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Using HK as a working base. Not paying tax ?

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  1. #41

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    Quote Originally Posted by aussiegal:
    I don't see what the big deal is.
    It's that his stay here is subject to the whims of the immigration department, and yet he's brought his family here. Not nice for a kid to be uprooted at 7 days' notice.

  2. #42

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    Quote Originally Posted by emmie:
    Ah... BUT as others have previously speculated: IF he/she is white (OR near-nuff "white") and/or well-dressed and -spoken, plus has the gift of the gab - so to speak - openly smiling while letting slip wee fibs... chances are civil servants won't be onto him/her for quite some time.
    Not always... my white friend had hell from the immigration dept, being given 14 days in HK each time, so having to cross the border every fortnight. It played havoc with his (freelance) jobs.

  3. #43

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    Quote Originally Posted by bookblogger:
    Not always... my white friend had hell from the immigration dept, being given 14 days in HK each time, so having to cross the border every fortnight. It played havoc with his (freelance) jobs.
    BB - then your pal mustn't have quite as sunny a smile as the freelancer I mentioned. (Or, maybe ImmD's pulled up its socks considerably this past year?)

    Anyways, OP - please pay little heed to my posts here. Each case varies. And I spoke a bit too soon - probably coz wish I could get away with not paying up as well!

    Avoid away, "legally" that is... while you can, BUT keep an exit strategy on the ready, too

  4. #44

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    Well, maybe it's a big deal because the taxes you must pay as a resident directly impact your personal life?
    Maybe because the taxes go to education, leisure and many other things which the OP and his relatives may enjoy?

    But as said by someone, I wonder how the OP's kids can go to school, what they do when they're sick, what they would do whether they were robbed or assaulted...

    Well, all the advantages which come with citizenship (or residency here) and, for sure, some taxes...

    Quote Originally Posted by aussiegal:
    I don't see what the big deal is. He's not working for or with HK companies and isn't paid in HK. It's no different to someone spending their life travelling the world working as they travel. Are they supposed to pay tax in every country they visit?

    So what if he has to do visa runs. They are perfectly legal which is why so many people do them. Again, this is all predicated on the fact that he's not working for HK companies or being paid here. Any of that changes and yes, I would think he'd have more or a problem.

  5. #45

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    Quote Originally Posted by bookblogger:
    It's that his stay here is subject to the whims of the immigration department, and yet he's brought his family here. Not nice for a kid to be uprooted at 7 days' notice.
    Well that's an issue for the OP to deal with.

    And as for the OP taking advantage of things that taxes normally pay for, (as psjylife said- 'Well, all the advantages which come with citizenship (or residency here) and, for sure, some taxes...))I think that's probably not much of the case as he's on a tourist visa. He'll be paying his own way when it comes to education and medical so not using the system in any way. Certainly not more than anyone else on an extended holiday here. And hey, he'll be putting money into the local economy, isn't that what we need right now?

    Curious though,why the OP would want to be based in HK if no business is done here. It's not exactly cheap to live here.
    Last edited by aussiegal; 13-05-2009 at 08:48 AM.

  6. #46

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    This whole attitude of 'it won't happen to me' is a bad one to have. I have lived in Hong Kong almost all my life, save a couple of years abroad and at one time my Italian partner was with me here.

    He was doing the short trips every three months and getting a new visa until one day he was stopped (I think then it would have been his sixth three-month visa he was hoping for) and questioned as to what he was doing here. He wasn't working (health reasons) and said he was here with his girlfriend, a permanent resident. He was warned that after this three-month visa, he wouldn't get any more.

    We approached the ID, I offered to sponsor him financially, but was told there was only one way I could do that...by marrying him. Neither of us was ready for that and in the end, we moved out of Hong Kong for a year and a half (and I returned myself).

    The ID may not catch you soon, but they will catch you.


  7. #47

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    Quote Originally Posted by aussiegal:
    ....He'll be paying his own way when it comes to education and medical so not using the system in any way. Certainly not more than anyone else on an extended holiday here....
    Morally maybe yes, but practically the one problem I see is if he has a kid that needs schooling, how would that work without a residence visa/HKID, how (even if he pays $$$$$ without an iota of government subsidy)? Maybe his kid is a baby or toddler. Also, an individual may be able to ride it out for longer, but a family doing regular 3-months visa runs will get picked on by Immigration sooner or later.

    Actually, I find it quite interesting that the OP took the not very casual steps of moving family over and leasing a home for regular 1-2 yr use, without bothering to check out any of the implications for residency, taxes, etc that have been mentioned here, and is asking about taxes only once well into it.

  8. #48

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    Op

    If you don't think it could happen to you then I suggest you read this.
    Two posters both got pulled up by immigration and told to go home.

    http://www.geoexpat.com/forum/thread37939-2.html


  9. #49

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    Quote Originally Posted by melian:
    I have a UK employment contract, but work out of Hong Kong and China. My family and I live in Hong Kong as it is a central location in Asia and I travel to various countries. As i dont live in the Uk I dont pay tax there.
    I have no work permit to 'work' out of hong kong as I have no employer here. Am i doing anything illegal ? Should I be paying tax in Hong Kong ?
    Been caught and deported yet?

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