The Travel Thread

[Root]

On 2/18/2023 at 12:26 PM, North said:

 

Okay thats troublesome. If I have to book flight tix and somehow the visa gets rejected I'm totally screwed no? 

 

I just got some more info on dates this morning. Not super concrete but better than before. Roughly free from 27th May - 11th June. Looking at a 2 week trip.

 

Hotels are cancellable so I can change it around. Flights (at least budget ones I intend on taking) are not. I essentially want to get the visa process started so I have it in time. 

 

 

Yes that is indeed troublesome. I took the risk of booking all non-refundable tickets and stays because they were cheaper. Or you could book refundable stays on MMT or any Indian booking site using credit card - no forex chargers while paying/refund, easier to fight and can chargeback credit card. 

 

I took my visa appointment 2 months before travel date only for the reason if they reject it I will still have time to reapply or file for reconsideration.  

[LordSpymaster]

Has anyone bought and used a Taj Epicure Membership? Looking for reviews... 

[LordSpymaster]

Hey,

I need help with Goa car rentals and commuting. My dates are fixed but I am not sure of the exact day/time I might need the car. My usage is mainly to commute from Panjim to other beaches like Baga, famous shacks, 1-2 forts, etc.

 

I've been researching and I see most rent out cars for minimum 2 days. Hence the doubts:

 

1) Is there anyone who will rent cars for a few hours or 1 day at max?

2) Is there space to take cars to most famous beaches / shacks or other places like Anjuna Market, Baga, Forts, etc.?

[KunjanPSD]

VFS has to be the stupidest Visa aggregator and Japanese visa (alongside Austrian) has to be the most sense less.

[abhi90]

25 minutes ago, KunjanPSD said:

VFS has to be the stupidest Visa aggregator and Japanese visa (alongside Austrian) has to be the most sense less.

What happened? deets do!

[KunjanPSD]

35 minutes ago, abhi90 said:

What happened? deets do!

There are 5 Japanese consulates in India: Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai.

 

Japan embassy demands that an applicant's work and residential address needs to be in the same region i.e. if someone is from Delhi (all identity proofs have Delhi address) but works and lives in Bangalore, they can't apply to either of the Delhi or Bangalore embassy.

VFS doesn't even accepts the docs in this case.

If you say office is in BLR but WFH then they demand WFH stated on the NOC from the employer.

 

Only way they will accept the application is if you provide address change acknowledgement slip for something like Aadhar to match your residential with your work region and then apply from BLR.

Who puts the address of a house they rent on identity proofs?

 

Other option is to call Japanese embassy before application, get exception and during your visit to VFS, make them call to VFS and convey the same. Obviously this is not foolproof, needs a stronger reason.

 

Now Japanese embassy is still accomodating but the damn VFS acts like they have the power. They reject straight away to call embassy or reject docs straight away if WFH.

They even called the host of the airbnb to verify the booking! This is not directed by Japanese Embassy. Hence, dummy bookings won't work! Use Booking.com to make refundable bookings.

 

Such a sh*t show especially with the kind of docs they ask in the first place.

 

Edited March 17, 2023 by KunjanPSD

[abhi90]

On 3/17/2023 at 11:39 PM, KunjanPSD said:

There are 5 Japanese consulates in India: Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai.

 

Japan embassy demands that an applicant's work and residential address needs to be in the same region i.e. if someone is from Delhi (all identity proofs have Delhi address) but works and lives in Bangalore, they can't apply to either of the Delhi or Bangalore embassy.

VFS doesn't even accepts the docs in this case.

If you say office is in BLR but WFH then they demand WFH stated on the NOC from the employer.

 

Only way they will accept the application is if you provide address change acknowledgement slip for something like Aadhar to match your residential with your work region and then apply from BLR.

Who puts the address of a house they rent on identity proofs?

 

Other option is to call Japanese embassy before application, get exception and during your visit to VFS, make them call to VFS and convey the same. Obviously this is not foolproof, needs a stronger reason.

