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[quote=”costaricabill”][quote=”maravilla”] you’re a wanker for not speaking spanish, but i hear it all the time when they ask me how come i can speak it and most of the other gringos can’t.[/quote]
I have no idea what a “wanker” is, but I do know that over 90% of the Ticos we come in contact with in Samara would prefer to speak and learn English,
Just like where you are Maravilla, they prefer that you learn Spanish so that YOU can get ahead in that community, here they understand that for them to get ahead in THIS community it is more important that THEY SPEAK ENGLISH!
I am not saying you are wrong, I am only saying that it is another case of LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!
I definitely agree with you that when I travel elsewhere in CR (away from the coast) I wish I knew more Spanish!
But I have NEVER been made to feel uncomfortable by any Tico for not being conversant in their language; conversely, they have always tried to help and between my limited Spanish and “sign language” we have always managed to communicate,
Do I wish I knew the language and all 144 verb cases such as you – absolutely! But do you need it to live in CR and enjoy living in CR, I don’t think so – – it all depends on WHERE you live in CR![/quote]I prefer to speak and understand decent Spanish for several reasons. One example, at an attorneys office, I am able to read and understand the protocol, I don’t need a translator and can be sure things are written properly, even if they provide the text in English as well, who can guarantee that it does not say something else ? The Spanish text is what goes to the registry.
I am also able to read and understand the laws I have to deal with on a daily basis (immigration law, real estate law, labour law …..).
Speaking Spanish saves you money. Bilingual attorneys are normally more expensive, and hiring translators also costs money.
Plus I don’t have to bother other expats with may daily problems because I can’t understand what Ticos tell me.
There is a number of Ticos who speak some English and offering their services (employees, busines people etc.). I have seen too many cases of misunderstanding. Ticos will never admit that they did not understand, and if they make mistakes, it is never their fault.
The “spanish-refusers” can not generally expect that other expats, who were not too lazy to learn, will always be happy to help for free. It has cost them time and money to learn, so why should they ?Wait a minute. There are people who consider moving to a spanish speaking counrty, and they are too lazy to learn even basic Spanish ! Why do they expect that there will be a number of Locals who speak English, and/or a number of expats who speak Spanish, (and who, in both cases, were NOT too lazy to learn the foreign language) in order to help and be of their service all the time ? It is o.k. for a while, but not forever. Move your butts and go to language school! No matter who much talent one has, anyone can learn the Basics.
Crime is happening everywhere in the world. I think , comparing to other areas in C.R. and to many places on the planet, Lake Arenal is still pretty safe and pura vida. I have been here for 20 years and never had a major problem. 😀
The only disadvantage of paying online is that you can not pay in advance (you pay every 3 months), therefore you do not get the discount you will get at the local municipality office. I paid online seveal times and never had problems (Municipality Tilaran)
I believe that traffic tickets get paid automatically when paying the marchamo at the end of the year ? which means, the rental car companies do not get away with blaming the tourist. Or am I wrong ?
And yes, in Costa Rica they (tax department for example) do pay you back if you can prove that you paid too much, or paid what you were not supposed to pay. It just takes time ….. a loooooooooot of time, many phonecalls and good nerves.
[quote=”johnnyh”]I have been blessed with having an uncle that gave me great advice. He told me to enjoy life and that the intelligent man does not marry. So far I have had great luck in that I have lived with women, and enjoyed them, and still have my assets! I’d like to retire in Costa Rica, or maybe work, but as far as women, I’m open to relationships, without too many ball and chains, if you know what I mean. Hang loose, see what there is. It would take a special woman to handle me, and god give her the skill to be able to do that! Don’t look too hard as it might get you in trouble.[/quote]
Same advice to women, an intelligent woman does not marry 😀
[quote=”DavidCMurray”][quote=”waggoner41″] Can my wife and I combine our alotted $1,000 each to purchase one item over $1,000?[/quote]
Les, what I’ve been told is that if the total cost of getting an item to Costa Rica (purchase price plus shipping, insurance, etc) exceeds $1,000.00US then it cannot be exempted from Customs duty. So the answer to your question would be “No”.
[/quote]Well, if we talk about Golfito, and if the rules there have not changed in 8 years, the answer would be YES.
If you go to Golfito, be prepared for an adventure, and make sure you speak Spanish, otherwise it is quite confusing and you may not be able to take full advantage of your tax free rights.
