totalguy

im trying to find out what sort of local agency i should speak to in louisiana to get information about taxes and social security. i have spoken to the social security and they are kinda useless just give you pdf docs with generalised information.

i also spoke to the embassy of the united states london uk but they said they only provide certain info and it varies in different states which is understandable but they couldnt give me any sort of clue as to what sort of agency id need to speak to so i am at a loss at the moment

Rete

What is it you want to know?

Social Security is a Federal benefit and thus the office is a Federal Office and does not give out more an general information. It does not know you; you do not have a social security card; you have not contributed to the plan. So generalization is all you are going to get.

As for taxes there are several types of taxes:

1. Real Estate - local level
2. City Taxes - local level
3. State Income Taxes - state level
4. Federal Income Taxes - Internal Revenue Service - federal level
5. Sales Taxes - local level

Pulaski

What sort of info are you looking for? US government departments don't routinely prove much, if any, useful information. Just about everything of a generic (non-personal) nature is provided on web sites.

Noorah101

For taxes, go to Internal Revenue Service. For social security, go to The United States Social Security Administration.

Rene

ian-mstm

If I may... how is this an immigration-related question? You'd be better served by posting this in the general USA forum.

Ian

totalguy

i want to find out about what the minimum credits is for a disabled person needed and a time scale of when i could claim social security (so i know for worst case scenario)

and how the tax system works for self employed imigrants as far as gaining credits go. i read somewhere you can get 4 credits a year but if you get less you can pay into the system to top it upto 4 but the embasy said immigrants cant do that.

the whole system is pretty much like here just give you different information and end up totally confused.

i was talking to my fiancé i mean if it gets to the stage i just totally couldnt work at all im basically screwed if i cant earn for this to work. only way around that i see is saving a huge amount of money which would require working here in the first place arghhh!! headache!!

Noorah101

All that information is in the two links I gave you. You won't be able to call these agencies for a quick answer. You might want to consult with a tax preparer or CPA who is familiar with immigrant taxes.

Rene

WEBlue

I have a similar problem, except I'm not disabled. Once you reach retirement age, it seems to get somewhat easier to find info, because your local US Social Security Office can work with you on figuring it all out.

BUT from my husband's experience with talking to them, the local SS office take forever and do unfortunately get things wrong. So be prepared for a long slog if you have a complicated work history....

I hope you can decipher the process in advance, but we have been completely surprised by a few things just sorting out the husband's case, and he has been researching this for several years.

Pulaski

Worse than that, anything you try to claim which is specific to your circumstances, as opposed to retirement which is fairly generic, can be very difficult to get approved. It appears that all disability claims are routinely rejected once, ..... and I read that the average disability claim is only approved the fifth time it is submitted!

Much as the US isn't short of freeloaders claiming from the system, it can be incredibly hard to get money for disability even if you have bona fide disabilities.

totalguy

i was even thinking of sueing them for discrimination but its probably not worth going there and it would cost a fortune to do anyway lol.

this is such a headache!! i think im going to look into how i can run a business whilst living in the us but the work is not in the US.

im very limited in what i can do so i need to get this right otherwise its not going to be worth me going out there if i cant be sure ill have an income. sponsors are out of the question im not relying on anyone else, never have and never will financially that is.

Noorah101

I know in the long run your plan is not to rely on anyone. But if you are doing a K-q visa process, you still need a financial sponsor (unless you have enough savings of your own), and for sure your USC wife will need to be your financial sponsor for your AOS, unless you still have all that cash savings you use for the K-1 (if indeed you are able to do that).

Rene

Bluegrass Lass

Sue who for discrimination? The Social Security Administration? I'd love to see that!

My father is currently trying to get disability due to complications with his diabetes. He is using a disability lawyer, and applied for the first time about 6months ago. He just got his first denial, and is filing his first appeal. He knows someone that was denied more than 10 times before finally getting approved.

I've never heard of being able to top up the quarterly credits to the SSA to get qualified for disability sooner, but it might be possible. Your best bet might be to find a forum online to ask your questions to. The average person trying to navigate the system sometimes know more than the folks answering the phones. And it sounds like a lawyer is a real necessity, as they know what paperwork is needed to file to prove your claim.

Just be aware that no matter where you do the majority of your business, you need to file your US taxes as you will be living in the US. To understand what kind of taxes you will be subjected as a self-employed person, there are probably plenty of online resources, or you could find a CPA to speak to. Don't bother calling the IRS as they won't provide you with info, they will just tell you to start reading certain tax publications.

Nutmegger

As has been pointed out, you can run a business that does work for people/businesses anywhere in the world, but as long as you're actually doing the work in the US, you are liable for the same US taxes as someone employed by a US company -- and in fact, if you are self-employed, you will have to pay both employer and employee SS and medicare withholding. By the way, I don't believe that the "topping up" concept exists in the US --you have to actually put in the working quarters.

I have not gone back to read your prior posts, but reading what you say in this one, would it not be better for your fiancee to be moving to the UK, where there is a social safety net that does not exist in the US?

Pulaski

I believe the problem is that his fiancée has a child in the US, that she apparently does not have primary custody of, so she'd be saying goodbye to her child.

Nutmegger

Gotcha -- than perhaps the move could be looked upon as not forever, but until the child comes of age, and see how things go in the interim.