Perpetual traveler
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The term perpetual traveler (PT, permanent tourist or prior taxpayer) refers to both a lifestyle and a philosophy.
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[edit] Background
In practical terms, perpetual travelers are people who live in such a way that they are not considered a legal resident of any of the countries in which they spend time. In this way, they seek to avoid the legal obligations which may accompany residency, such as taxes, jury duty, and military service. For example, while PT's may hold citizenship in one or more countries that impose taxes based solely on residency, their legal residence will most likely be in a tax haven. They may spend the majority of their time in other countries, never staying long enough to be considered a resident.
[edit] Tax avoidance
It is possible to live for several months, and in some cases even own property, in many countries without paying income tax. For example, one can spend up to 122 days each year in the United States without being considered a resident or being required to file a US tax return.IRS document explaining weighted average "substantial presence" test.
Some PT's are wealthy individuals whose primary motivation is tax avoidance. By exploiting the rules in place for tourists and travelers, individuals may be able to legally reduce or eliminate their tax burden. However other PT's, such as itinerants, adopt this lifestyle for purely self-ownership reasons, just to be free from government authority, interference and "The System".
[edit] Philosophy
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On the surface, perpetual tourists have some things in common with world citizens, in that they see themselves as untethered to any one nation. However, PT's generally seem to eschew the humanistic and utopian overtones of world citizenship. Many PT's align themselves closely with the libertarian school of thought, which advocates individual sovereignty - sovereignty vested in the individual rather than in nation-states.
[edit] References
[edit] See also
- Backpacking (travel)
- Tax resistance
- NuNomad
[edit] External links
- Worth Magazine Article - An article about the idea of perpetual tourism.
- PT Club Website - An overview from ptclub.com
- PTshamrock Website Another site for information
- PT FAQs Some answers to commonly asked PT questions.