Last time I went to Golfito (with 3 friends) was in 2004. The tax free amount per person (tarjeta) was $ 500. If you wanted to buy a more expensive item you had to combine 2 tarjetas, but only members from the same family were allowed to do so. What we did was, hire 2 families (there are many sitting outside the free zone selling their tarjetas) in order to buy a stove for $900 and a washer for $750. The “leftover” $ on each tarjeta could be used for smaller items. Actually, we sold these leftover $ to a guy who wanted to buy boxes of whisky. With our own tarjetas, $500 each, we bought smaller items such as Microwave oven, TV, tires for the car, a Tico Washer etc. and again, the leftover $ were sold to the whisky guy. Since the invoices are made out to the different people, we all together had to be on the check out (the families, the whisky guy, and the 4 of us). The large items were delivered on a huge truck, the smaller items we stuffed into my Isuzu Trooper. What I recommend, if you do not live close to Golfito, stay one extra day, otherwise it is quite tired. Back then we saved about a 40 % (comparing with San Jose prices), part of this off course pays for hotel and gas.The only tax to be paid on this one would be the new corporation tax, the rate for inactive corps.
In order to make it active it has to be reported at the tax department (tributación) as a business. In order to deduct expenses it needs a taxable income, I guess……..
[quote=”costaricabill”][quote=”DavidCMurray”]Which bank, bill?[/quote]
BNCR[/quote]
They were lucky !! BNCR in Tilaran requires:
1)that the person who wants to open the account can prove that they have been living for one year in C.R. (fake or real rental contract),
2) the last electric or water bill for the house on the contract,
3) that they already own property in C.R.,
4) 2 recommendation letters from BNCR clients (at least one of them has to be Tico)
5) income statement from a C.R. Contador Publico (if the income is generated in the U.S. they want also a statement from your U.S. bank manager about your income, certified by your accountant in the U.S. and the C.R. consulate in the U.S. etc. etc. ……..)
[quote=”DavidCMurray”][quote=”watchdog”]No, fifteen business days is not a fixed waiting time for U.S. checks to clear for all CR banks, that is why I used the word “approximately”. For instance, Scotiabank also clears U.S. checks in ten business days; other banks require longer periods to clear U.S. checks, which periods seems to vary from time to time.[/quote]
Okay, but my question is whether the banks credit [u]cashier’s[/u] checks more quickly than ordinary personal checks. Does depositing a cashier’s check make the money available sooner?
[/quote]Not at BNCR, whatever check, they keep the money 4 to 6 weeks even if the money is taken out of the U.S. account after 3 days 👿
Sometimes clients (without DIMEX) send money to C.R. via Western Union, for property management etc. no problem there.
[quote=”ballonfish”]I was in Scotiabank yesterday talking to the representative about our construction loan. She mentioned that an bank account holder was now required to have Dimex to wire money back and forth from the US. She said this could be set up with a Personario from the attorney.
[/quote]
You do NOT need a DIMEX to wire money TO Costa Rica (to a C.R. bank account).
In order to wire money from C.R. to foreign countries they require that the person who wires the money has a bank account in C.R.
These are at least the rules in BNCR. May be different in other banks.Boy was it easy 20 years ago ….. where has the “pura vida” gone ?
At BNCR they say they can freeze the checks up to 6 weeks which they did in the past. They got a little better the last couple of years, checks clear after 3 – 4 weeks.
[quote=”skilligan”][quote=”elindermuller”]Don’t forget to pay the new corp.tax in Costa Rica.
Plus the “timbre de cultura”After 20 years in Costa Rica and dealing with property issues, I can not really see advantages of holding a property in a corp. and it is not a MUST. Many people have their homes or land in their personal names.
If you sell the corp. including the property, you don’t pay the property transfer tax, but now that they are charging that yearly corp.tax, this adds up to a nice amount too after a few years.Plus, even if you have a “sociedad anonima” nowadays you can not really hide anything, except you are not an officer on your own corp.[/quote]
this i find a little confusing, Is the only benefit to have your property in a corp. to avoid property transfer tax and keeping your home government from knowing about your foreign investment so they can tax you? Pls, excuse my ignorance on the subject, I’ve read that relationships between Canada and CR have changed so that they’re able to see if Canadians have foreign investments presumably so they can tax you on it.
I’m struggling to understand why i should spend the money on a corp. as apposed to having it in my name? Seems like a lot of extra work![/quote]
This is what I am saying. No advantage if it is only holding property. Some people say, if you have an accident and kill somebody, they can´t take your property if it is in a corp. because they don´t know that you are the owner/shareholder. Well, they can find out pretty fast. If you are on the board of directors (probably be the president) even I can find out in less then one minute in which corp you are registered and if this corp. has property. Then they (judge) can claim the books where the shareholders are written into and there they got you. Maybe there are some costarican lawyers in this forum who can clarify that, indicating the regarding laws.
An advantage of a corp would be if you have an income producing business, you may want to put it into a corporation because your private assets are save, which means (if I understand right) if your company goes downhill, your creditors can´t take your house that is in your personal name, for example).
One attorney said that, if you have a corp and you die, there is no Estate, Succession Process or Probate required. Well, I have a different experience. I helped a friend through the whole process (after her husband died) and it took more than a year and $ 5000 attorneys fees to get his shares transferred over to her, plus to make her president (she was secretary and had no POA).
