If your airbags deploy is the car considered totalled?
Often but not always. A vehicle is deemed to be a total loss if the cost to repair the damage to a vehicle exceeds the Actual Cash Value of the vehicle. Actual Cash Value of a vehicle is what that vehicle could have been sold for (by the owner) immediately prior to the damage being incurred. When an airbag deploys it tends to cause quite a bit of damage; the cladding that covered the airbag needs to be replaced, the airbag itself needs to be replaced, the airbag sensor needs to be replaced, often windows are damaged and often the vehicle interior also needs to be cleaned. Additionally, in order for an airbag to be deployed a vehicle normally needs to first suffer quite a bit of crush damage, meaning that there are likely a number of cladding and/or structural pieces that need to be replaced (bumper cover, bumper pads/bars, fenders, hoods, cowls, grills, radiators, A/C condensers, etc.). All of these things add up to expensive repairs, which increases the probability that the vehicle will be deemed a total loss; however, it is not always the case. If the vehicle in question is a brand new Bentley there is a good chance that the heavy front end damage and interior damage we would expect from a frontal impact resulting in airbag deployment may not exceed the value of the vehicle (heck, when both my airbags deployed after a front end collision my vehicle wasn't a total and it was a 3 year old SAAB). Now, if we had the same damage on a 2010 Honda Civic then it is very probable that the vehicle would be a total. I once declared a vehicle a total loss because it had been keyed from bumper to quarter panel, which would have cost $1,100 to repair... the vehicle was an old beater with an ACV of approximately $750. It all comes down to the verbiage in your automobile policy that states "we will pay the lessor of repair or Actual Cash Value..." if the repairs exceed the ACV then it's a total loss.
Tax day question -more taxes?
Not everyone gets money back. Many people, usually those of higher income, have to PAY Uncle Sam on tax day either because they didn't have enough withheld, are self employed, or had additional income (such as gains from sales of stock, large amounts of interest or dividends, income from other investments, etc.) on which taxes are not withheld. Added to that, these folks (again, usually higher income) generally have more complicated tax returns than those who want to file early and it can be a pain to gather up all of the paperwork needed to prepare the return. I have seen tax returns that are two inches thick. It requires a lot of work to prepare those types of returns.
What are the criteria for opening a US bank account for a non-citizen?
For regular checking/savings account, a Tax Number is not required for opening an account.Most US chartered banks require the following:A valid ID (for foreigners, this is clearly the passport). They will make copies of it, as well as the Visa &/or Arrival Stamp page. Some and I stress some, may scan the whole passport.They will ask you for a secondary identification (it can be a credit card, driver's license, debit card, ATM card, any other form of identification).Some banks can request for a picture based second form of identification only, but passport is usually good enough.A local address is required and you will have to provide some form of a bill, etc. attesting that to the fact that that is your local address. If you are forwarding email to a friend, etc. They can ask you for your friend's proof of residence to that address.Proof of funds (if depositing cash in large amounts).Proof of funds if you are wiring funds in.They will check their own internal KYC list to see if anything else is requiredThey will confer this with their manager or supervisor (most US banks will do the 4-eyes, i.e. two people signing off on the account opening OK).If you are legally staying in the US for extended period of time (like student, etc.) a copy of your I-20 etc. would be requiredIf you happen to be from a few countries of interest (essentially any Arabic, Muslim country, etc.) you will be subjected to a more thorough examination of your documentation (this is the silent rule, as much as you may deny that it doesn't happen).That's about it.
Does anyone know anything about a person called Winston Shrout? And if you do have you got any positive info?