 

Now Japanese embassy is still accomodating but the damn VFS acts like they have the power. They reject straight away to call embassy or reject docs straight away if WFH.

They even called the host of the airbnb to verify the booking! This is not directed by Japanese Embassy. Hence, dummy bookings won't work! Use Booking.com to make refundable bookings.

 

Such a sh*t show especially with the kind of docs they ask in the first place.

 

That is really uber shitty. Hope you have a good resolution, keep us updated!

 

It won't help, but can you also relay your VFS experience to the japanese embassy? At least some feedback is better than none.

[KunjanPSD]

55 minutes ago, abhi90 said:

That is really uber shitty. Hope you have a good resolution, keep us updated!

 

It won't help, but can you also relay your VFS experience to the japanese embassy? At least some feedback is better than none.

Mera toh set hai, Delhi residence, Gurgaon me office, both served by Delhi region.

My friends who work in BLR but are from Delhi faced this issue and now the trip is in limbo.

 

They have contacted Japanese embassy for exception, let's see.

[abhi90]

On 3/19/2023 at 3:02 PM, KunjanPSD said:

Mera toh set hai, Delhi residence, Gurgaon me office, both served by Delhi region.

My friends who work in BLR but are from Delhi faced this issue and now the trip is in limbo.

 

They have contacted Japanese embassy for exception, let's see.

If your friend backs out, mereko le chaliyo :Fear:

[dante77]

https://m.economictimes.com/wealth/tax/you-have-to-pay-for-tax-foreign-trips-from-july-1-2023-how-to-book-smartly-to-save-better/articleshow/98626687.cms

 

Is this only applicable for tour packages only? Like if I buy a tour plan from an agent. Only then I have to pay 20%, otherwise it is as before, right? 

[KunjanPSD]

58 minutes ago, dante77 said:

https://m.economictimes.com/wealth/tax/you-have-to-pay-for-tax-foreign-trips-from-july-1-2023-how-to-book-smartly-to-save-better/articleshow/98626687.cms

 

Is this only applicable for tour packages only? Like if I buy a tour plan from an agent. Only then I have to pay 20%, otherwise it is as before, right? 

No one knows, everyone is waiting for RBI guidelines. But I won't be surprised if this is for every forex transaction like it is supposed to be for debit cards etc.

Acche din aa gye hai.

[kittoo]

Can someone help me please? I got a message from Niyo global card that I need to pay ~5000Rs as TCS for foreign travel/transactrions I did last year when I traveled to Europe. Saala I got this card because they supposedly dont charge any conversion fee. In order to save 3% I got hit with 5% TCS now. Credit Cards pe nahi lagta yeh TCS for now. Ironically someone here at IVG only suggested this card. Niyo guys should really mention that transactions on their card will incur 5% TCS. 

 

Anyway, can I get out of paying this bull*hit tax? And read above this will be increased to 20%? Are they out of their minds?

[KunjanPSD]

51 minutes ago, kittoo said:

Can someone help me please? I got a message from Niyo global card that I need to pay ~5000Rs as TCS for foreign travel/transactrions I did last year when I traveled to Europe. Saala I got this card because they supposedly dont charge any conversion fee. In order to save 3% I got hit with 5% TCS now. Credit Cards pe nahi lagta yeh TCS for now. Ironically someone here at IVG only suggested this card. Niyo guys should really mention that transactions on their card will incur 5% TCS. 

 

Anyway, can I get out of paying this bull*hit tax? And read above this will be increased to 20%? Are they out of their minds?

TCS of 5% is applicable over 7L forex spends in a year. It is valid for any kind of LRS instrument you use. CC is outside LRS.

It's given in their TnC, you must have missed it.

 

Anyway this is just TCS i.e. Tax collected at source. You can pay 5k and since it was last year, you can just claim the same in your AY23-24 return, plain and simple.

