In 1916 the U.S. government passed a law that required U.S. citizens living abroad (expatriates) to file a U.S. tax return. For many years the law's provisions were largely ignored, but not anymore. The Obama administration has a $400 billion hole in the budget that it needs to fill, and it believes it can raise 25 percent of that amount by cracking down on offshore tax abuse. To that end, the president has increased the IRS's budget by $128 million and authorized the hiring of 800 new IRS agents to track down people with money overseas and prosecute those who have not been paying taxes. U.S. citizens living abroad are now under the microscope. If you live abroad or are thinking about moving abroad to live, work, or retire, you will need to know:

The boom in dental tourism in Europe shows no sign of slowing down. Tens of thousands of people travel to Central and Eastern Europe each year to get dental word done at a third of the cost of their home countries. Many people still hesitate to get on the plane, often due to fear of the unknown or misconceptions which their home-country dentists are happy to perpetuate! This article looks at 5 common misconceptions about dental travel, explaining why none of them should stop you from saving big money by getting your dental work done abroad.

From our 30+ years of experience with American expat taxes, we have found that failing to file US tax returns for a number of years is actually quite a common situation. With the excitement of a move abroad, coupled with all the changes that such a move brings, the last thing on most people's minds is filing their taxes.

A popular T-shirt in Vienna declares "There are No Kangaroos in Austria!" The apparent confusion regarding the difference between Austria and Australia brings sighs of exasperation amongst many Americans living in Vienna who have had their U.S. mail arrive after a detour to Down Under.

The United Nations Women’s Guild was founded in 1967 as a voluntary organization of women connected with the United Nations. The purpose of the Guild is to foster friendship, to encourage appreciation of each other’s traditions and customs, and to financially support charity projects benefiting children of the world with emphasis on developing countries.

This extraordinary thrilling and captivating story is a fictionalized account of real life experience and actual historical events that occurred before, during, and after WWII. The principal character, Alfred Hammer, becomes the chief scientist for NASA’s Apollo Lunar Landing Mission after he has endured incredible torture as a slave laborer in Mauthausen, a savage Nazi extermination camp.

Located in the southeast of Austria, is the state of Styria. Dwelled in the spectacular beauty of nature and serenity, this place is a tourist's favourite. Graz, the state capital, is also known as 'the green state' and is famous for the lush greenery and the peaceful aura it has to offer.

Teachers have turned to games now-a-days in order to try to supplement their ESL classroom lesson plans. Their reason for doing so is to add to the lesson in such a way as to benefit the students more. The benefits are a more co-operative group dynamics and it has been shown that the students actually retain the new material longer and with better comprehension.

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) is celebrated as a fin de siècle genius and one of the great pioneers of 20th century music. The composer's 150th birthday celebrations is taking place in 2010, followed by the 100th anniversary of his death a year later. Mahler headed the Vienna State Opera for 10 years.

Democrats Abroad Austria represents US citizens living in Austria looking to drive political change by voting Democratic. While most of our members are in Vienna, chapters are forming in other major Austrian cities and we have seen our numbers triple in the last year.

Vienna and Death: an eternal love, a special relationship embracing sentimental, melancholic coquettishness and an almost passionate intimacy. As a well-known wine tavern song goes, there'll always be wine, but we won't always be here to enjoy it. Opulent funerals with a large cortege of mourners can still be the source of gushing enthusiasm.

Engagement is a fairly recent term in business. In the past the talk was about "attracting, motivating and retaining" expatriate employees. All three strategies focused primarily on money.

For Chef Frank Lima, an instructor with the New York Restaurant School of The Art Institutes, food is poetry and poetry is food. Chef Lima is not only a former White House assistant chef during the Kennedy Administration, but a first runner-up for Poet Laureate of Queens, New York. As Chef Lima explains it, "Poetry and cooking are so similar -- they're both about feeling and aesthetics." The two are so intertwined, in fact, that Chef Lima named his cream of roasted red pepper soup Creme Kukhla Moo ("my doll" in Greek).

