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So I got an email from Amazon telling me that I have to be a resident of the UK to purchase e-books from UK library (I'm using UAE credit card). I can only purchase books from UAE library.
What virgin failed to tell me was that UAE e-book library only contains one book (yes, a single book) something about how to manage your finances, appropriate I know.
Anyway, I want to tell Amazon to get knicked, but they will probably ban me and I will have to resort to downloading e-books illegally from pirate bay, god forbid.
Either way, I am going to enjoy giving someone from Virgin Megastore an earful.

can't you proxy onto a canada or US based server, get on amazon ca or amazon com, and then register your mastercard/visa there? I'm thinking that should fix it, unless Virgin's got the kindle 'locked' which I dont think can happen .........

Thanks TM, But I reckon Amazon are mainly looking at the credit card country of issue/billing address. I also initially thought IP address, but they don't have a problem with where the book is downloaded from (that would render their 3G network pointless), just where the payment comes from.

And they probably could block the kindle from amazon if they wanted to.

I purchased my Kindle Fire in the UAE and all you need to do is use an address in the UK (in my case it was a US address). Through your account on Amazon, enter a UK address where it asks for a billing address (shipping address as well?) and a UK telephone number. You should be good to go.

It helps when one can comprehend what they read.

EMZ wrote: use a UK address, telephone number

Seems a bit drastic to have to apply to be a UK resident, buy/rent a place, then apply for a UK credit card.

Key word: USE

You seem to think that one has to apply for UK residency, buy/rent a place and apply for a UK CC to register a Kindle when it is a matter of "using" an address and phone number.

I would be very careful with using an UK address, as it may have tax implications. Tax likes to know where you let your post delivered, even with Amazon. I never used an UK address and never had problems accessing the UK Kindle store, must be UAE issue.

The IRS man will be very interested in US citizens claming to be expats in Dubai still having a postal address in the US, for example.

LuckyMe ,

LOL

If you are so concerned, why don't you get in touch with the IRS and ask them? I guess every US expat who has dual residence in the US and Dubai are in big trouble. Would that also apply to Brits?

Dual residency? That's interesting.

LuckyMe ,

You should stick to UK tax law because clearly you aren't knowledgeable about US tax law.

I've heard one person claim to be a resident of Dubai by virtue of owning an apartment, and a resident of the UK. How does that work with the UK taxman?

Agreed, every national tax instance works only with a main residency (of which a postal address is a strong indicator). you might get into trouble when multiple national tax offices consider your residency differently.

I hardly think that mail coming from a single source, Amazon, with an explanation that it was for getting access to products not available in the UAE, would be a huge tax concern.

If you have an apartment, say in Dubai, and rent it out for say 90,000AED, and you are a UK resident, does the UK require that it be claimed as income? Would the UK taxman want to know that someone wasn't declaring a source of income?

--- Wed Aug 29, 2012 5:38 pm ---

kanelli ,

Undeclared income is a concern to the IRS.

Probably just as much as a concern to the UK taxman.

Can one use an Aramex Shop and Ship address?

Not sure if it ok, but one of my friend is using that. So far it is working.

kanelli ,

Most expats (US and Brits) do when ordering on line from the US. Oh, the horror if the IRS finds out!!!! Many US expats even have goods delivered to the home address in the US. To think that the IRS is tracking Amazon, Aramex, Shop and Ship and personal orders - some placed with a UAE credit card.

I for one have nothing to worry about as I follow US tax law. Me and the IRS are in touch once a year. They should probably be sending me a thank you note for the federal tax I pay.

I also follow the laws of the UAE. Someone who breaks multiple laws will never know if they and their family are under the watchful eyes of the CID and can be stopped for breaking one of many laws of the UAE. Now, that could have devastating results. I'm sure at some point we be reading about another Brit being arrested, or someone in their family, for breaking UAE law(s) and it makes the Gulf News. So many articles about Brits breaking the laws and getting caught in compromising positions.

--- Wed Aug 29, 2012 6:39 pm ---

Nucleus ,

It is OK, unless you use 1600 Pennsylania Avenue, Washington DC as a billing address.

EMZ wrote:Most certainly. Any income from outside and brought into the UK should be declared on your tax return.

I would think it should be, but is it? It would be pretty much based on an honor system, but reality is, there are many people who don't do the honorable thing in more ways than one.

I'm sure there are people who own properties, rent them out and don't claim the rent as income, just claim the mortgage payments if there are any. How would the UK know if a property is being rented out or being left vacant?

EMZ wrote:I'm not sure if a UK bank would consider giving a mortgage on a property in Dubai, so I'm presuming that if there is a mortgage on a property here, then it would be given by a local bank. Therefore if someone has a mortgage it stands to reason that they would be a non resident of the UK and resident in Dubai. In this case they wouldn't claim any mortgage relief in the UK as there would be no tax liability.

I did say IF there was a mortgage. Let's just say there is no mortgage, which is likely.

What I am asking is if someone who lives in the UK collected rent on a property they own in Dubai how would the UK taxman know about that income if it wasn't reported by the person receiving it? Would it be possible for someone in the UK to collect rental income and not declare it on their return and not get caught unless they were reported by someone who knew their name, their address, and where they worked?

^

As far as UK tax authorities are concerned - yes, you have to declare overseas income on your tax returns:

Reporting your overseas income
You must report your overseas income on the foreign pages of your tax return.

Effect of residence, ordinary residence and domicile on your tax liability
It's possible that you may not have to pay tax on your overseas income. This will depend on whether you are classed as a 'resident' in the UK for tax purposes in a tax year. The amount of income on which you pay tax may also be affected by your 'ordinary residence' and 'domicile' position.
..

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxon/foreign.htm

So, those with homes in the UK and spending a large part of the year there are normally UK tax residents and if so, do need to declare income from o/s rentals. There is no UAE tax to offset, but some expenses associated with the rental may be deducted.

If it is not declared, they are evading tax and are breaking the law (tut tut) - when found out they will be liable for back taxes and fines.

(PS - I got my Kindle direct from Amazon via post via Amazon.com, as Amazon.co.uk don't fulfil international orders for Kindles, and they deliver pretty much world wide, but because I use a UK credit card I have a UK Amazon account and don't have any issues with purchases as a result. I'm told, however, that torrents of drm-free books are widely available and they don't require credit cards.. )

Cheers,
Shafique

Hunchback is always angry.

LuckyMe ,
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I bet if the tax man found out that a government employee was a tax evader there would be some repercussions. I know that in the US anyone who works for government and were caught for tax evasion, they would lose their job.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Diol1/DoItO ... /DG_070797

--- Thu Aug 30, 2012 3:24 pm ---

EMZ ,

Threats??? My goodness. You may want to start reading from the beginning of the thread and see where all the talk about taxes originated. I was just having a discussion on "what ifs"?

EMZ ,

Aren't you full of advice. I'm having a general discussion, giving examples, how is that threatening? I'm not in a dark place EMZ, I see the light and all is well. I think you are just reading a bit too much into my posts, but thanks for your concern, there really isn't any need for it.

So all the American and UK folks who have been using Aramex Shop and Ship US and UK addresses are going to be in trouble with their respective tax authorities?