Five gift ideas for your loved ones

 

It is winter and almost Christmas time! We all know what it means - time for Christmas shopping for gifts for the family, the loved ones, relatives and so on. Of course it is even better to use your tax refunded money for that purpose but let's see if we can help with the following ideas – in case you are still undecided.

1. Watches.

In most of the situations a stylish rosegold watch should be a great gift for most of the women and it can be found for around $100 depending on the brand.

When we talk about men, the gold isn't the best choice, so it would be good to consider purchasing a smart watch instead. The price is similar, mainly depending on the brand and features.

2. Video games.

With the release of Xbox One and PS4 a good variety of next-generation video games are going to be released as well – for example Destiny, Watch Dogs, Titanfall and others so consider pre-ordering those and getting a hefty discount. If your beloved ones didn't had the chance of getting a new console and still miss some current generation titles - Battlefield 4, Grand Theft Auto 5, Bioshock Infinite, Tomb Rider and a lot more are here to stay!

3. Throw up a surprise party.

In order this to work out completely, you should, at least, keep it secret until the very end. The more the people involved, the merrier!

4. Books.

Having a good book as a present with signed title page is extremely sweet and simple (in a nice way) present. Of course, you can consider swapping this with a E-book reader if it looks like a more suitable gift to you.

5. Universal charger.

No doubt that with all those tech gadgets and devices around us, the only constant concern is...battery life. You can choose from wide variety of chargers that can use solar energy, kinetic energy (motion), ones that are suitable for backpacks, bikes, etc. The choice is yours, depending on the person you are making this gift for.

Another government shutdown evaded with budget deal?

The United States Congressional budget committee reached to a budget agreement in Tuesday for reducing the federal deficit with $23 billion while not raising the taxes. If this is approved by the Congress, another shutdown scenario will be avoided as the government funding will run out on 15th of January 2014.

As you remember, the previous federal government shutdown of 2013 was from October 1st through 16th and is still unclear if IRS will delay the new tax-filling season with a week or two as previously predicted.


Paul Ryan, Chairman of the Congressional budget committee commented that the deal “cuts spending in a smarter way." It will also prevent budget clashes and possible shutdowns for the next two years. The Senate Budget Committee with Chairman Patty Murray said that "we have broken through the partisanship and the gridlock."


Before going to the White House for President Barack Obama's signature, the new budget agreement must be passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate. The voting should be carried by the end of this week.

Related articles:
After the Shutdown, the new tax season starts late
Budget cuts and ID thefts causes delays for the IRS

Yet another Black Friday result – people are buying silver and gold with bitcoins

After this year's Black Friday, Business Insider came with an article about the rather interesting preference of some customers. It happened that a lot of people used the so popular lately electronic money currency – Bitcoin – to actually buy silver and gold bars and coins!

This specific buy is reasonable in terms of the relative stability that the gold and silver has to offer. It also supports the trend revealed by Coindesk that Bitcoin actually is getting more and more popular with more than 1000 businesses worldwide accepting this payment method. The current mid-market rate for 5th of December 2013 for 1,00 Bitcoin is 1,011.40 USD.

According to the Canada Revenue Agency, bitcoins aren't actually money, as they should be treated like a non-legal currency. That is why any transaction with them is regarded as a barter. In the other end of the world, China banned their banks from any Bitcoin transactions.

The former U.S. congressman Ron Paul said that “There will be alternatives to the dollar, and this might be one of them." When asked to continue: If people start using bitcoins en masse, Paul added “it'll go down in history as the destroyer of the dollar”.

Top 6 reasons to live in Australia

Did you ever wondered why Australia is a top-notch country in terms of economy, education, very high human development index - ranked 2nd after Norway - and so on? For sure, Australia has a very stable and growing economy and is also a great tourist destination. But there is even more.


So, lets jump straight to the list of the best 6 reasons to live in Australia:

1. Solid economy.

For the last decades, Australia had shown great stability in its economy, which leaded to (mostly) tons of positive things. One of the reasons for that is China which is the number one trading partner right now. Also, the Australian dollar has a strong worldwide position – even though the costs of living are notably higher there, earning your money in stable currency is nothing but great.

