The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2007

very example I had submitted to AFSA showing the cost to a Foreign Service officer and his or her teacher spouse. The tax hike in that example amounted to $3,745 this year! However, I was deeply disappoint- ed that it was presented simply as a fait accompli. Where was AFSA when this rule change was under discussion? What is it doing now to try to roll it back? Having been the one to discover this nugget for AFSA, I would also like to be the one to name it. I pro- pose we call it the “Hammer the Foreign Service Rule.” (I originally had in mind a word other than “ham- mer,” but this is a family magazine.) After all, in households where both earners can use the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, the change is neg- ligible. It really only hurts families in which one earner living abroad is earning a government salary and the other is earning a non-government salary. The revenue gain to the gov- ernment must be insignificant in the context of our overall deficit, but a huge portion of the gain must come from Foreign Service families. You have disseminated the news. Now, let’s see some action. George N. Sibley Deputy Chief of Mission Embassy Antananarivo Handling Mail I am writing to mention a mail problem that perhaps other FSOs have encountered. As we have moved from post to post, we have been at pains to send change-of-address notifi- cations to all our correspondents, in particular to federal and local offices: IRS, OPM, Social Security, local tax offices, etc. Nevertheless, in several cases official letters have been addres- sed to our current or earlier home addresses that were never delivered or forwarded to post. In two cases these were notices of tax or mortgage pay- ments due that we were unaware of until we discovered that a lien had been placed on our home for payment delinquency. We got the matters straightened out, but there has to be a way to avoid this kind of unpleasantness. Merely sending change-of-address letters doesn’t seem to do the job. I am won- dering if others have suffered similar annoyances, and what a remedy might be. Stuart G. Hibben FSO spouse Bethesda, Md. J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 0 7 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 9 L E T T E R S Home Suite Home The next time you’re going to be in DC for an extended stay, make yourself at home at Georgetown Suites. With our discounted monthly rates and large, comfortable suites, you’ll feel right at home. Plus we’re near the State Department. Call today! Georgetown Suites the fun place to stay in DC 1-800-348-7203 www.georgetownsuites.com sales@georgetownsuites.com