Today I am featuring another Video Podcast and answering some questions from readers.
I think the show is pretty interesting today, with some kind of “different” questions from those that I normally hear.
For our first question today, Bernard called in and was quite upset about the fact that he just heard about the Marriage Penalty in the Philippines and he owes a LOT of taxes to the Philippine government because he got caught up in the penalty due to marrying his wife. Well, it’s a tough thing the way they tax people for getting married. I have the solution for Bernard though!
After hearing from Bernard, Jimmy called and he had a completely different question about International Driver’s Licenses than I was expecting. In fact, I would have never guessed what his question would be! When you hear what he is asking, it will probably shock you too!
Here is today’s episode of the Expat Answerman Podcast, give it a watch below:
Well, that is today’s video, I hope you enjoyed it and found it informative.
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Thanks again for listening, everybody!
Always some great information.
Thank you Bruce, I appreciate that. Glad you are liking it.
I listened a couple of times to the marriage penalty part and wonder if the gent is being hit up for penalty fees, has he been reporting yearly, if not he would be in this position.
He has a 13a visa. The penalty is only 500 per year if he does not report. It is a scam
Always scammers around the world. Washington State, there are Rental Scams. Someone see the ads for rental house then put their own ads up. Real rental house, just wrong person to pay. TV bews full of the scammers targetting Senior citizens
Absolutely true! There are people all around the world who run scams. No country is exempt. I do think that the Philippines has a bit larger percentage, but it can happen anywhere.
Bob Martin One thing that did make me like the country more is the Response when caught. I had to take a taxi from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 during the middle of the night, when the Taxi Driver said he could take me to a restaurant to rest before Terminal 3 opened, When it turned out to be a “Girlie” club, the taxi driver was embarrassed when I said “HINDI” and had him take me to the Terminal. An American Scammer would not have been embarrassed and probably been belligerent. Mabuhay ang Pilipanas!
A lot of times those taxi drivers have side deals where if they bring people to clubs and such they will get a little kickback from the club, and I bet that was the deal in this case. However, those taxi drivers (and the public in general here) always seem to think that if you are a foreigner you automatically want to go hang out in girlie type places. It is a very negative way for them to look at us in my view. I suppose there are a lot of that type of person that comes here, but should not be painted over the entire foreigner population.
Yup, He was just trying to make a bit for a referral to the Place. Taxi drivers do it here too. But his embarrassed rather than beligerant
reaction, was part of the selling point on the Country and culture.
Yep!
Bob, good program. The “marriage penalty” piece was almost comical. I’ve been living in or visiting the PI since 1969 and today is the first time I’ve ever heard of that scam. I’ve been married for 39 years and my “penalty” would be huge!
As for the international drivers permit, I read (somewhere, I forgot) that an IDP is simply a translation of the individual’s driver’s license. AAA issues IDPs but, of course, doesn’t have legal authority to issue an actual driver’s license allowing someone to drive in a foreign country.
Wow, 39 years! That is great! I thought I was doing great, having just celebrated our 27th, but man, you are the man! Yep, better watch out for that marriage penalty, ouel. You will be in debtor’s prison with your long marriage!
Hi Bob, trying to download your specified URL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIhjPvZnZWmHjHIrmFVo7cg
so that I can watch *and*hear* it, otherwise not very informative without audio.
Unfortunately that returns: “Sorry – collected 0 videos”.
Would you care to provide a URL to facilitate?
Alternatively, a posted transcript would be wonderful and way easier to just read.
Can do?
Hi Ed,
There is audio, not sure what your problem is. Nobody else is having any problem hearing it. Do you have the audio turned off on YouTube?
Bob, you are right on the beam regarding IDP’s! IDP or IDL don’t authorize anyone to drive anywhere. They are certainly valid, but only useful in non-English speaking countries. Wherever you go, you will need a state issued driver’s license and the Philippine license is good to go in the US for up to 90 days as you’ve pointed out.
Hi Ron – Thanks for the backup. A lot of people argue on and on with me about this. I don’t mind them thinking what they want, but it is just something that is not needed at all, unless there is a language issue involved, as you say.
Bob Martin – Maybe we’ve been talking to the same people! Some insist that an IDP or IDL is sufficient to authorize driving anywhere. They don’t want to be confused with facts because their minds are made up! I don’t even try to argue with them, all we can do is provide the information.
Ha ha.. I am in full agreement, Ron. I don’t argue it anymore because you can never win… I don’t even want to win, just provide accurate information!
Bob Martin About 20 years ago, scammers in the USA started flogging IDP to people who had too many points (that did not work). At one time, truckers used to carry multiple state licenses (this is also long gone), but that idea seems to persist. Now, if people are thinking of making visa runs to Taiwan or Thailand, then the IDP is necessary WITH your license. You get them at AAA in the USA or PAA in the Philippines, and they cost around PHP1,000.
Hitron good information they really aren’t needed to measure going to a country where english is not spoken to have to thailand or taiwan cases would be such instances when the going between the philippines in the usa really is not necessary at all.
My last visit Kat and I were listed as a drivers on the car we rented and her Calif lic was no longer good but she had her Philippine temp lic as they (LTO)had not released the perm. lic. Hertz had no trouble at all placing her as a driver for the car.
That’s great to hear Luke. It worked exactly as it should.
I read that there is a marriage penalty if you marry somebody that was already married and has not had the previous marriage annulled.
I assume it is a scam associated with the cost the annulment or a fine for bigamy.
That is the case where the person could be put in jail,, it has nothing to do with this stuff is being talked about.
Hi Bob, referencing your ‘podcast’ which of course is impossible to quote as text, sorry that I missed your provision of any URL for Philippine BI ‘penalties’ for various ‘offences’. Yes there’s nothing there about a penalty for non-precise-of-the-day marriage reporting nor anything about all the late-reporting offences we see people asking you about and you commenting on daily.
Though nice that BI has enhanced their web site over the last few years, the BI website doesn’t seem to have any penalty-related info whatsoever. Bob, I can’t locate any such there, so perhaps you could provide us all the precise URL *you* are using to see all the BI penalties?
Posting seems to have disappeared, perhaps some problem accessing via Bob’s email links?
Hi Bob – Hope you are well. I have not read your site for a while now as I have lived in Chiang Mai Thailand with the family for the last year. But my wife just asked about your site to refer a friend to and it prompted me to check out your latest post. I have had first hand experience with immigration running a scam at me and it was in Manila out of the main office. Your post just triggered some fond past memories. Ha ha. In my case it worked out well as an old friend from church had an uncle who was a congressman and he assisted and they ended up paying me money. Funny but true. Like you, I love the Philippines and the people but you have to keep your wits about you as some scams are quite sophisticated. How’s it going in Mindanao? And is the family well?
Hi brandon, nice to hear from you. It has been some time. Glad to hear that you’re doing well along with your family. Everything is good on this end as well.