American Citizens Services
October 2009 American Citizen Services Newsletter
U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong and Macau
Welcome to the September newsletter! Here are this month's topics:
New Topics:
Continuing Topics of Interest:
THANK YOU FOR REGISTERING
Welcome to our new subscribers and thank you to all for registering. We recently expanded the distribution of our emergency notification list to include those who have registered in person at the U.S. Consulate. The American Consulate in Hong Kong uses this list strictly to send out information relating to safety and security issues in Hong Kong, as well as a monthly newsletter containing information about our services.
Our information is available to anyone who wishes to receive it. Please encourage other Americans at your business, school, or organization to sign up. If you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe from this mailing list, please do at our web page.
HAVE YOU UPDATED YOUR VOTING ADDRESS LATELY?
Elections for Congress, state, and many municipal offices will take place across the U.S. in November. To update your voting address or to request your absentee ballot from your state election authority, follow the instructions on the Federal Voting Assistance Program website or visit the Consulate.
IRS: VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURE DEADLINE EXTENDED
The Internal Revenue Service has announced a one-time extension of the deadline for voluntary disclosure of foreign accounts to October 15. The IRS encourages all American taxpayers with unreported offshore accounts to follow procedures for voluntary disclosure of these accounts. The IRS has prepared a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers regarding the topic. To make a voluntary disclosure, or to learn more about it by phone, please contact the Hong Kong office of the IRS Criminal Investigative Division by phone at 2841-2466, or by letter to IRS CID, 26 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong.
How do I know if I have to make a voluntary disclosure?
If you own or have authority over a foreign financial account, including a bank account, brokerage account, mutual fund, unit trust, or other types of financial accounts, then you should report the account yearly to the Internal Revenue Service if:
1. You have a financial interest in, or signature authority (or other authority that is comparable to signature authority) over one or more accounts in a foreign country, and
2. The aggregate value of all foreign financial accounts exceeds $10,000 at any time during the calendar year.
The Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts Report (FBAR) is required because foreign financial institutions may not be subject to the same reporting requirements as domestic financial institutions. The FBAR is a tool to help the United States government identify persons who may be using foreign financial accounts to circumvent United States law. Investigators use FBARs to help identify or trace funds used for illicit purposes or to identify unreported income maintained or generated abroad.
MACAU DAY: OCTOBER 21
On Wednesday, October 21, our staff will travel to Macau to provide limited consular services for American Citizens. Services to be offered during this visit include notarials (US$30 for each signature of the consular officer), passport processing (US$75, US$85, or US$100 depending on age and type), birth registration (US$65 for each child), and adding visa pages (no charge). Please note that we will only be able to accept credit cards as payment – no cash transactions will be permitted. Customers may pay using MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Diners Club or Discover card. Customers must present their card at the time of payment and the person whose name is listed on the card must be present to sign the payment slip. All charges will be in U.S. dollars.
Provided that your passport is in good condition, the American Citizens Services unit will also process requests for additional passport pages. In order to have additional pages inserted in your passport in Macau, you must complete and sign the application form (DS-4085) in full and scan and email it or fax it to our office no later than Friday, October 16. The form is available at http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds4085/ds4085_2662.html. In addition, please send a copy of the biographic page of your passport (the page with your photo) with the application. Our email address is acshk@state.gov and our fax number is (852) 2845-4845. Bring the completed application form with your passport to Macau Day, where the additional pages will be added. If we are unable to provide this service to you in Macau, we will notify you in advance of Macau Day and ask you to come in person to the Consulate General in Hong Kong instead.
Services will be available from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m. at the Academy of Music, located at Rua de Santa Clara, No. 19, 2/F, adjacent to City Hall and near Catholic Social Services. Individuals who are physically challenged and/or require special arrangements to access this location may call (852) 2841-2211, 2841-2323 or 2841-2225 in advance to facilitate access.
To enable us to best assist you in Macau:
- Please check our website for information on what specific identification, forms and supporting documents are required for each service. Download the appropriate forms and bring them with you.
- Please present your U.S. passport for all services.
- Please bring the original and one photocopy of each piece of identification and/or supporting document (such as passports, birth certificates, marriage and divorce certificates, Macau ID cards, etc.).
If you need a service not listed above, please contact us in advance at (852) 2841-2211, 2841-2323, or 2841-2225. We may be able to bring with us what you need for that service.
TRAVEL SAFETY UPDATES
The U.S. Embassy in Beijing has issued a new Warden Message for mainland China, explaining increased security measures there as the government prepares for the 60th Anniversary celebrations of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
An earlier Travel Alert for China, regarding H1N1 quarantine procedures, has recently been updated.
To read the Travel Alert regarding security concerns in the Xinjiang Uyghur region, please go to this web page.
The Department has also released a Travel Warning for the Philippines, calling attention to terrorist and insurgent activities in the southern islands of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago.
As you make your travel plans, don't forget to check travel.state.gov for the most current safety and security information.
TWITTER
Join the over 8,000 followers of tweets from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs. Using twitter, you may stay up to date on Travel Alerts and Travel Warnings around the world. Sign up at the following website: http://twitter.com/TravelGov.
UPCOMING CLOSURES
The Consulate General will be closed in observance of National Day on October 1, Columbus Day on October 12 and Chung Yeung Festival on October 26.
SUBSCRIBING/UNSUBSCRIBING
If you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe from this newsletter, please do so by going to our 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.
This newsletter is published by the American Citizens Services Unit, U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong and Macau. Tel: 2841-2211, 2841-2323, 2841-2225; fax: 2845-4845; e-mail: acshk@state.gov; website: http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov. All services are by online appointment only. The return address listed above does not accept replies directly from this message.
Last modified: September 30, 2009
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