Winston Shrout is an uneducated PNJ (Patriot Nut Job). Winston is a poseur - someone who poses as something he is not. Winston is one of many PNJs who preys on other uneducated fools by selling them lies. Winston's lie is called: Commercial Redemption. Winston's predecessor is Roger Elvick, now in prison for the rest of his life. Commercial Redemption is obvious fraud to anybody with a legal education or the ability to research. Today there is big money in advertising to the stupid. That is where Winston Shrout shines. His beard and folksy way appeal to the masses of dumbasses. Here is how to prove it for yourself: 1. Ask Winston or any PNJ to show you a court case where his methods have worked. 2. Ask Winston to prove that he finished high school. Don't even bother asking about college or law school. 3. Start getting your legal knowledge from actual lawyers, professors, and publishers of law school textbooks. Other fraudsters like Winston Shrout are: 1. Roger Elvick - currently in prison for fraud for the rest of his life. 2. Lindsey K. Springer from Oklahoma. 3. Hartford Van Dyke - currently in federal prison. You can find out about Lindsey Springer by a Google search using his name and "Quatloos". Quatloos is a website operated by IRS employees and sychophants. At the opposite end of the political spectrum on the internet is Sui Juris.net They sell/ promote the books of PNJ.
Why do car dealers always want to take a copy of your driver’s license even if you have no intention of going for a test drive?
I am a new car internet salesperson in Dallas, TX, and we are all about great price and customer service. It’s amazing how many people are stuck with a 1970’s view of car dealers. Believe it or not, some people still ask if they will get a better deal if they pay cash. I guess they think our huge, corporate dealership would hide the profits from the IRS somehow if they have cash? “No,” I tell them, “We would prefer a cashier’s check…and we would really prefer you finance, as we actually make a little off that.”Let me tell you a secret you won’t believe…the people who are LEAST happy with their car deal are usually people who got the very best deal. They are the people who say, “I know you need to make money, but you aren’t going to make it off me.” Why is that? Because they are the type of people who beat you out of every last penny of profit, but they are so obsessed with getting the best deal, they are afraid they might have left one little scrap on the table. They are just sure you somehow made something. They not only want the vehicle at true cost (yes, we really will sell one at NET cost), then they want you to throw in free accessories, as if we get them from the mfg. for free or something. Anyway, I am ranting.The main reason we scan your license is to have a record of your visit and so the managers know who we have on the floor (that we are doing our jobs—getting people to come in). Second, if we take a test drive or proceed with the sale, I will need it in the system anyway. And third, we are making sure another salesperson does not already have you in the system. You might have “forgotten” you already visited and worked with another sales person. I need to know if I am going to have to split the deal if you end up buying.No, we don’t do soft credit pulls or look up info about you. If that is happening, you are at the wrong dealer. If I need your credit, I will ask you straight up.Pro Tip: If you submit a request over the internet, I may look you up on Facebook (email) or Google maps (address) to gain a little insight.
Can a PO box be a legal business address in the US?
For tax reporting purposes in most cases a P O Box can be a legal address. There are a few IRS forms that specifically prohibit the use of a P O Box and in those cases you would need to have a physical address that you can use.Legal purposes, every state is going to require a physical address connected to an LLC. You have a registered agent with your Delaware LLC who is required to maintain a physical address in the state of Delaware. That probably serves your purposes, legally.Simply having a P O Box in a state will not constitute nexus or an obligation to pay taxes in the state.(**SEE UPDATE BELOW) The flip side of that is having a P O Box in another state does not allow you to avoid taxation in any state where you physically reside and work. Even if you reside in numerous locations through out the year with no real “permanent residence”.In fact not having a so called “permanent residence” can actually have some tax downsides. States can look at any number of factors to determine residency or partial year residency. For example if you maintain a California driver’s license or California voter registration, California considers you are a CA resident and subject to CA tax. If you spend one day working in CA, CA considers you at least a partial year resident and subject to CA tax. Also if you truly are itinerant, you can never deduct any business travel expenses.Having said all of that, CA is one state where I would not maintain a mailing address if you truly are not living and working there. I use CA for examples, because CA is by far one of the most aggressive states about claiming nexus and being able to tax you according to their state laws. Having a P O Box in the state will almost certainly guarantee a letter from the state wanting you to file a tax return in CA and pay tax in CA. Not that you could not ultimately win the argument, but I just hate for my clients to even get into a disagreement with any government agency because it incurs unnecessary cost even if you win.2018 UPDATE: As of 2018 several states have either enacted laws or changed their interpretation of existing nexus rules to say that a mailing address in their state does constitute nexus in the state. Most notability California, New York and Michigan are now taking this stand. My advice as of this writing is that you use a virtual mailing address or PO Box only in states where you reside or your business is registered as a legal entity.