2. Tons of work opportunities.

It is hard to stay without a work in Australia. The unemployment rate for October 2013 is 5.8%. It is a fair conclusion that all kind of jobs are available to everybody. The minimum wage for adults right now is $16.37 per hour or $622.20 per week.

3. Nature and sights beyond all wor(l)ds.

Doubt it that you didn't saw or heard of the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, the Blue Mountains etc. But, when we talk about beaches, Australia has them all - beautiful, long and with white sand. Speaking if this, it is also a great place for the surfers.

4. Multicultural society.

Australia is among the countries with extremely multicultural population. Recent studies report that about a quarter of Australians were born in another country. This means that no one is a foreigner there. Having all those ethnic groups under one roof can make your life there even more interesting and exciting.

5. Great place to study.

You feel that want to study something extra or a whole new degree? Australia is the right place to do so, with the big variety of colleges and universities. The students there are eligible for FEE-HELP, an income-contingent loan to cover charges and fees.

6. Good migration policies.

The Australian visas have been improved in 2012 but generally the whole process is streamlined and clear. Currently, there are Employment, Student, Family and Skilled visas. Everything is well explained in the official Department of Immigration & Citizenship of Australia website.

There are many other good reasons to consider living in Australia, but we can leave that to you. After all, it is also a matter of taste and preference, isn't it?

Worked in Australia before? Why not applying for a tax refund to get your taxes back!

Infographic - International students in the U.S. for year 2012/13

The Institute of International Education had revealed in a a new report that a record number of 819,644 international students are studying and being enrolled in a U. S. college or university for the last year.

Source: "Institute of International Education (2013). Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange. Retrieved from http://www.iie.org/opendoors"

Related stories:
Top 10 USA colleges and universities
Australia - the most expensive country for international study
Top 10 things to know about studying abroad in Canada

HMRC to look after the unpaid interns

Good news for every young person involved in internship in the United Kingdom. Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs is enforcing some new measures targeting employers who do not pay the national minimum wage to internships according to the country regulations.

The written warning should be sent to businesses that have ads for unpaid internships, it is reported that such advertisement exists for 200 companies. The penalty is £5,000, of course - if it is confirmed that they are really breaking the law. Currently, the national minimum wage is £6.31 per hour for people 21 and over years old.

Jo Swinson, minister from the Department for Business Innovation & Skills said: "Already, this year HMRC has issued penalties to 466 employers. We will continue to work closely with HMRC to clamp down on rogue employers."

As usual, it should take time for this campaign to work out as intended. The current state of having so many employers, some of them big, is forcing people to work for nothing. This is why the Government is also planning to launch a national campaign in the near future about the employment rights of the students and internships.

Related story: HMRC’s personal tax returns has increased with 40%.

Top 10 things to know about studying abroad in Canada

Studying in Canada sounds like a deal for you? But before you decide to jump into that experience, here are the top 10 things every international student should know.



1. Multicultural and peaceful
For those who have decided to study in Canada, the multicultural environment will definitely help them to settle in fast and feel almost like at home in no time. The people there are used to meeting different cultures and are friendly to them. The same can be said for the foreign student who will be meeting so many ethnic groups at one place.

2. First-rate educational system with worldwide recognition
Having a Canadian diploma or degree is recognized as equal and comparative to those from Germany, USA and the United Kingdom. The country pays a lot of attention to its educational system and constantly develops it to keep it competitive. Interesting fact is that Canada spends more for education as a percentage of GNP (Gross National Product) than the rest of the G-8 countries.

3. A lot of opportunities for work
Students may qualify for the on-campus, off-campus or post graduate work permit programs during their studies. After they receive their degree or diploma, they are eligible to work in Canada. In other hand, the job opportunities based on your occupation are almost limitless.

4. One of the best in terms of quality of life
The people living in Canada enjoy a quality of life that is considered one of the best worldwide. For 2012, the United Nations has ranked Canada on 11th place in terms of Human Development Index. The country earned high marks for its open access to education, long life expectancy and low crime rates.

5. A good price
Unlike Australia, which is the most expensive country for international study, Canada is doing pretty well there with not so high cost of living and various fees. More information about the costs are available on Education au/in Canada website.

