole process a tax and not what it is purported to be.
Sold as 'safety for Australia'.

Its all pants.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

you can anchor on miles long beaches where there is no other living soul for hundreds of miles.....

Hyperbole alert! Hyperbole alert!!
Two questions.. 1/ what happen to all the people? Crocs et em??
2/ What do imported termites have that Oz ones don't?
Termite - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Termites In Australia » Termidor (scroll down for the map..