American Citizens Services Newsletter
ACS Newsletter (January 2007)
U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong and Macau
Welcome to the January newsletter! Here are this month's topics:
New Topics:
Continuing Topics of Interest:
New Travel Requirements Effective in January
Beginning January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551, if applicable. For more information, see http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html
The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory. U.S. citizens returning directly from a U.S. territory are not considered to have left the United States and do not need to present a passport. U.S. territories include the following: Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Tax Information for 2006
Important: The IRS will NOT send a representative to Hong Kong this year for tax assistance or advice. Please consult their website at www.irs.gov for answers to many common tax-related inquiries.
In addition, please note that the IRS no longer compiles the "1040 Overseas Filers Package," therefore there will be no packages available at the U.S. Consulate for the 2006 tax year. All forms are available for download from the IRS website.
Please note the following resources for Federal tax issues:
Web services
IRS Website www.irs.gov
Electronic Payment Website www.eftps.gov
Phone Services
(note that to use the 1-800 numbers you must be able to access U.S. Toll Free Systems)
Individuals 1-800-829-1040
Businesses 1-800-829-4933
Customer Service Phone Number 1-215-516-2000 Refund Inquiries 1-800-829-1954 TeleTax 1-800-829-4477 ITINS after 30 days 1-215-516-4846 Exempt Organization Help Desk 1-877-829-5500 Tax Offset Program (TOP) Help Desk 1-800-304-3107 E-Services Help Desk 1-512-416-7750
Fax instructions for the Philadelphia Service Center The fax service cannot be used to transmit original tax returns. Documents transmitted via fax should only contain information that was specifically requested and a cover sheet with the following information:
1) To: Tax examiner and/or employee profile number (located on notice)
2) From: (your taxpayer info) Name, address, phone and fax numbers
3) TaxPayer ID number or Social Security number
4) The subject matter (why you are contacting the IRS visa fax)
Mailing Addresses
If you have a foreign, FPO, or APO address or if you file form 2555 or 2555EZ (foreign earned income exclusion) mail your completed tax return to IRS, Austin, TX 73301
If you file form 1040NR or 1040NR-EZ, please mail your completed return to IRS, Philadelphia, PA 19255
Urgent Tax Needs
For collection/levy status accounts problems:
Phone 1-215-516-2004
Fax 1-215-516-6931
Taxpayer advocate office:
Phone 1-215-516-2499
Fax 1-215-516-2677
Toll Free in the United States 1-877-777-4778
Or write to
International Taxpayer Advocate Service
C/o IRS
San Patricio Office Center, Room 200
7 Tabomico Street
Guaynabo, Puerto Rico 00966
Phone: 787-622-8931
Fax: 787-622-8933
Upcoming Holidays and Other Closures
The Consulate General will be closed to the public on the following days:
January 1, 2007 | | New Year's Day |
January 15, 2007 | | Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. |
January 31, 2007 | | In-House Training Session |
February 19, 2007 | | Chinese New Year |
February 20, 2007 | | Chinese New Year |
Democrats Abroad Happy Hour - Tuesday, January 9th
Democrats Abroad will start 2007 with a happy hour on the second Tuesday of the month (as always). The group is gathering at the Crow's Nest, which is the 2/F of Stormy Weather on D'Aguilar Street in Lan Kwai Fong.
Bring $150 and enjoy an open bar and all-you-can-eat canapes from 6-9 p.m. Showing up gives you the chance to swap stories of your Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa celebrations with friends both old and new. Everyone is welcome.
Emergency Passports
We wish to remind all American citizens that emergency passports can only be issued in the event of a true emergency such as a sudden illness or the death of a family member. The U.S. emergency passport is not intended for long-term use in place of the standard 10-year validity biometric, machine-readable U.S. passport. Generally speaking, an emergency passport will not be issued to facilitate urgent business travel or travel for tourism. Please carefully review the validity of your current U.S. passport. Keep in mind that many countries and airlines require a minimum of six months' validity remaining on your passport for travel. See this newsletter's section "check your passport's validity" for more information.
Notarized Parental Consent for Passport Services for Minors Under 14
Effective July 2, 2001, U.S. law requires both parents' consent to passport services applications for minors under 14. This consent is normally established by both parents signing the application in front of a U.S. Consular officer. Note that both parents must prove their parentage and custodial status when granting their consent every time a U.S. citizen child under age 14 applies for passport services.
Parentage status may be established with an original or certified copy of the child's birth certificate listing both parents' full names. Custodial status may be proven by an original or certified copy of a court order.
