Do I lower my US income tax liabilities if I retire or work in Mexico?
Don Nelson - TaxMeLess
US Citizens must file returns on their worldwide income. US Citizens do get foreign tax credits for taxes paid in their resident country against US tax on that income. For income earned through work abroad, US Citizens get a $100,800 exclusion if they qualify.
(Expat in Paradise Belize sweatshirt designed by Jet Metier, pictured.)
US Citizens must file returns on their worldwide income. US Citizens do get foreign tax credits for taxes paid in their resident country against US tax on that income. For income earned through work abroad, US Citizens get a $100,800 exclusion if they qualify.
(Expat in Paradise Belize sweatshirt designed by Jet Metier, pictured.)
The best reasons to retire overseas are numerous but break into to main categories, the practical and philosophical.
The cost of living overseas can be significantly less depending on location chosen. The paradox is that the quality of life overseas can also be higher, even when it costs less to live. I know. My family and I experience this every day and have for the last 11 years.
On the philosophical level, living overseas...
The best reasons to retire overseas are numerous but break into to main categories, the practical and philosophical.
The cost of living overseas can be significantly less depending on location chosen. The paradox is that the quality of life overseas can also be higher, even when it costs less to live. I know. My family and I experience this every day and have for the last 11 years.
On the philosophical level, living overseas gives a freedom not found any more in the US. It seems like we have a law for everything now in the US. Living outside the US means I don’t have to worry about all the "nanny state" nonsense. It's refreshingly wonderful.
Yes, there is diving, scuba and snorkeling in Portugal.
We have this little Portuguese island about an hour flight from the mainland called Azores that was selected last year by National Geographic as being among the top five richest sea wildlife areas to dive in the world.
On the mainland of Portugal, there’s a wonderful place called Sesimbra about 40 to 50 minutes southeast of Lisbon. Sesimbra is a protected...
Yes, there is diving, scuba and snorkeling in Portugal.
We have this little Portuguese island about an hour flight from the mainland called Azores that was selected last year by National Geographic as being among the top five richest sea wildlife areas to dive in the world.
On the mainland of Portugal, there’s a wonderful place called Sesimbra about 40 to 50 minutes southeast of Lisbon. Sesimbra is a protected land that is surrounded by really beautiful green mountains. No building or construction is allowed over there and fishing is allowed only 4 or 5 miles off the coast. So that means the area in between the land and about give miles to sea is the perfect diving place for snorkeling, diving, and everything else.
We also have diving schools here in Cascais and Estoril in the Lisbon area, but the waters are a bit darker than in Sesimbra. The reason for that is because under the ocean when there are rocks the sea becomes darker and when there’s sand the sea becomes lighter. There’s a huge sandbank in Sesimbra, so therefore, the water is much more clear.
I’m 37 years old and I’ve lived always in front of the sea and I’ve been surfing since I was 10 or 11 years old. When I was young, I never felt the need to use a wetsuit, but as the years have been passing, I started to feel the water getting colder. Of course it’s not the water getting colder, it’s just me getting older. So in the winter, I use a 4/3-millimeter wetsuit for surfing or snorkeling or for when I go spear fishing. I use a 4/3-millimeter in winter and a 2/2-millimeter in the summer.
What are the outdoor activities in and around Placencia, Belize?
Boris Mannsfeld - Boris Mannsfeld & Associates
I have not yet personally experienced a lot of the outdoor and activities in Placencia (I’ve not been here long enough), but my clients have informed me that there are a tremendous amount of outdoor activities specific to the Placencia area. We have scuba diving, snorkeling, wind sailing parasailing, etc. We also have kayaking.
If you’re wiling to drive maybe 45 minutes from the peninsula, you can also go to the Mayan ruins or the jaguar reserve....
I have not yet personally experienced a lot of the outdoor and activities in Placencia (I’ve not been here long enough), but my clients have informed me that there are a tremendous amount of outdoor activities specific to the Placencia area. We have scuba diving, snorkeling, wind sailing parasailing, etc. We also have kayaking.
If you’re wiling to drive maybe 45 minutes from the peninsula, you can also go to the Mayan ruins or the jaguar reserve. We have gorgeous tropical waterfalls, hiking, and zip lining. Placencia has some spectacular outdoor enthusiast, jungle loving, nature hugging activities to keep you busy for a really long time.
