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Down in teh dumps that cannot purchase even a small plot,,,,,have the money, wife will not commit to it at all, in part, due to some legal/financial issues we are having to deal with here….
Yes I would come back and would consider moving to CR. I had a good time, she too, but will not budge on finances right now 🙁
ALso, she is too imbued with the “america will bounce back, its God’s paradise and it will be fine”, so, not sure about her wanting to move or not….would not say, only say she would not give oup US Citizenship, which not sure what that means to her, nor why it came up, as I did not ask nor bring that up.
I think, for my mental,physical and financial health, I feel I have to get out of the USA ASAP…..that and we are close to collapse and anarchy, anyways…..
Sad I had to leave, sorry cannot come back, nor invest and cannot continue to live in this sewer, yet right now, cornered and powerless to act……
Addendum-she did have good time, was remarking how happy people were, even in poverty (comapred to average USA) and how laid back life is….her a heart patient like her, wold be a positive improvement
[quote=”camby”]Down in teh dumps that cannot purchase even a small plot,,,,,have the money, wife will not commit to it at all, in part, due to some legal/financial issues we are having to deal with here….
Yes I would come back and would consider moving to CR. I had a good time, she too, but will not budge on finances right now 🙁
ALso, she is too imbued with the “america will bounce back, its God’s paradise and it will be fine”, so, not sure about her wanting to move or not….would not say, only say she would not give oup US Citizenship, which not sure what that means to her, nor why it came up, as I did not ask nor bring that up.
I think, for my mental,physical and financial health, I feel I have to get out of the USA ASAP…..that and we are close to collapse and anarchy, anyways…..
Sad I had to leave, sorry cannot come back, nor invest and cannot continue to live in this sewer, yet right now, cornered and powerless to act……
Addendum-she did have good time, was remarking how happy people were, even in poverty (comapred to average USA) and how laid back life is….her a heart patient like her, wold be a positive improvement
[/quote]Why does she think she would have to give up US citizenship? One can have dual citizenship. As far as the US, I really don’t think life is as horrible as you say. Regardless of how bad the economy is now, it’s still a far better place to live than the rest of the world. Everyone on this board loves Costa Rica, but I would bet there isn’t one that would ever give up their US citizenship.
Renouncing one’s U.S. citizenship is absolutely NOT required in order to qualify for legal residency in Costa Rica. What’s more, even if you wanted to renounce your citizenship, it’s not a simple matter. So don’t anybody think it’s a requirement.
the US isn’t going to recover anytime soon. all they did was create another bubble. that will burst. that will take down everyone, including the countries (worse than it already has!)
Camby:
I noted in your addendum that there was some positive feedback from your wife. Let that be your focus but don’t be the one to bring it up. Sometimes it just takes time for information to filter in. You will know soon enough which way the wind is blowing and as I suggested before, if you know folks that have been to CR before, make them a part of your group. You will have something in common and that makes for easy conversation. Some people don’t embrace change easily but as I noted before, first person endorsements go a long way to opening up one’s horizons. You may have to face the reality that your dream is not running on the same track as your mates and if not, there is probably a reason for that as well. Good luck, be well in North Carolina and be glad you dodged Sandy. Boy did we have a mess here in Maryland and we got off easy!
My wife has family in MD and we got some info and pics, a mess for sure, glad to hear you are doing well.
Not sure why she brought up the citizenship thing at all, just came out of the blue whilst walking on the beach…noted to her that likely, at our ages, we might lose more then gain by giving it up.
For me, would consider giving it up if need be, I am hoping the arrogant empire known as the USA though will be too busy with its own destruction to mess with little ol me…..I can quietly go off and live life fuller then the cookie cutter, Wal-Mart on every corner, drab emptiness that is modern USA. Sad, I recall better times,too.I did get to that Supermercado in Coco, was nice and very busy, we regret we did not get a chance to get to larger, farmers markets, though a few stands here and there set up and enjoyed them. had I spent more time or did any cooking while there, would have loved to frequent them….
No, not going to push to hard at all with the move/wife thing at all,too many want to play Pretend (that things will get better, that they are better off then everyone else,etc)[quote=”DavidCMurray”]I think crf makes many good points above. It really is critical to become comfortable (or uncomfortable, as the case may be) with the real Costa Rica, the one you’d be immersed in if you really did make this move.
In another discussion thread, costaricabill mentions paying for meals at restaurants that post their prices in dollars with U.S. dollars. Makes sense to me. But that is not typical of Costa Rica and if you confine your visit to such places, you will not only miss much of the richness of this wonderful country but also some of the poorness. To appreciate what you’d be getting into, you have to get out on the street.[/quote]
I kept that in mind, the price thing that “Bill” brought up and noticed the difference….Our meal for example in Liberia for late lunch was only in SPanish and Colones on the menu, was good, moderately cheap and a large, large portion…..More then I could finish off……I was starting to get the money difference as the week went on…..esp helpful at times when the USD and Colon were side by side, seemed to be the same and used that as a guide for exchange, more then the formula someone gave me at the airport, that seemed confusing……
[quote=”loraine”]but I would bet there isn’t one that would ever give up their US citizenship.[/quote]
not to be unkind nor try to play mind reader with anyone here, but many would not give up citizenship likely for 2 reasons (or amin reasons, if you will)
1. They have invested too much in SSA and programs and many here are likely on social Security,etc and hence, giving up citizenship may cost them to much in income and benefits. Some may not, absent the SSA check monthly, be able to live in CR or at least, comfortably….even my parents would not and they have 2 retirements from IBM, some may not have that or maybe as well, depending on their work history,etc. Again, not saying this to be rude nor offensive, I just know that many expats that retire to CR are on a fixed income and limited perhaps. Not all, but, many
2. Giving up citizenship for many on this forum would mean that returning to the USA to visit, handle personal affairs, see family,run a buizness,etc might be much more difficult, what with visas and all. Our tour guide while we were in CR, nice young guy, runs his own tour buisness and it took him 10 yrs to get a visa. I know some here have had to also, return to the States (and same goes for the UK and Canada) for medical treatment that may not be available or as available in CR. My wife, for instance, had a heart transplant at DUMC in 2001 and has her whole life care there for heart issues.Sr. camby, “No” and “Yes” . . .
