Musicians who are not legal residents getting paid for gigs in the DR - is that legal?

[chico bill]

Is it legal for musicians who are in the country on tourist cards to work, play music, and get paid for that as musicians in bars and restaurants in the DR?

So Winde, you are a musician and play at times in bars where tourists or foreign residents gather and I am fairly certain you are paid always in cash and maybe also some free beer ?
Do you have a work permit, because a cedula means only the right to reside in DR, not work
Do you report your earnings to the DR government for their share ? The magic 8-Ball says "Not Rikrey" - (the 8-ball is made in Asia now)

And one thing is for sure - a bar who employs foreigners to perform surely isn't the type to bring in a Bachata band - his customers would not appreciate it and leave.
And performers who know English and can play, sing and have a repertoire of hit songs are hard to come by.
Is someone stealing gigs from you why you asked ?

And let's face it - no one is making a fat living playing in Dominican dive ex-pat bars, maybe just enough for one week of food at Playero, if they like cheese sandwiches.

On this issue (not all) Live and Let Live, it's pennies

 

[johne]

Is it legal for musicians who are in the country on tourist cards to work, play music, and get paid for that as musicians in bars and restaurants in the DR?

Yes IMO. What is your opinion?Is it the same as overstaying, Haitians receiving birth care, driving without a DR license, or your opinions that ALL lawyers in the DR are corrupt? Another way you might get your answer, may I add, is why don't you go to the owners of the restaurants or clubs where you play and make a strenuous objection? Or, better yet, announce to the audience while they are playing your concerns about this abuse?

SMH at the seriousness of this subject.

 

[windeguy]

the IRS

Not relevant in this situation.

 

[SKY]

"Quote" What could happen to such people?

The same thing that happens to Calmados that sell Rum from a window, or a guy driving with a bottle of Brugal in his right hand, or the same guy pulling over to the side of the road to urinate, or the tons of Motos driving the wrong way on a one way street, etc, etc,etc. \

NOTHING, NADA....................And you need to answer post 21 if at all possible...............

 

[Kipling333]

johne, yes you are right. there is such a laissez faire attitude in the DR ,that the Dominicans really go on living with scant respect for rules and regulations. I suppose they have worked out that this is the best way to get through life. So whether it be abuses of immigration regulations or women from Haiti giving birth in a Dominican hospital or driving without a licence , there is no reaction except for an occasional newspaper headline.

 

[windeguy]

So Winde, you are a musician and play at times in bars where tourists or foreign residents gather and I am fairly certain you are paid always in cash and maybe also some free beer ?
Do you have a work permit, because a cedula means only the right to reside in DR, not work
Do you report your earnings to the DR government for their share ? The magic 8-Ball says "Not Rikrey" - (the 8-ball is made in Asia now)

You are wrong. Very wrong in fact. Legal residents can work legally in the DR. Only legal residents and citizens have a cedula. With a cedula you can work legally in the DR and also get a DR driving license so you can drive legally after 30 days. I am a Dominican Citizen and had legal residency which I applied for in 2002 and waited for approval and then I moved to the DR in 2003. . The amount of money made is well under what needs to be reported. At least in my case. In the case of others who work up to 4 times a week, they might indeed have reportable incomes, but that detail is not what my original post is about.

And one thing is for sure - a bar who employs foreigners to perform surely isn't the type to bring in a Bachata band - his customers would not appreciate it and leave.
And performers who know English and can play, sing and have a repertoire of hit songs are hard to come by.
Is someone stealing gigs from you why you asked ?

You are wrong: Again. One of the places I play at frequently has Dominican bands. They do very well. Dominican bands and those with legal residency are not what I am asking about.

The number of "performers" has increased from a handful to over 30 on the north coast over the past couple of years while the number of places having live music has dropped. It seems every snowbird from the Great White North has a guitar and a PA system.... It is much harder than ever to get gigs for anyone.

And let's face it - no one is making a fat living playing in Dominican dive ex-pat bars, maybe just enough for one week of food at Playero, if they like cheese sandwiches.

That is not my point at all. My point is that I want a legal opinion on what could happen to people playing in bars and restaurants and getting paid if they are in the country on tourist cards. Nothing else. But please see my above comments to see where you are incorrect.

 

[slowmo]

Please stop your off topic posts in this thread.

Welcome back.

 

[windeguy]

Yes IMO. What is your opinion?Is it the same as overstaying, Haitians receiving birth care, driving without a DR license, or your opinions that ALL lawyers in the DR are corrupt? Another way you might get your answer, may I add, is why don't you go to the owners of the restaurants or clubs where you play and make a strenuous objection? Or, better yet, announce to the audience while they are playing your concerns about this abuse?

SMH at the seriousness of this subject.

You say it is legal for those on a tourist card to work in the DR? Did I understand correctly?
You would be 100% wrong on that point. It is nothing like any of the other points you attempt to make poorly.
The answer to my OP is serious to me. Don't care at all if it is serious to you.