6. Beautiful nature and big cosmopolitan cities
Canada's natural beauty is recognized by everyone. It has it all - lakes, forests, glaciers, coastal mountains, golden beaches and a lot more. Also, for the fans of the city life the country can offer well developed multicultural cosmopolitan cities that are clean and safe!

7. Innovations and IT
Being an international leader in computer and information technologies, Canada also has a great reputation in sectors like engineering, business, communications, medicine, transportation, fine arts and design.

8. A lot of schools to choose from
Canada is offering a really wide choice of over 150 colleges, technical institutes and 98 universities featuring every program you could ever desire. This is making the final decision what to study even more hard, but having all those options is a good thing, right?

9. Never alone
As reported by the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development of Canada, the number of international university students for 2010 is 116 890. This will make it easy to make friends from all around the world and, who knows, even from your home country.

10. Stable and growing economy
No doubt, it is easier for students to succeed when they are involved in an economy that is stable and growing. This helps developing a healthy environment in every sector of possible future employment of the foreigner.

Also, you can check the Canadian University Application Centre (CUAC) which is available in several languages and offers a lot useful information and services for those who are interested.

After the Shutdown, the new tax season starts late

There are plans to delay the new tax-filling season with a week or two because of the government shutdown - this was revealed by the Internal Revenue Service in official statement. The final decision will be made in December, but for now the plans are to start accepting returns between 28th of January and 4th of February 2014.

Note that this tax season also included a delay – from 22th of January to 30th or 8 days altogether, so it might come out to be a second year in a row with delayed start.

The acting commissioner from IRS, Mr. Daniel I. Werfel said that “Readying our systems to handle the tax season is an intricate, detailed process, and we must take the time to get it right.” There won't be any changes about the filing deadline for your tax returns from 2013, it will be as usual April 15th.

HMRC’s personal tax returns has increased with 40%

As reported by the UHY Hacker Young Group, a UK chartered accountant company, HM Revenue & Customs, following investigations into personal tax returns, increased the amount of collected tax compared to the last year. The result for year 2012-2013 is £609m which is almost 40% more compared to the year before - £441m.



The credit for this increase probably should go to the so called “Affluent Team” which currently has more than 300 inspectors, based in 17 teams in six locations across the UK. The Affluent team targets wealthy people who habitually use avoidance schemes, have a low effective Rate of Tax across their total income, have UK and offshore property portfolios avoid or evade Stamp Duty on property purchases, fail to file their Self Assessment return on time and have bank accounts in Switzerland who appear to be understating their tax liability.

 

 

According to UHY Hacker Young, for 2015, it is expected to recover around £586m in unpaid taxes.

Worked in the United Kingdom? Why not apply for a tax refund with us to get your taxes back!

Top 10 USA colleges and universities when it comes to financial aid for international students

It is not a secret that to study at a university or college in USA, is a dream for a lot of international students. In order to do so, though, involves paying the various fees for tuition in their full size. Add to this the money to be spent for housing and living costs and it is definitely not a small investment.

A recent report, prepared by US News & World Report reveals the top 10 universities/colleges in term of giving the most financial aid to international students. The chart is composed using such educational institutions that are giving aid to at least 50 students for the 2012-2013 school year.

It is to be noted that getting the scholarship is not guaranteed. For example, the University of Chicago, which tops the chart with average aid awarded to international undergraduates of near $56,500, in fact had only 57 students that received the help or totally 11% of all of the international undergraduates.

Here is the list of the top 10 universities/colleges. As you can see, the left row shows the rank given by U.S. News and the applicable category:

The immigration reform – backed by college presidents

While the heated discussion about the immigration reform in the USA is currently ongoing, organizations supporting the bill are trying to speak their voice and concern about it being stalled in Congress because of the redirected attention to the situation in Syria.

 

Recently, it is reported that a letter was send to the congressional delegation from Florida, written and signed by college presidents and education leaders. It singles out that more than half of the students reaching advanced degrees in mathematics and science are composed by foreign students on, for example, F-1 or M-1 visas. It makes sense that those intelligent and now educated individuals to be tempted to remain in the country after they complete their education – contributing to the whole economy and driving it forward.

