Swiss involved in Hawaii sovereignity movement

So, let me see if I understand this situation. A Swiss citizen, living in paradise, doesn't want to pay taxes? Are you sure he isn't really from Texas?

I guess I could support his position as long as he doesn't set foot on any taxpayer funded perks, like roadways, airports, police departments, fire departments, libraries, public schools, hospitals, ambulance or Paramedic Aid, museums, public beaches, accept FEMA after a natural disaster, parks, postal services and I'll probably think of a few more things after I hit send.

How about this, send this freeloader back to the sunny skies of Zurich so he can't sponge off the all the other taxpayers. I'm assuming he doesn't plan to apply for citizenship. Just deport him, because he doesn't pay his taxes, he can go back to that pristine, charming but melancholy city in Bern. I went thru
The Swiss taxing rates, but skimmed thru it looking to to compare the difference.

I tell you one tax tidbit, if you visit Zurich, foreign visitors can't stay a month, the Taxman will charge a late fee when the traveler shows his passport before boarding the fligh.











to Zurich

A turist can stay in Switzerland for 90 days. As an EU citizen or US American you do not need a visa.
Why should a taxman ask for taxes before you board an airplane? If this was a fact they would also be at every station where trains leave for other countries.

You do have to pay taxes in Switzerland when you live or/and work there.

I do not know how it is today but when we lived in Switzerland it was seen as a privileage to pay taxes so the states could fulfill its duty to the people - like being able to vote.
Most other country see it as a duty that we pay taxes.

I just pulled the Swiss tax tables. I may have misread some portion of the code, but I am pretty sure it mentioned taxation after 30 days. The remark about the taxman checking boarding passes was meant to be humorous. I'm sorry if it offended you.

I had a layover in Zurich back in 1988, and for whatever reason, I'm assuming some sort of threat, all the Americans on that flight were scrutinized and the American males were removed to another location. One American claimed he was strip searched, but I really don't know if that's true. I think I may have been the only American woman on that flight, plus I had a Diplomatic Passport. Even when we were allowed to board, we sat at the gate for about 5 hours. They kept telling us it was due to engine problems, which alarmed the passengers and we drained the bar in one hour. All of the flight attendants were male. My imagination was working over-time, so in all probability the engine problems were real, but I was sweating bullets.

I was flying on one of the American aircraft, I never heard anything about possible danger. But I do know they searched my luggage because the State Department seals were broken. Bottom line, I was just happy in the end that our flight wasn't hijacked or worse.

That would oppose the Schengen treaty and the visa regulations with other countries (like the USA).

The mentioned 30 days mean that you have to pay income tax, if you stay for more than 30 days in Switzerland, work there and thus (!) have your permanent residence in Switzerland.

You have to register your permanent residence as well - after 14 days after arrival at the "Einwohnerkontrolle" or "Einwohnerdienste" (office of inhabitants). [All that is nearly the very same in Austria and Germany.]

I just reread Andy's link. The story is not about Americans living and working in Switzerland. It's actually about 2 Swiss citizens, living in Hawaii and unhappy about the fact that taxes have to be paid, and one who mortgaged his residence thru a (German owned or some other country) bank and refused to pay the mortgage payment. The bank wasn't happy and took some legal action and now the Swiss citizen is, well it's not exactly clear why he borrowed money and doesn't think the bank can expect payment.

I don't know if Hawaii has a sales tax, but regardless I'm confused why someone living and working anywhere in the US thinks they don't have to pay taxes. A friend of my son has been living and working in Germany for at least 13 years in order to have visitation with his children. He pays taxes there, I haven't heard him complain about taxes.

I'm just curious why these two foreign nationals think they are not required to pay taxes or make mortgage payments?

The Hawaiian Kingdom group, which is behind all this, refers to an 1864 treaty between Switzerland and the Kingdom of Hawai, so the Swiss resident in Hawai says that he’s not beholden to Uncle Sam but Queen Lili’uokalani.
Scanned treaty (pdf-data).

The Swiss Federal Prosecution didn't deal with this case, since "it's no business of the Swiss Prosecution".
The Hawaiian lawyer complained about this decision at the Swiss Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona.

Finally I'm interested, as in where is Bellinzona? Sounds like a mix of Belize and Arizona.. where they serve good meals and Bellini cocktails.

Ah, I see it is in Ticino, Switzerland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellinzona

I've not been to Switzerland, but pretty close. (Ivrea, It.)
Which reminds me, I should update my passport.

I forgot about the Hawaiian Kingdom Group. I understand what their motivation is, I guess now the two Swiss citizens are simply freeloaders. It reminds me of the cattle rancher in Nevada who uses federal land to feed his cattle and despite repeated attempts to make him pays fees like other farmers, he waited until the Federal Government threatened to seize his cattle, and then set up armed resistance. Yahoos from white power groups, other groups who want to ignore all federal laws and some random gun nuts arrived with women and children hoping for armed conflict.

I suppose greed is prevalent all over, not just Wall Street.

May I jump from Switzerland to the Baltic countries and ask you a question.
The Baltic Sea is called Ostsee or Östersjön depending on where you live. What do you call it in the Baltic countries as it is to the west of you. I think Estonia calls it Westsea - Läänimeri - is that correct?