My opinion is I want a legal answer from the DR legal team.

 

[windeguy]

johne, yes you are right. there is such a laissez faire attitude in the DR ,that the Dominicans really go on living with scant respect for rules and regulations. I suppose they have worked out that this is the best way to get through life. So whether it be abuses of immigration regulations or women from Haiti giving birth in a Dominican hospital or driving without a licence , there is no reaction except for an occasional newspaper headline.

And I do agree with respect to selective and/or lack of enforcement on so many things.

I just want a legal answer to my question in my OP.

 

[SKY]

You say it is legal for those on a tourist card to work in the DR? Did I understand correctly?
You would be 100% wrong on that point. It is nothing like any of the other points you attempt to make poorly.
It is serious to me. Don't care at all if it is serious to you.

My opinion is I want a legal answer from the DR legal team.

You being a good citizen of the DR why don't you go to the Fiscal and "inform" him of your fellow musicians working "illegally"? I am sure he will act immediately of this grave threat..........

 

[ramesses]

You get famous artists who come in, play a few gigs and leave.

I am trying to figure out why this matters. Who really cares if some one make a few bucks for a few gigs here and there.

 

[windeguy]

"Quote" What could happen to such people?

The same thing that happens to Calmados that sell Rum from a window, or a guy driving with a bottle of Brugal in his right hand, or the same guy pulling over to the side of the road to urinate, or the tons of Motos driving the wrong way on a one way street, etc, etc,etc. \

NOTHING, NADA....................And you need to answer post 21 if at all possible...............

I fully understand that nothing is likely to happen. I only am asking about the legal details. Nothing more. Don't care at all about every other thing that people can and do get away with in the DR with respect to my OP. Responses given to post 21, which is the most flawed post in this thread so far.

 

[slowmo]

Because we are talking about the DR, my advice would be to practice your craft to get really good so you won't get bumped from gigs. You would have had a multi year head start, so if you can't get work, there might be some other problem involved.

 

[windeguy]

You get famous artists who come in, play a few gigs and leave.

I am not asking about them, although it would be interesting to know how that do that legally. That is a subject for another thread, I suspect they have a special visa for them.

I am trying to figure out why this matters. Who really cares if some one make a few bucks for a few gigs here and there.

My question is very simple. I know people that live here full time on tourist cards. They have no cedulas, They drive to gigs without valid DR licenses. What could happen to them if they are getting paid for such gigs? I am only looking for the legal answer to that question based upon existing laws.

 

[windeguy]

Because we are talking about the DR, my advice would be to practice your craft to get really good so you won't get bumped from gigs. You would have had a multi year head start, so if you can't get work, there might be some other problem involved.

Thank you but it has zero to do with my question.


I will try to get better at music.

 

[johne]

My opinion is I want a legal answer from the DR legal team.

If you did your homework before posting you would have discovered there are a number of ways this is legal. I actually thought you were a lawyer or legal assistant in your prior life during the covid era...thats why I'm surprised! Any 5 year old with a computer and/ or ChatBox can find this answer in under 3 minutes.

 

[windeguy]

You being a good citizen of the DR why don't you go to the Fiscal and "inform" him of your fellow musicians working "illegally"? I am sure he will act immediately of this grave threat..........

Because at this time I choose not to do that.

Would you care to actually take a stab at answering my question in my OP?

 

[windeguy]

If you did your homework before posting you would have discovered there are a number of ways this is legal. I actually thought you were a lawyer or legal assistant in your prior life during the covid era...thats why I'm surprised! Any 5 year old with a computer and/ or ChatBox can find this answer in under 3 minutes.

I am asking about a person on a tourist card in the DR getting paid to play music in bars and restaurants. There is no "other way" that I am concerned about.
Where is that answer that you found in less than five minutes that this is legal?

I am only 99.9999999% certain it is illegal, But I await DR1's legal team with the statute on legality.

(I am not nor ever was a lawyer.)

 

[JD Jones]

I am asking about a person on a tourist card in the DR getting paid to play music in bars and restaurants. There is no "other way" that I am concerned about.
Where is that answer that you found in less than five minutes that this is legal?

I am only 99.9999999% certain it is illegal, But I await DR1's legal team with the statute on legality.

(I am not nor ever was a lawyer.)

Maybe post on the legal forum which our DR1 legal team follows?

 

[windeguy]

By the way there is a foreign income exclusion for US citizens or US legal residents when they work outside the USA. I am quite certain none of the people I am referring to reach $120,000 us what they are paid in a year playing gigs in local bars in the DR. And I said these people were here on a tourist card. There are many countries people can enter the DR on a tourist card, not just the USA.

If you are a U.S. citizen or a resident alien of the United States and you live abroad, you are taxed on your worldwide income. However, you may qualify to exclude your foreign earnings from income up to an amount that is adjusted annually for inflation ($107,600 for 2020, $108,700 for 2021, $112,000 for 2022, and $120,000 for 2023).