Any person, U.S. citizen or not, who has earned the right to a Social Security Old Age pension is entitled to receive it. There are, I think, some countries to which SS checks cannot be sent, but that’s based upon conditions in those countries and not on the recipient’s citizenship, U.S. or otherwise.
The U.S. State Department’s behavior toward Costa Ricans who are seeking tourist visas to the U.S. is, indeed, very restrictive, so renouncing one’s U.S. citizenship in favor of Costa Rican citizenship would, as you say, very likely make it much more difficult to travel to the U.S.
And really, there’s little advantage to renouncing your U.S. citizenship especially since, for the most part, you would still be liable for U.S. taxation under the IRS Code. Other than as a political/philosophical statement, what would be the point?
[quote=”DavidCMurray”]Sr. camby, “No” and “Yes” . . .
Any person, U.S. citizen or not, who has earned the right to a Social Security Old Age pension is entitled to receive it. There are, I think, some countries to which SS checks cannot be sent, but that’s based upon conditions in those countries and not on the recipient’s citizenship, U.S. or otherwise.
The U.S. State Department’s behavior toward Costa Ricans who are seeking tourist visas to the U.S. is, indeed, very restrictive, so renouncing one’s U.S. citizenship in favor of Costa Rican citizenship would, as you say, very likely make it much more difficult to travel to the U.S.
And really, there’s little advantage to renouncing your U.S. citizenship especially since, for the most part, you would still be liable for U.S. taxation under the IRS Code. Other than as a political/philosophical statement, what would be the point?
[/quote]IF I was young, not paid much into SSA system and had no family, for me, it would not be an issue. For me, and wife, we are ages 41 and 42 resp, and have family here that would be difficult to visit if we had only CR citizenship, plus adding in the headaches of visas,etc.
Though I am on record here for being highly opposed to much of the USA’s culture at presetn, foreign policy,etc, giving up citizenship as thigns are now, is not wise for me, nor her. Perhaps, down the road there may be some reasons, perhaps, it is highly unlikely I would do so.
I am curious-and feelfree to send me a PM if you prefer over a posted response-to your statement “you would still be liable for U.S. taxation under the IRS Code. “
I know for retirees and USA citizens working in CR, would still have to pay the IRS,but if we cease to be USA citizens, how would they still have claim to us? to fund the SSA? fact we were citizens at some point? Just curious how that works.
Side not, I sent a message via Facebook to our tour guide, he apparently is holding off his trip to the USA, he was suppsoed to have arrived to NYC last Tuesday and luckily, cancelled, what with the Sandy storm mess…….was afraid he and wife were going to come anyway and get stuck….not pleasant for our folks, let alone, those from other countries that are already visitors and not familiar with the ins/outs….waiting to see if he is coming later….
Kudos to whoever suggested Tico Tours Guanacaste, they were great and took good care of us…….The U.S. Internal Revenue Service Code provides for universal taxation of the income of all U.S. citizens regardless where that income arises, and it provides for taxation of all income derived from any source in the U.S. regardless of the citizenship of the recipient. There are, of course, many exemptions, credits, etc.
So any income derived from Social Security, tax-deferred retirement savings, etc that is paid to any person, U.S. citizen or not, is taxable under the IRS Code. You can renounce your citizenship, but you will still be liable for taxation under the IRS Code as if you were a citizen. (There [u]may[/u] be a limit of ten years of taxation for those who renounce but I’m not sure about that.)
We have a rather poor tax code, no doubt…….
Interestingly, I have talked to a lot of people from EU nations and also, Latins……they are amazed on what hoops and rules we have and what little we get for it.
Noted to one fellow, that we cannot provide health insurance,etc as his “third world” (so called) nation does for the main fact we have taxed, borrowed, stolen fake money and topped it off with the expensive task,self appointed, of being Sr. Policeman of the World…..that gets costly……Good to know during the US occupation of Iraq, we DID provide national health care to them, as they had previously…..just not our own…Have to tell people daily that get turned down that there is no program to help them….[u]sorry, I digress, off soap box now…..[/u]what would you do for a passport were you to renounce US citizenship? that would be a big hurdle to overcome. you couldn’t apply for one here until you had been a resident for 7 years and then you’d have to take the test and sing the anthem. i’ve thought about doing this (getting a CR passport), but i can’t do it until next year. it used to be free to renounce your citizenship, but now they charge you $450 for the application and who knows what else they put you through. it ain’t an easy process, that’s for sure.
[quote=”maravilla”]what would you do for a passport were you to renounce US citizenship? that would be a big hurdle to overcome. you couldn’t apply for one here until you had been a resident for 7 years and then you’d have to take the test and sing the anthem. i’ve thought about doing this (getting a CR passport), but i can’t do it until next year. it used to be free to renounce your citizenship, but now they charge you $450 for the application and who knows what else they put you through. it ain’t an easy process, that’s for sure.[/quote]
There is a site somewhere dedicated to this and from the description and hurdles, a real headache. One would have to have a citizenship lined up to take to renounced the other….again, if so and younger, maybe….but then again, w/ties to the USA, might be easier not to..I know you have to be able to speak/understand and take the test in Spanish, plus history,etc….you serious about the singing part? that would get me deported for sure:lol:
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