 

  

It is to be noted that a lot of protests are being planned all over the United States to back the immigration reform.

Did you worked in the United States? Why not apply for a tax refund with us to get your taxes back!

The most expensive country for international study... and the winner is - Australia!

Recent research by HSBC.com confirmed that once again, Australia is the most expensive country for foreign students.

The average university and living cost for a year are estimated to be more than $38,500. Not very far behind comes the United States with calculated average costs and fees totaling more than $35,700.Actually, the difference here comes from the lower costs of living – annually, they are around $3,000 lower compared to those in Australia.

According to a study, conducted from the Institute of International Education, part of "Open Doors" project, 2011 – 21% of the entire study population in Australia is composed by foreign students from overseas. The United Kingdom is second here with 18%, while Canada and the United States get 13% and 3% respectively. We can conclude from here that even leading as a most expensive country for foreign students, Australia is still and will remain a popular destination in this area. Also, if you are curious about the Australian educational system, you can check out the 10 reasons to study in Australia.

But back to the main table – third place in it holds the United Kingdom, with yearly total of around $30,300. It is to be noted that in the UK the university fees are lay lower, around $19,000 per year, while the costs of living are even more than those in the United States – totaling $11,000.

The rest of the list is composed by United Arab Emirates, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Russia, China, Taiwan, Spain and Germany.



Studied and worked in Australia? You can apply for a tax refund to get your taxes back!

Budget cuts and ID thefts causes delays for the IRS

 

Reports coming from different sources are revealing that this year a lot of residents and non-residents of the USA are experiencing delays when it comes to receiving of their income tax refunds. But what triggered this and how long can it take before the returns are fully processed and the refunded money are sent to the people?

But before doing any further analysis of the current stage of the problem, it is essential to try to find what caused all of this. And, without doubt, the main reason are the budget cuts for the agency. The data published from TIGTA Conference Report says that “IRS has achieved $1 billion in budget cuts and efficiencies since 2010” and also “travel and training expenses are down more than 80 percent since 2010”. In order to do so, they also increased the use of virtual meetings and trainings to cut costs - mainly from traveling. They say that “we did not hold any similar, large-scale nationwide meetings like these in 2011, 2012 or 2013, and we do not have any plans to do so going forward.”

How it is looking this year so far? IRS, due to those budget cuts, did not worked 4 days until now - on May 24, June 14, July 5, July 22, and will be closed on August 30. It is worthy saying that the cuts are estimated to nearly $1 billion in two years with more than $600 million from sequestration from March. Of course, the agency denies that all of this impacted the service. The whole picture is not getting better with the Congress threating to cut the IRS budget with nearly 25% the next fiscal year.

The said immediate sequestration had its negative effects, that is for sure, but the decision by theInternal Revenue Service to push back the start of the filing season did not helped as well. It was supposed to start on January 22, but was postponed with 8 days to January 30 2013.

 

Another aspect of the delay is the massive anti-fraud campaign targeted at the ID thefts, claiming illegally income tax refunds. According to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, until 29th of June, IRS had exposed nearly 1.9 million incidents of the fraud which is almost double from the same period of the fiscal 2011. The reported increase from 2012 to 2013 is around 65%.

As a effect of those budget cuts and anti-identity theft programs, a lot legitimate income tax returns are experiencing delays with some of them having more than 4 weeks added to the usual time frame. So far, IRS processed 590,000 fewer returns as of May 10. When it comes to the the issued refunds, they are 1.44 million less compared to the ones from the previous year.

Having answered the first question from the headline, we still cannot predict how long it will take IRS to process the remaining returns. Our hopes are with them to succeed in the near future since a lot of the people, mainly those with low income are relying on those money.

Visa delays in Canada

After the successful past year (2012) for the international students in Canada, the recent strikes might have caused delays for the on-going processing of visas for the foreign students and tourists.

We already mentioned that year 2012 was a success in terms of newly arrived international students in Canada. The numbers had exceeded 100 000 people - this is reported as a huge increase since the past years (Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada).

