Do I lower my US income tax liabilities if I retire or work in Mexico?
Alfonso Galindo - I Go Yucatan
My best advice would be to talk to your tax professional in advance to see if you qualify to lower your tax liabilities if you live or work in Mexico.
In general, I know there’s a move right now in congress to eliminate the need for Americans to pay taxes on worldwide income. I know they’re making a change on FATCA and the FBAR filings. These things are in flux now, so I couldn’t give a straight and honest answer because it’s changing daily. ...
My best advice would be to talk to your tax professional in advance to see if you qualify to lower your tax liabilities if you live or work in Mexico.
In general, I know there’s a move right now in congress to eliminate the need for Americans to pay taxes on worldwide income. I know they’re making a change on FATCA and the FBAR filings. These things are in flux now, so I couldn’t give a straight and honest answer because it’s changing daily.
However, via the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, my understanding is that, if you live outside of the US for 330 days, I believe you can exclude somewhere in the area of US $99,000 of earned income that was generated outside of the US. But, once again, that doesn’t mean that you’re not paying your local taxes and applying this probably to where you are residing abroad at that time.
The construction standards in Portugal have been very, very high for the past 500 years. We’re a country with a lot of history, so there’s a lot of palaces and castles around Portugal that have been at the same place without any refurbishment for the past 400 to 500 years. The Portuguese have a history of being very dedicated to quality when it comes to building and to the construction of buildings.
We do not use a lot of wood. Instead, we use...
The construction standards in Portugal have been very, very high for the past 500 years. We’re a country with a lot of history, so there’s a lot of palaces and castles around Portugal that have been at the same place without any refurbishment for the past 400 to 500 years. The Portuguese have a history of being very dedicated to quality when it comes to building and to the construction of buildings.
We do not use a lot of wood. Instead, we use a lot of stones and we use a lot of bricks, so the construction in Portugal is very, very solid.
In Portugal, we have a very traditional culture; we tend to stick to the past. The things that worked in the past, we still use them today. So therefore, houses built out of wood or pre-fabricated houses do not have success in Portugal, even though they are very good and very warm.
When Portuguese look for a house and they knock on the wall and if the house is made of wood, they will not buy it. The Portuguese are really used to the thick walls that keep the heat within the house in winter and outside the house in the summer. For that reason we are really, really stuck with the old traditional ways of constructing houses.
The foundation of the house is the most important element of the building, and it’s the most expensive part of the building. We had an earthquake in 1755 in Portugal and just the coastal area was affected. The rest of the country didn’t have any other problems. So yes, for many years, we are very proud of the way we construct and build properties in our land.
(Thick walled construction of centuries old Portuguese buildings, pictured.)
What is the culture of the Pedasi, Azuero, Panama area?
Celia Cárdenas - Beach Suites by Villa Camilla
I’m not exactly from Pedasi, but from a little place called Cañas which is about 30 minutes from it. However, I do work at Pedasi and because of this; I can say that this town is one of the most traditional towns in Panama. Its inhabitants are very friendly and happy people. They mostly live on tourism and fishing. Even though the pedasieños love traditional food, in the last couple of years, they have opened their minds and palates to different types of food and...
I’m not exactly from Pedasi, but from a little place called Cañas which is about 30 minutes from it. However, I do work at Pedasi and because of this; I can say that this town is one of the most traditional towns in Panama. Its inhabitants are very friendly and happy people. They mostly live on tourism and fishing. Even though the pedasieños love traditional food, in the last couple of years, they have opened their minds and palates to different types of food and different cultures.
Juan Carlos Espinosa - Hacienda Puerta del Cielo Ecolodge & Spa
The expats in Nicaragua are friendly. They have to be, because the native Nicaraguans are very friendly. Either the friendliness of the native Nicaraguans rubs off on you as an expat, or you don’t like it and you leave.
Most of the expats in Nicaragua are from North America (mostly from the US), followed by Europe (mostly from France, Italy, and Spain).
The expats in Nicaragua are friendly. They have to be, because the native Nicaraguans are very friendly. Either the friendliness of the native Nicaraguans rubs off on you as an expat, or you don’t like it and you leave.
Most of the expats in Nicaragua are from North America (mostly from the US), followed by Europe (mostly from France, Italy, and Spain).
In my opinion, the worst reason to retire abroad is if you think your moving to "Paradise". Many people listen to the hype of certain publications that just want to sell you things and tout "Paradise". Any place you live will have it's problems and no place is perfect. Especially when moving to a different country which will have a different culture, different foods, possibly a different language that you will have to adjust to and learn...
In my opinion, the worst reason to retire abroad is if you think your moving to "Paradise". Many people listen to the hype of certain publications that just want to sell you things and tout "Paradise". Any place you live will have it's problems and no place is perfect. Especially when moving to a different country which will have a different culture, different foods, possibly a different language that you will have to adjust to and learn to live with. You have to not only 'be okay' with all the many different things about living in another country but if you actually 'enjoy' it and embrace the differences you'll be happy. It's so important, (in my opinion) to embrace the place you choose to move to. If you want to live in a gated community and isolate yourself from the people then you might as well stay in the States or Canada or wherever you came from. If your expectations of living abroad are that you will find all the same things there that you had wherever you came from you'll be very unhappy. If you expect to experience a completely different way of living then you will be in for the time of your life. Don't move for "Paradise", move for an Adventure! :)
There are several outdoor activities that you can do in Belize, including snorkeling, which is one of the best. My family owns a tour operating company that offers snorkeling, fishing, and diving services. Snorkeling in Belize is excellent.
Other popular outdoor activities are diving, fishing, cave tubing, visiting the Mayan ruins sites, hiking on the major hiking trails, birdwatching, camping, ziplining, water rapelling, horseback riding, etc. Pretty much...