Is being an expat all about attitude, and if so, does this have an immense influence on expat children and how they perceive their situation in this new environment? If as adults we have doubts about settling in a new country, how do you think our children are feeling?

As an expert in personal property, my days are filled with visiting estates, consulting with my clients, and ascertaining what has value versus what does not. I help Boomer children make sound estate decisions after mom and dad have passed on. Also, I work closely with seniors helping them make a plan for their heirlooms, and appraising the worth of their collectibles.

Learning to speak the native language of where you will be living is typically just one of many things on your to-do list when moving abroad. Becoming an expat can be one of the most rewarding and enriching experiences of your life, but the journey is one filled with a vast range of emotions.

The thing that can shatter the life of a teenager is moving abroad. Teenagers are in a stage of life in which they start getting settled in their life. It is the time when bonds are formed in their life and also last a lifetime. They start taking their first few steps into the real life outside their friends circle.

The Poinsettia is native to Mexico. It has been associated with the Christmas season because the Mexicans thought the plants were symbolic of the Star of Bethlehem. The plant was brought to America over 100 years ago by Dr. Joel Poinsett, our first ambassador to Mexico.

The song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is an English Christmas carol, although the music is reputed to be French. rom 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.

One thing that makes Vienna's long dark winter warm and hospitable are the punch stands throughout the city. You will see the Viennese milling around enjoying a warm drink and the friendly conversation, so just walk up, get a drink and join in.

I met Dr. Hirsh in his office on the third floor right behind the reception. I was surprised because I had expected his office to be located on one of the higher levels where admissions is. With the door open, he can listen into conversations going on at the reception and I imagined him quite amused by the stories people tell. I had never actually seen that door open, although I’m told it often is

National Day, 26 October (1955) commemorates the State Treaty restoring national sovereignty and the end of occupation when the  last WWII troops left Austria and the passage of the law on permanent neutrality. It has become a patriotic "fitness day", as many people all over Austria take long walks. The Parliament building and all national museums are open and visits are free to the public. This is a Bank Holiday and stores are closed.

Vienna has a long tradition of chandelier making, with countless offbeat interpretations appearing along the way. These stylish lighting elements make a dazzling and refined impression thanks to the way that they refract light.

The Vienna Boys' Choir, St. Stephen's Cathedral, culture and the arts are undoubtedly instrumental to the enjoyment of the Austrian capital. But the city's superb quality of life, unmatched almost anywhere else in the world, is actually down to other factors.

Losing the battle of the Wiener Schnitzel and Sacher Torte or just want to get a bit fitter? Come join our Getting Fit In Austria Team on SparkPeople it's FREE. Lets support each other both online and in real-time on the way to a healthier, more fit Lifestyle. It’s never too late to begin your journey in wellness! Here are 10 steps you can take today to get started.

Most gays and lesbians love to do sports. That is really no secret to anyone any more since the huge international success of the Outgames and the Gay Games. Vienna is home to a few sports clubs and groups, which provide the opportunity to gays and lesbians to play sports amongst themselves.

Over the past few years, Vienna’s gay party and club scene has developed at tremendous speed. Today, party organizers provide night clubbers with a great variety of groundbreaking events to choose from.

“Love conquers all” it is said, but is that really true when love brings a Californian to Austria?  After 30 years in Vienna, it’s a question I still ask myself, especially in the grey days of winter when “California Dreamin’” is whirling around inside my brain and snow is whirling around outside the house."

Woka Lamps Vienna is the exclusive manufacturer of lamps made according to original designs by Josef Hoffmann, Otto Wagner, Kolo Moser and Adolf Loos. At the baroque Breuner palace, located in the city center not far from St. Stephan’s Cathedral, visitors can marvel at the crystal chandeliers designed by Josef Hoffmann for the Stoclet Palace in Brussels as well as his elegant lamps from the sanatorium in Purkersdorf.