For the past months, there were numerous of strikes organized by the Canadian Foreign Service officers, demanding for wage adjustments and resumption of contract negotiations with the Canadian government. So far, the effects of this is a reported delay of up to 6 weeks in the processing of study and tourist visas. Obviously, this can result in less interest from foreigners, planning to visit and/or study in Canada for the coming months. As for tourism, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada reported potential loses of CAD $280 million for 2013.

Depending what course of action will be adopted by the government will determine where exactly those people will go. The United States of America as a near country and with their immigration reform currently being considered, might be the alternative for them.

It is clear that all of this can cause negative effects on the Canadian economy in long term, so all we can do is hope they overcome those problems and continue the good practice from the past years in terms of foreign students and tourists.

The average tax refund from Canada is $950 CAD. You can apply for Canadian tax refund with us now.

The US immigration reform, is that the new American dream?

President Obama promised to make immigration reform a priority. Well, from what is happening lately, we can say that he kept his word and it might get adopted soon.

President Obama promised to make immigration reform a priority. Well, from what is happening lately, we can say that he kept his word and it might get adopted soon. But firstly, some basic facts - this reform is named “the immigration bill” by the eight senators who wrote it. After it was passed to the Senate the term “Gang of Eight” became even more popular.

In brief, this reform promises to tackle the illegal immigration and also includes increased wages for the legal immigrants using h2b visas. This can result in budget cuts for a lot of companies, small, medium and even large businesses leaving in the end thousands of worker unemployed. But is this is going to happen in reality? This is what everyone is asking.

Some people are making comparisons with the American dream, with this time being initiated by the said reform. And it makes sense, because as we all know, immigration is important part of every economy. This is probably valid as much as possible for the USA.

So, if we want a growing economy (and who doesn't?), we want to have a solid, working and long-term immigration plan. The current almost broken visa system makes possible and encourages millions of illegal immigrants, which in the end is causing devastating effects nation and even world wide.

Of course, we cannot ignore the ethical part of the problem. And this is one of the key reasons for the bill to be passed. Everyone should feel welcome and valued and actually to be a part of the society, of the American dream! We all believe that this is possible.

Income tax refund - tax returns - Dendax.com

Top 10 most popular and visited states and cities in the USA Work & Travel programs

If you are curious about the mostvisited states and cities by USA Work and Travel participants, wehave the answer for you! Our Dendax team conducted and prepared astatistical study and data analysis to come with the followinginteresting results.

 

As a most visited state, without a doubt, comes New York with 7.54%, followed by Massachusetts with 7.4% and California 6.47%. You can see the rest of them on the image bellow:

When it comes to the cities, the clear winner and most popular summer Work and Travel destination is Ocean City, which is way ahead of the second in the chart Wisconsin Dells. The third place is for New York City and for the remaining of the table, check the next image:

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USA SIM Cards - just a reminder

If you are using our USA SIM cards, that here you can activate your card, get your call bonus, recharge your minutes, call instructions and so on:
http://www.dendax.com/ussim

Are you going to the USA this summer?

The US Department of State gives the following useful tips, guides and gives answers to some common questions for the participants of this year's cultural exchange in the USA. You can find out more at: http://j1visa.state.gov/programs/summer-work-travel

WETM-IAC Annual Conference

We are very happy to tell you that Dendax took part in The Work Experience Travel Market and IAPA Annual Conference which was held in Rome, Italy (13-15 March 2013).

http://blog.dendax.com/?r=12

The Conference

The Work Experience Travel Market and IAPA Annual Conference provides a unique cost effective business-to-business opportunity for senders and receivers serving all aspects of cultural exchange, au pairing, volunteering, internship and work experience. WETM-IAC delivers an exceptionally targeted forum for our organisation to establish and strengthen sector-focused partnerships, gain industry intelligence and tap into emerging global markets.

Developing your business at WETM-IAC

In addition to providing an excellent business opportunity for attending organisations, the conference serves as an engaging forum for the development of the work and travel and cultural exchange community.

Featuring seminars, award ceremonies and more, WETM-IAC enables delegates to help shape their business and the industry for tomorrow.

At the event, our delegates – Kalin Ivanov (CEO) and Georgi Marchev(Market Specialist) took part in best practice discussions and case study reviews, in addition to meeting with national and global trade associations representing the various sectors in the community.