U.S. citizens under age 14 applying for passports must appear in person at American Citizen Services. This requirement does not apply to requests for adding visa pages or other amendments to current U.S. passports.
When only one parent is available to execute the application, that parent must provide, under penalty of perjury, documentary evidence demonstrating that he or she has sole legal custody of the child or has the written consent of the other parent to the passport issuance.
Effective November 1, 2004, written consent must be notarized and provide unequivocal consent to passport issuance. We can accept faxed copies of this consent statement, but the notary seal must be visible in the faxed copy.
Check Your Passport's Validity
any governments (including Mainland China) require US travelers to have at least 6 months validity left in their passports for entry into their countries. American travelers are recommended to check www.travel.state.gov for various country entry requirements ahead of time.
Regular passports are received within 10 calendar days after the US Consulate receives the application. More information can be found at http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/acs_passports.html
Need more passport pages?
If your full-validity U.S. passport has not expired yet, but has no blank pages left for, say, additional Chinese visas, we can add additional pages for you free of charge. Barring any unusual circumstances, we can usually add pages to your passport in about 45 minutes, while you wait. You need to make an appointment for this service. In some cases, you can have a courier assist you in this process. Learn more at http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/acs_supplement.html
Online Appointment System for All American Citizens Services
Online appointments are required for all services provided by the American Citizens Services Unit at the U.S. Consulate General Hong. Book your appointment at http://www.hongkongacs.com.
If you need directions to our offices, try this online searchable map:
http://www.ypmap.com/en/viewer.asp?mapService=LocationMap
Search for us by street address at 26 Garden Road.
Internet-Based Registration System
U.S. citizens around the world who travel or reside abroad can record foreign trip and residence information at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/. The Department of State invites USCs to register themselves and their families. The registration information is used to communicate with US citizens and assist them in case of an emergency. If citizens are already registered with this consulate, the Department asks that they please re-register on line to update their records.
The registration site provides up-to-date travel information customized to each citizen's unique travel agenda and itinerary. The data citizens provide is secured behind Department of State firewalls, accessed only by cleared personnel in Embassies, Consulates, and the Department of State, and releasable only with the USC's permission under the provisions of the Privacy Act.
A Reminder about Hong Kong Customs Regulations - Prohibited Items
We wish to remind all U.S. citizens visiting or transiting Hong Kong that customs regulations strictly prohibit the importation/exportation of dangerous drugs, psychotropic substances, controlled chemicals, antibiotics, arms, ammunition, fireworks, strategic commodities, rough diamonds, textiles, animals, plants, endangered species, telecommunication equipment, game, meat and poultry into or out of Hong Kong. If any of these prohibited or controlled items are brought into/out of Hong Kong the traveler may be liable to prosecution and the item will be confiscated.
Travelers are liable to prosecution and possible detention if they bring into/out of Hong Kong any firearm or ammunition. Unless otherwise exempted by laws, possession of an "imitation firearm" is also an offence. "Arms" means any firearm, air rifle/air gun/air pistol from which any shot, bullet or missile can be discharged with a muzzle energy greater than two joules, electric stunning device, gun/pistol or other propelling/releasing instrument from or by which a projectile containing any gas or chemical could be discharged, weapon for the discharge of any noxious liquid/gas/powder, and harpoon or spear gun. Paintball guns are included in this category.
Travelers are also liable to prosecution if they bring into/out of Hong Kong any "weapon" which includes Chinese-style throwing dart, gravity knife, gravity-operated steel baton, knuckleduster, Chinese-style fighting iron, spring-loaded steel baton, any knife the blade of which is exposed by a spring or other mechanical/electric device, and any bladed/pointed weapon. Note that many of these items are legally sold to the public in mainland China.
For further information about Hong Kong customs regulations, please consult the following website: http://www.customs.gov.hk/
Subscribing/Unsubscribing
Anyone who wishes to sign up to receive this monthly ACS email newsletter and the travel advice we provide can do so simply by going to our web page at http://www.hongkongacs.com and submit their email address in the fill-in box towards the bottom of the page. You can also unsubscribe through the web page.New subscribers will be sent the last few messages we have sent out in a digest form to help them catch up. Back issues are on the web at http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/acs_newsletter.html.
This newsletter is published by the American Citizens Services Unit, U.S. Consulate General, Hong Kong, tel: 2841-2211, 2841-2323, 2841-2225; fax: 2845-4845; e-mail: questions@hongkongacs.com; website: http://www.hongkongacs.com; All services by online appointment only.
Last modified: December 29, 2006
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