Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2011 August 14

= August 14 =

Buying dollars and Euros again: who has lost?
If someone buys dollars with Euros and then, after the dollar raised, Euros again, you end up with more Euros. However, who has lost money? Other financial actors who kept dollars? The other Euro holders? Both? It's clear that you ended up with more. Where this more came from? Quest09 (talk) 11:42, 14 August 2011 (UTC)
 * Under normal circumstances, I would say the first person you traded with, the one who gave up the dollars, since they went up while he didn't have them. Of course if he traded his Euros quickly for something even better, then I suppose it's the next person who had them. More accurately, everyone loses who has a currency that depreciates, so if you have more of it, you lose more. It&#39;s been emotional (talk) 12:35, 14 August 2011 (UTC)

The currency trader has lost, that is, the bank you are exchanging money with. As with a gambling bookie, it is possible for them to lose money in the short run, but the fees they charge mean that they reliably make money in the long run. Looie496 (talk) 16:23, 14 August 2011 (UTC)


 * Those providing a money changing service charge a fee, or frequently, set their exchange rates such that they make a profit. So, it is entirely possible that the bank (money changer) didn’t lose at all. In the broader sense of the OP’s question, anyone who made the opposite transaction as the one described would be the loser. DOR (HK) (talk) 07:44, 15 August 2011 (UTC) @DOR (HK), I moved this post up from the section below and hope that you don't mind. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 13:24, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

Inside job
A few months ago, in America, a man awoke to find his girlfriends hands 'inside' him. He was clearly not amused, but what motivation dod the woman have for penetrating his body?--92.25.111.142 (talk) 12:15, 14 August 2011 (UTC)


 * It's hard to believe that someone would not awake way before. Quest09 (talk) 12:26, 14 August 2011 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.148.134.237 (talk)


 * The woman was a surgeon and the man woke up from anesthesia too soon, or
 * some kinky kind of Fisting was going on. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 13:29, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

Form1040NR-EZ
I am not asking for tax advice, so please don't flame.

Form 1040NR-EZ (for tax purposes) states: "Exceptions. You do not need to file Form 1040NR-EZ (or Form 1040NR) if: 1. Your only U.S. trade or business was the performance of personal services;" What exactly is a personal service? Is it a job where you're not working for an organization, but directly for a client (similar to a consultant role)? Or is it a job where you work directly with a client, in a personal capacity, like a librarian or something? 209.188.18.179 (talk) 15:07, 14 August 2011 (UTC)
 * Does the form not come with instructions on how to fill it out that include a definition of "personal service"? --Tango (talk) 15:24, 14 August 2011 (UTC)
 * Hi Tango. I copied the statement above from the instructions itself. It doesn't define what constitutes a personal service, which leads me to believe that "personal service" must have a standard, widely-accepted definition in the US. 209.188.18.179 (talk) 15:29, 14 August 2011 (UTC)
 * I'm not sure it's completely general, but I found a passage in an IRS document that reads: "Independent personal services (a term commonly used in tax treaties) are personal services performed by an independent nonresident alien contractor as contrasted with those performed by an employee. This category of pay includes payments for professional services, such as fees of an attorney, physician, or accountant made directly to the person performing the services. It also includes honoraria paid by colleges and universities to visiting teachers, lecturers, and researchers. In addition, it includes payments made to athletes and entertainers.". Looie496 (talk) 16:20, 14 August 2011 (UTC)
 * Hi Looie. That does make sense. Thank you. 209.188.18.179 (talk) 16:32, 14 August 2011 (UTC)

The first part of the instructions [] says this form is for nonresident aliens. It must be filed even if you have no US income. You do not need to file if “your trade or business was the performance of personal services; and your wages were less that $3,650; and you have no other need to file. . . ; or you were a student, teacher or trainee only temporarily in the US on an F, J, M or Q visa.”

On the other hand, you reduce your risk of harassment, fines and possibly jail if you do fill it in (correctly). DOR (HK) (talk) 07:56, 15 August 2011 (UTC)