There are several outdoor activities that you can do in Belize, including snorkeling, which is one of the best. My family owns a tour operating company that offers snorkeling, fishing, and diving services. Snorkeling in Belize is excellent.
Other popular outdoor activities are diving, fishing, cave tubing, visiting the Mayan ruins sites, hiking on the major hiking trails, birdwatching, camping, ziplining, water rapelling, horseback riding, etc. Pretty much everything that you want to do is here in Belize.
There are different kinds of snorkeling in Belize which depends on what you want to see. In Placencia, you can go snorkeling with whale sharks. Most of the time, people snorkel in the marine areas, but out in the wild is what I prefer because out there, you will get to see eagle rays, different species of corals, different species of fishes, manatees, sharks, etc. We have the second largest coral reef in the world. Snorkeling with these animals is just so surreal and it’s such a great experience.
Cave tubing is pretty interesting. You get to sit on a tube where you have a light on your head, since the caves are pretty dark. Then you will use your hands to paddle in as you go through the caves that were used by the Mayans. They are cave systems where the water is really cold. Their depth sometimes are a little deep, but it is an adrenaline pumped activity. One of the caves is called ATM cave, which is definitely for adrenaline junkies because just going into the cave is an adventure on its own. You have to walk across the river. Then after you cross the river, you have to climb rocks, then you will be swimming into the cave. When you are already in the cave, you will be climbing boulders and sliding into rocks that maybe only your neck can pass through. It is a real Indiana Jones kinds of adventure!
Visiting Mayan sites (top photo) are also popular here in Belize. Most of the Mayan temples are mostly located in the northern parts of the country of Belize. We have one that is just about 45 minutes away from Belize City by car. Mayan ruins are spread out in the country but most of them are in the northern most parts of the country. The Mayan ruins are one of the biggest attractions people look for in Belize. A lot of people come over to see and be a part of the Mayan heritage and see what the Mayans built. Remains have been found at those sites such as jade heads, skeleton remains, pottery, etc. So it is definitely a "must see" when you come to Belize.
Zip lining is another very fun experience in Belize. You will basically be sailing over the canopy and the tree tops and looking out to the flora and fauna of the jungle. It is a bit scary but it is a very fun experience.
Another big outdoor activity here in Belize is water rappelling. It is like rock climbing but you will be holding on to a rope and climbing down the side of a waterfall. You will be wet the whole time you are climbing down but it is a fun experience. It is similar to mountain climbing but instead of climbing down a cliff, you will be climbing down the side of a waterfall.
There are also a lot of rivers in Belize where you can go canoeing. They offer canoeing as one of the activities to do simply because it is a very relaxing activity to just float down the river where you can also see a deer drinking water by the riverbank. It is a nice experience to be paddling in a canoe passing under a main bridge, and passing through a local town or village and see local people who live on the riverside. You will even see some of them doing laundry by the riverside depending on how traditional the village is.
It's the small things that you miss. They don't hit you right away, but over time, they become big things.
When we lived in the US, I hated the snow and the cold and winter in general. I could not wait to get away from it. Finally, I was in Nicaragua and there is definitely no cold weather or snow or winter there. I was so happy about it. That is... until I had a small child and it was Christmas. I suddenly missed...
We have many friends who are living the day-to-day hardship of the crisis in America. They choose to stay and deal with the political, economic and emotional stress on a daily basis. It takes a toll on everyone of all ages.
My husband and I chose to leave in hopes we could find a less stressful lifestyle. We wanted to be able to afford a more comfortable life in a climate that seems to boost our spirits. We found it in Boquete, Panama! Along with thousands of...
This is a picture of our dear calico cat named Purr-Cie. Believe it or not Purr-Cie adopted us more than 21 years ago... that's no typo - yes more than 21 years ago when my wife & I lived in Illinois. Purr-Cie has traveled with us from Illinois to Florida & then to Costa Rica & since February 2007 Purr-Cie has been with us here in Panama. Lately Purr-Cie has been to say the least a bit under the weather... so we took her to an English speaking...
My best advice would be to talk to your tax professional in advance to see if you qualify to lower your tax liabilities if you live or work in Mexico..png)
The construction standards in Portugal have been very, very high for the past 500 years. We’re a country with a lot of history, so there’s a lot of palaces and castles around Portugal that have been at the same place without any refurbishment for the past 400 to 500 years. The Portuguese have a history of being very dedicated to quality when it comes to building and to the construction of buildings. 
There are several outdoor activities that you can do in Belize, including snorkeling, which is one of the best. My family owns a tour operating company that offers snorkeling, fishing, and diving services. Snorkeling in Belize is excellent. 
There are different kinds of snorkeling in Belize which depends on what you want to see. In Placencia, you can go snorkeling with whale sharks. Most of the time, people snorkel in the marine areas, but out in the wild is what I prefer because out there, you will get to see eagle rays, different species of corals, different species of fishes, manatees, sharks, etc. We have the second largest coral reef in the world. Snorkeling with these animals is just so surreal and it’s such a great experience. 
We have many friends who are living the day-to-day hardship of the crisis in America. They choose to stay and deal with the political, economic and emotional stress on a daily basis. It takes a toll on everyone of all ages. 
named Purr-Cie. Believe it or not Purr-Cie adopted us more than 21 years ago... that's no typo - yes more than 21 years ago when my wife & I lived in Illinois. Purr-Cie has traveled with us from Illinois to Florida & then to Costa Rica & since February 2007 Purr-Cie has been with us here in Panama. Lately Purr-Cie has been to say the least a bit under the weather... so we took her to an English speaking...
