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i have a friend who tried to get a visa for his girlfriend to travel THROUGH the US to another country, and after spending nearly $1000 for each application, she was denied — even though all her family lives here, she owns property here, etc. it is a bitch to get a visa for the average Tico.
this is going to be problematic for a lot of people. so many people complain that CR should be like the US, well, now it IS!!! Welcome to the new reality of more rules, rules, and rules.
if you can’t find what you want to eat in costa rica, you shouldn’t be eating it in the first place. as a gourmet cook, married to a fine dining chef, there is nothing we lack in the REAL food department to fix all kinds of cuisine. but then we only eat REAL whole food, not food-like products which are destroying the planet with epidemics of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. don’t believe me? watch this:
http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/globesity_fats_new_frontier_2012/
not a one of us gets enough in social security to make it worth the while of any bank to conform to the new regulations. they basically have to overhaul their entire system. you and i and just about every expat i know is a little tiny fish that barely makes a ripple in the money pond. it’s just that the hammer hasn’t hit the anvil yet. but just wait.
same as david except i have no mortgage with that bank. but i have had an account there since 2005 and i haven’t heard any rumors from them (i know the gerente) that there is going to be a problem in the future, but it’s costa rica, so it could all change tomorrow.
if you got all of that done, including the $700 deposit to deport you, then you got the bargain of a lifetime because in 8 years i have never heard of any person getting this job done for so little. are you sure the first $350 ea you paid wasn’t the filing fees? because normally you don’t pay the deposit to la migra until you go get your cedula — and that $700 is for a one-way ticket out of here should they decide to deport you to miami! jajaja i would ask your lawyer just so you don’t have a big surprise the day you go to la migra.
this is comforting, however:
We also want to tell you that, while the implementation of the FATCA regulations
is still being worked out amongst and between the IRS and various foreign
governments and financial institutions, the threshold for reporting financial
holdings by overseas Americans has been raised to $400,000 US for single filers
and to $600,000 for joint filers.and then there will be the non-refundable deposit to la migra in the amount of $350 per person, and then the cost of your cedulas.
i have some avo trees that sprang up from seeds in the compost and they are 7 years old and NO FRUIT!!
Dear Fellow Democrat Abroad,
In mid-November, four groups representing overseas Americans (Dems Abroad,
Association of Americans Resident Overseas, Federation of American Women’s Clubs
Overseas and American Citizens Abroad) met for an hour with senior IRS and
Treasury officials. Joe Green represented Dems Abroad and also had meetings with
the Taxpayer Advocate and the IRS assistant deputy commissioner for service and
enforcement.As you may recall from our previous reports, the IRS has two existing voluntary
compliance programs for delinquent tax filers; these are intended to reach out
to US “persons” (a very complicated term indeed!) who may have significant
unreported income and/or accounts and who wish to avoid potential criminal
action by paying the fines and penalties imposed by the IRS. These programs are
aimed at helping delinquent tax filers who may have considerable unmet tax
obligations.But the IRS also understands that there are a number (many, some, at least a
few) of us whose failure to file does not reach the size or complexity that is
anticipated by the official voluntary disclosure programs. So, this past August
(and now in effect for the 2012 tax year) the IRS announced a less onerous
amnesty program for what the Service calls low-risk non-filers.The details of this option (called “New Filing Compliance Procedures for
Non-Resident U.S. Taxpayers”) can be found at the following IRS website:http://www.irs.gov/uac/IRS-Announces-Efforts-to-Help-U.-S.-Citizens-Overseas-Inc
luding-Dual-Citizens-and-Those-with-Foreign-Retirement-Plans“The IRS is aware that some U.S. taxpayers living abroad have failed to timely
file U.S. federal income tax returns or Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial
Accounts (FBARs), Form TD F 90-22.1. Some of these taxpayers have recently
become aware of their filing obligations and now seek to come into compliance
with the law. The Service is announcing a new procedure for current
non-residents including, but not limited to, dual citizens who have not filed
U.S. income tax and information returns to file their delinquent returns…“The IRS will determine the level of compliance risk presented by the submission
based on certain information provided on the returns filed, and based on certain
additional information that will be required as part of the submission. Low risk
will be predicated on simple returns with little or no U.S. tax due. Absent high
risk factors, if the submitted returns and application show less than $1,500 in
[US] tax due in each of the years, they will be treated as low risk. In general,
the risk level will rise as the income and assets of the taxpayer rise, if there
are indications of sophisticated tax planning or avoidance, or if there is
material economic activity in the United States. Additional risk factors include
any additional history of noncompliance with United States tax law and the
amount and type of United States source income.”Slightly more detailed, but perhaps more complex “Options Available to Help
Taxpayers With Offshore Interests” may be found at this IRS website:http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Options-Available-to-Help
-Taxpayers-With-Offshore-InterestsPlease note the following admonition on the above website: “The IRS reminds
taxpayers to consult with their professional tax advisor in determining which
option is the most appropriate given their facts and circumstance.”While using a tax preparer can be burdensome, and while there are tax-filing
sharks in the international waters (beware!), we may have to conclude that IRS
compliance will likely involve a financial cost associated with the privilege of
living abroad.For those overseas Americans who have not been filing and who fit within the
IRS’s definition of low risk, this recently announced option could bring some
relief.We also want to tell you that, while the implementation of the FATCA regulations
is still being worked out amongst and between the IRS and various foreign
governments and financial institutions, the threshold for reporting financial
holdings by overseas Americans has been raised to $400,000 US for single filers
and to $600,000 for joint filers.We must reiterate as we close this update that we cannot offer tax advice and
neither do we maintain a list of tax consultants..We will bring you further updates as our work with IRS, Treasury and Senate and
House members and staff continues.With best regards for peace at home and abroad in the new year,
Democrats Abroad FBAR/FATCA Task Force
Joe Green, Stanley Grossman, Maureen Harwood, Carmelan Polce, Maya Samara,Joe
Smallhooveryes, Neem is wonderful, but i’m more interested in whether you ever got fruit from any avocado seed that grew into a tree.
We have had to maintain the roads inside our community to the tune of many thousands of dollars. The first serious road work required a per household contribution of anywhere from $700 to $475 per household. During the time that we spent nearly $7000 to do our section of the road, I didn’t even own a car, nor did two of my other neighbors, yet we pitched in to maintain our property values. Our contribution was pro-rated based on how much of the road we would’ve had to drive on if we HAD cars. The minor road repairs we have had to do also required a per household contribution of anywhere from $50 down to $14.00 per house. The last time we had to put down some lastre to fill in the big potholes on the entrada, the required contribution was $14.00 per house. Everyone paid except two households, and I got stuck with the extra fees. I’m hoping at some point those neighbors cough up their fair contribution, but I am not going to make a big deal out of it. I just won’t kick in the extra dough the next time we need to have something done.
did you pay the embassy directly? or, did your lawyer just charge you something that was for free? i went to the embassy in july and got that letter and didn’t pay a cent.
there is no charge for the letter from the embassy verifying your SS income. you MUST make an appointment to do this though, so you have to call the embassy and set it up. also, i doubt that any paperwork was sent to the Secretary of State office in DC — in order to get any documents apostilled (in accordance with the Hague Convention of 1964) those documents must be sent to the Secretary of State’s office in the state in which those documents were issued and certified. the apostille is the certification of the certification.
