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The Life of a Permanent Tourist

Have you ever wondered, is there a way to never pay income taxes or file returns—at least without having the police come after you? Permanent Tourists do just that, and one man who has been doing it for 20 years shared his experience on The Stateless Man. Hear that interview with Andy Eyschen, cofounder and director of the Language of Liberty Institute, as he spoke from Malaysia (20 minutes, MP3):

[audio:http://thestatelessman.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/AndyEyschen1.mp3|titles=Andy Eyschen]

PTs have what are known as three flags, and the beauty of this approach is its simplicity:

Hold citizenship in a nation that does not tax income earned outside the country (one whose passport is well received would also be preferable);

Incorporate your business and income in a low or no-tax jurisdiction;

Live as a tourist in multiple countries, for short enough periods to never generate residence for tax purposes—usually less than 183 days in a calendar year.

Eyschen noted that, at least the last time he checked, there were 19 jurisdictions still without a corporate income tax. And he recommended OCRA and or other incorporation providers as good starting points.

One might rightly be concerned that officials of bloated governments do not like the competition presented by smaller, more agile nations, and they are building a cartel of nations against their competitors—notably through the OECD and an array of treaties. Additionally, the Financial Action Task Force of the G8 is attacking financial privacy, to combat “money laundering and terrorist financing,” of course. However, at least for now one can still find plenty of international and private incorporation options without much difficulty, as Eyschen has demonstrated.

For a younger man’s perspective, I had on James Guzman (pictured left, email him here), whom I met at the International Students for Liberty Conference in Washington, D.C., a few weeks back. He is with Euro Pacific Bank, which tailors its services to international customers. He noted, though, that IRS reporting requirements have led to his bank’s policy of an across-the-board refusal of American clients.

Listen to the final hour of the show, with Eyschen and Guzman (42 minutes, MP3):

[audio:http://thestatelessman.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/TSM7Mar2012-Part2.mp3]

Regarding his PT status, Guzman said that to him it is more a state of mind than a legal status.

“Once you figure out what it means, the PT… the philosophy of it… Then you’ve just got to do it; you’ve got to put those boundaries behind you.”

For more information, Eyschen and Guzman recommend InternationalMan.Com, The Sovereign Individual, and The 4-Hour Workweek. With time, The Stateless Man site will also become a home for information on the PT lifestyle, so if the idea interests you, stay with me. You can like The Stateless Man Facebook page or follow updates on Twitter.