I haven’t been there personally to give a testimony, but I can tell that Belize is really hard to beat anywhere on the planet in terms of what an outdoor, nature enthusiast could possibly hope a place to be. There is one highway running through the entire country. How do you get lost? In 2007 or 2008, Placencia had its first paved road through the peninsula. Its an area that for the last 6,000 years of known human life, has never had a road. Because of its great natural beauty and how relatively undeveloped it is, nature enthusiasts love it.
How bad are the mosquitoes and other bugs and insects in Coronado, Panama?
Nitzia Chifundo - Panama Sol Realty
The mosquitoes, bugs and insects in Coronado, Panama are not bad at all. During rainy season, there are more mosquitoes,s but they won’t drive you crazy. The, there’s more than usual, but you can prevent any problems. You can just light a candle or wear those bracelets. They work. Mosquitoes, bugs and insects in Coronado, Panama won’t change your day-to-day activities.
The mosquitoes, bugs and insects in Coronado, Panama are not bad at all. During rainy season, there are more mosquitoes,s but they won’t drive you crazy. The, there’s more than usual, but you can prevent any problems. You can just light a candle or wear those bracelets. They work. Mosquitoes, bugs and insects in Coronado, Panama won’t change your day-to-day activities.
Are there American-trained doctors in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua?
Daniel Snider - Snider's Realty Nicaragua
There are a few American-trained doctors in San Juan Del Sur that I know of, but I do not know if those doctors are there full time. I know that every few months there are doctors who come from the US and do social work or put up personal clinics here. Personally, in San Juan Del Sur for several years, I or even my friends have never been attended to by an American-trained doctor. I have had my fair share of accidents and cuts and was usually attended by a Nicaraguan physician.
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There are a few American-trained doctors in San Juan Del Sur that I know of, but I do not know if those doctors are there full time. I know that every few months there are doctors who come from the US and do social work or put up personal clinics here. Personally, in San Juan Del Sur for several years, I or even my friends have never been attended to by an American-trained doctor. I have had my fair share of accidents and cuts and was usually attended by a Nicaraguan physician.
If you want to be treated by an American-trained doctor, you would probably have to go to Rivas (20 minutes away by car) or go to Managua to Hospital Metropolitano Vivian Pellas, which is about 2 hours away from San Juan Del Sur by car.
Hospital Metropolitano Vivian Pellas is a high end, first rate, world-class hospital with state-of-the-art equipment. They have all kinds of specialists and most of these doctors were trained outside of Nicaragua. Definitely some of them were trained in the US.
If you have some type of a long term illness, the best thing that I can recommend is to develop a relationship with a doctor in Managua.
Travel is: “fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” So said Mark Twain in his 1869 travelogue titled 'Innocents Abroad.' So I'd say one thing I'm most proud of at becoming an expat is taking old Sam Clemens' advice and moving from the comfort, familiarity, and ease of home.
Utilizing the old brain cells becomes more important as we age, of course, so any assistance I can get in that department is a good thing. Professor Adam Galinsky at the...
January 2014, I arrived in the early afternoon in Managua airport via United Airlines. After the huge and tedious Houston Airport, the small Nicaraguan airport was a relief. Customs stamped my passport and I paid the $10 fee.
I had reserved a so-called “resort” online for one night in Managua, as well as the Budget car rental. (I am deliberately omitting the name of this hotel for reasons that will become clear soon. I will say, however,...
We took a day trip to Volcan and stopped by this school to see the entertainment. Costa Rican folk dancers performed for the children and we enjoyed watching them. ...
US Citizens must file returns on their worldwide income. US Citizens do get foreign tax credits for taxes paid in their resident country against US tax on that income. For income earned through work abroad, US Citizens get a $100,800 exclusion if they qualify. 
but break into to main categories, the practical and philosophical. 
Yes, there is diving, scuba and snorkeling in Portugal. .jpg)
I have not yet personally experienced a lot of the outdoor and activities in Placencia (I’ve not been here long enough), but my clients have informed me that there are a tremendous amount of outdoor activities specific to the Placencia area. We have scuba diving, snorkeling, wind sailing parasailing, etc. We also have kayaking. 
Travel is: “fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” So said Mark Twain in his 1869 travelogue titled 'Innocents Abroad.' So I'd say one thing I'm most proud of at becoming an expat is taking old Sam Clemens' advice and moving from the comfort, familiarity, and ease of home. 
January 2014, I arrived in the early afternoon in Managua airport via United Airlines. After the huge and tedious Houston Airport, the small Nicaraguan airport was a relief. Customs stamped my passport and I paid the $10 fee. 
We took a day trip to Volcan and stopped by this school to see the entertainment. Costa Rican folk dancers performed for the children and we enjoyed watching them. ...
