[grecy]

I have experienced something similar. I drive around the world and document my adventures with video and in print. For years at a time I drive from country to country, only ever on a tourist visa for 30 or 60 days per country. I don't set foot in my "home" country for years on end.

It was perfectly legal for me to be a resident of no country for tax purposes and pay no income tax.

Things have changed a bit now - in my "home" country they changed the laws so that if you even have a bank account there you're considered a resident for tax purposes and you must pay income tax there.

[todd8]

This isn’t an option for US citizens. Income made anywhere in the world is taxable and requires reporting and payments to the US. Furthermore, giving up one’s US citizenship requires an exit tax that taxes all unrealized gains as if you sold all assets the day before renouncing citizenship.

If the IRS suspects that you are renouncing citizenship to avoid future taxes, I believe that they can tax your next 10 years of (worldwide) income as well.

US tax laws and regulations are complex and I’m not a lawyer so don’t take my advice. (I plan on keeping my US citizenship.)

[1] https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/taxa...

[2] https://www.escapeartist.com/blog/us-taxes-worldwide-income/

[grecy]

Right, I read that's a big part of the reason people are giving up US Citizenship. I'm not a US citizen, so it's not a concern for me.

[sofixa]

Assuming my understanding is correct - that your documentation of travels in video and print form is what brings you the revenues that would be taxed - aren't you committing visa fraud? Usually a tourist visa forbids any work or revenue generating activity (of course there are exceptions such as the UAE, but that's generally the rule).

[grecy]

No, I just a tourist in each country I pass through because I don't get paid by an employer from the country I happen to be in at the time, and I don't do any kind of freelancing in that country. I don't do anything to generate revenue in the country I'm in and I also don't get paid in that local currency, nor do I have a bank account in that country.

[yandie]

No that’s not how tourist visa works. Most tourist visas forbid any kind of business activities done in the target country with the exception of business meetings. I’ve had a lot of tourist visas and I’ve been told this rule by multiple lawyers.

[throwaway290]

The spirit of the law is protectionism, to avoid people working unregulated and taking jobs away from locals, like with customs the spirit is to prevent fraudsters from skipping import tax and hurt legitimate businesses.

Probably every one who travels (even you) broke the letter but not the spirit of both multiple times. Check work email? Illegal. Did not declare a purchase? Illegal. Even if they want to comply and declare eligible personal purchase via red corridor they would be waved through because they are not the target.

Otherwise you can jail every writer or artist who dared to practice their craft without a work visa and who sold/published later.

[ghaff]

The details depend on the country of course but in the real world people traveling to a country for events and business meetings do all sorts of other routine business activities back home while they're in the country. Which could include writing of various sorts.