This money is not permanently being taken away from you.

 

And yes, it's been increased to 20% and without 7L threshold. Will probably deduct per txn/day.

This is apparently to curb tax evasion by ameer log who book foreign tours, conveniently skipping the fact that all forex txns are reported in PAN anyway.

They have added this on foreign tour packages as well i.e. if the tour merchant settles the amount in forex even if a customer pays in INR.

 

This is just BS move to reduce forex spending and get interest reserves from tax payers to make up for losses via freebies and incompetence in tax collection.

[dante77]

8 minutes ago, KunjanPSD said:

TCS of 5% is applicable over 7L forex spends in a year. It is valid for any kind of LRS instrument you use. CC is outside LRS.

It's given in their TnC, you must have missed it.

 

Anyway this is just TCS i.e. Tax collected at source. You can pay 5k and since it was last year, you can just claim the same in your AY23-24 return, plain and simple.

This money is not permanently being taken away from you.

 

And yes, it's been increased to 20% and without 7L threshold. Will probably deduct per txn/day.

This is apparently to curb tax evasion by ameer log who book foreign tours, conveniently skipping the fact that all forex txns are reported in PAN anyway.

They have added this on foreign tour packages as well i.e. if the tour merchant settles the amount in forex even if a customer pays in INR.

How can someone get it back? If a person is filing ITR and he is already is at 20-30% bracket and after calculation there is nothing in return, 5% would still be the return amount? 

[KunjanPSD]

28 minutes ago, dante77 said:

How can someone get it back? If a person is filing ITR and he is already is at 20-30% bracket and after calculation there is nothing in return, 5% would still be the return amount? 

If all the tax due has been paid via TDS and advance tax, you get an IT refund of the amount deducted via TCS.

If one has the chance then adjust any advance tax which needs to be paid if TCS has already been deducted.

Edited April 6, 2023 by KunjanPSD

[kittoo]

13 hours ago, KunjanPSD said:

TCS of 5% is applicable over 7L forex spends in a year. It is valid for any kind of LRS instrument you use. CC is outside LRS.

It's given in their TnC, you must have missed it.

 

Anyway this is just TCS i.e. Tax collected at source. You can pay 5k and since it was last year, you can just claim the same in your AY23-24 return, plain and simple.

This money is not permanently being taken away from you.

 

And yes, it's been increased to 20% and without 7L threshold. Will probably deduct per txn/day.

This is apparently to curb tax evasion by ameer log who book foreign tours, conveniently skipping the fact that all forex txns are reported in PAN anyway.

They have added this on foreign tour packages as well i.e. if the tour merchant settles the amount in forex even if a customer pays in INR.

 

This is just BS move to reduce forex spending and get interest reserves from tax payers to make up for losses via freebies and incompetence in tax collection.

 

But I didnt spend anywhere near 7L last year on forex spends. How did I still get the message?

[KunjanPSD]

19 minutes ago, kittoo said:

 

But I didnt spend anywhere near 7L last year on forex spends. How did I still get the message?

Different companies have different rules. Some charge TCS only if you go above 7L, some charge it anyway to remove compliance issues from their end.

Reach out to them and tell them you haven't spent enough to be liable for TCS.

Or better yet, tell them you have already filed your ITR and you can't make any changes, it's their responsibility to communicate TCS on time.

[AtheK]

Travelling to Greece this month, what is the best credit card to carry, I want to carry as less cash as possible.

[KunjanPSD]

10 minutes ago, AtheK said:

Travelling to Greece this month, what is the best credit card to carry, I want to carry as less cash as possible.

Which cards do you have?

Getting a new card just for one trip won't be beneficial and anyway it's hit/miss that you will be able to get a new card in time.

[KunjanPSD]

Also please check whether Greece is a predominantly cash city or not. Many cities have not adapted CC usage as well ex: Japan.

Edited April 7, 2023 by KunjanPSD