Snowbird Splits and Multi-Flag Lifestyles

Colombia claims the right

to tax an Expat's worldwide income, even if

none of it is received or earned in Colombia.

- @cccmedia

no cheating, nothing unethical,

nothing illegal, nothing immoral,

nothing improperly withheld

from "the host society."

To say otherwise is to have

a slanted, uninformed opinion.

Savvy Expats learn the difference

between legal tax avoidance

and tax evasion.

Instead of defaulting to accusations

against an Expat.com expert and

flaming this thread, learn the law:

in Colombia it's strictly legit

for visitors to remain in the country

for up to 180 days per year without

incurring income taxes.

We enhance the economy through

paying for lodging, food and beverage,

and a host of tourism/travel/service

outlays.  Colombia encourages this

by exempting us from lodging taxes,

too. 

cccmedia in Colombia

- @cccmedia

Five reasons to leave "the collapsing West."

Five Flags enthusiast Caleb Jones explains

five reasons to move out of the West,

by which he means leaving the USA, Canada,

anywhere in Europe, Australia or

New Zealand.

1. Taxes are too high .. and Jones predicts they will continue to rise.  His primary home is now in Dubai, where he says the taxes are zero.  Over 50 percent of USA residents' income goes to evident and hidden taxes, he says.
2. The cost of living is too high .. and will also continue to rise.  It's not in the USA only, Jones says: look at the cost of having a residence in Vancouver, B.C., or London.
3.   The Western economies are on a downswing that will continue.
4.   The Western welfare state is on the rise.  If you want to live on 15K (US) per year by receiving government assistance, you will love the West, Jones says.  He says someone moving from the Congo to Sweden will be making a positive move .. and so he's not talking to people from "spithole" places.
5. Although people who live in the West and haven't traveled internationally don't realize this, people in the West are angry.  They're on edge, they argue a lot, especially about politics. They get angry quickly.  Jones says it does a lot for your mental health and state of mind to live outside the West, where people as a rule .. are a lot happier. 

At Caleb Jones' YouTube channel Sovereign CEO:  "five reasons to leave the west"

Jones says it does a lot for your mental health and state of mind to live outside the West, where people as a rule .. are a lot happier.

He should have glanced at the World Happiness Report or similar studies, which conclusively and consistently show that people in "the West" (meaning the more developed, richer countries) are happier than the rest of the world.

I wonder why some people write such unsupported nonsense .

Jones says it does a lot for your mental health and state of mind to live outside the West, where people as a rule .. are a lot happier.

He should have glanced at the World Happiness Report or similar studies, which conclusively and consistently show that people in "the West" (meaning the more developed, richer countries) are happier than the rest of the world.
I wonder why some people write such unsupported nonsense
-@beppi

Sounds like Jones is speaking from his own perspective, ...and the 'studies' cited speak from 'Western Perspective' of those able to cope well financially, personally, interpersonally, socially, etc., etc., So it is all perspective, 'read it on the internet, so it must be true' stuff. Really just that?

I believe so, that's my perspective, ...anyway.

Expat at large,

MAc

Everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion, based on own experience (or even just hearsay). But claiming those opinions are a universal truth is nonsense (the OP worote "outside the West, where people as a rule .. are a lot happier").

And the surveys I referred to are conducted by multi-national bodies, tryong to be impartial and judging people's happiness without culturally tinged criteria. To brush the results off in the way you do (without arguments) is therefore certainly not warranted.

Even your own post indicates that happiness is easier to achieve if you are "able to cope well financially, personally, interpersonally, socially" - isn't that the same as those studies say?

Let us have a look at the happiness report :

https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2022/h … -2019-2021

1-Finland

2-Denmark

3-Iceland

4-Switzerland

5-Netherlands

Mauritius is ranked 52 (I personally am very much happy here)

@beppi ***

09/25/22 Let us have a look at the happiness report :
https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2022/h … -2019-2021

1-Finland
2-Denmark
3-Iceland
4-Switzerland
5-Netherlands

Mauritius is ranked 52 (I personally am very much happy here)
-@Bhavna

If the choice were between those five and Mauritius, I'd be right there with you, Bhavna! Island living has its drawbacks, but year-round Summer and a beach day whenever you want one compensate for any number of inconveniences. 😎

Everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion, based on own experience (or even just hearsay). But claiming those opinions are a universal truth is nonsense (the OP worote "outside the West, where people as a rule .. are a lot happier").
And the surveys I referred to are conducted by multi-national bodies, tryong to be impartial and judging people's happiness without culturally tinged criteria. To brush the results off in the way you do (without arguments) is therefore certainly not warranted.
Even your own post indicates that happiness is easier to achieve if you are "able to cope well financially, personally, interpersonally, socially" - isn't that the same as those studies say?
-@beppi

OH geez, having read just awhile ago, what Bhavna posted regarding studies, one must actually read the study to properly evaluate the strata(s) from which the information is taken. It would be interesting to factor in ASEAN perspectives in the commentary. However, that may tend to include ASEAN cultural perspectives. The term happiness, IMHO, is usually but not always, difficult to attribute to 'studies.' An example, I refer to is an answer former President of USA Bill Clinton gave while under oath many years ago. It went something like this: 'it depends on what the definition of 'is' is."

MAc 

Conflating a commenter's opinion that "as a rule" people

are happier or unhappier somewhere is not a declaration

of a universal truth.

It's widely known that rules have exceptions and thus

inherently not universally true.

The conflation of the poster's comment was a

notable exaggeration.

cccmedia

A key lesson about interpreting posters' remarks.

The fact that I sometimes present views of

people who ponder various subjects on Expat Café

does not mean that I believe in their opinions and

statements, as was implied in at least one post

above.

Sometimes I post such not because I believe in

something, but to animate discussion on a topic

that may be relevant, important or controversial.

It's my understanding that years ago, members of

this site's experts team were called animators.

A good example of a thread I initiated where

most posters recognized a controversial topic

was not necessarily my opinion is the

Expat Café thread about the future of Nomadism.

cccmedia,

member, Expat.com experts team

Understanding this café,

The full title of this section of our site

is Expat Café / open discussions.

Open means open to various topics.

It does not mean open season to

attack those you may not agree with.

Let's lay off toxic terms like "nonsense"

if you feel the need to characterize

another party's opinion.  It's demeaning.

If you're so triggered you can't post

in a civil manner, see if you can summon

up the willpower to refrain.

Demeaning:  "Your opinion that dogs are

dirty is nonsense."

Also poor:  "It's absurd that some people

believe that dogs are dirty."

Better form: 

"I disagree with the concept

that dogs are dirty."

cccmedia

"Sounds like [Caleb Jones] is speaking from

his own perspective," poster Mac68

wrote above.

Mac is correct.  Anyone who viewed the

linked Jones video would know that

his comments on the mental/emotional

state of people in the USA was preceded

by an intensive trip visiting U.S. cities and

speaking with the locals.

Jones was right there getting an

understanding from 'the horse's mouth'.

He didn't have to 'glance' at an

international happiness study to

form his boots-on-the-ground

impressions.

cccmedia

Do you live in an authoritarian country?

Five-flagger Caleb Jones moved out of the

"collapsing United States" and splits his time now

between Dubai and Paraguay and also visits

his other favorite countries.

He says most people staying in the States,

"Cuckoo Canada" and all of Europe have so many

regulations imposed on them that they are like

a fish in the sea -- they don't ever realize it.

"Your life is awash with all kinds of insane regulations

that you're just accustomed to because you've lived

with them so long.  How to build your house.  How

many feet your house has to be from the sidewalk.

The size of your toilet.  Whether or not to wear a

seatbelt when you drive by yourself.  The nature of

how your car is built or not built.  How you get paid.

How you get taxed before you get paid.  How you do

your banking and how banks manage your money.

The color you're allowed to paint your house.

Where and how you drive. How you're allowed

to park,"  Jones says.

"All these things are regulated by millions of laws.

You're like a fish in the ocean, swimming around

in the ocean, saying, Where's the water?  I don't

see any water. What the f---,  what's this water thing?

You don't even see it because you're awash with it...."

Jones says it's different outside the West...

"But then you go to Vietnam and you realize that

none of these restrictions exist.  Now you have a

toilet that's exactly the size you want.  You can

park wherever you want, however you like. 

You can walk around with a dog that's not

on its leash.  What the hell, you can just do things

and relax and not worry about all these regulations.

And you as an individual will experience more

individual freedom..."

---

Search at YouTube.com/Sovereign CEO Channel:

Escape authoriariansim for individual freedom

Plan B.

The news of the world has been telling the tale

of why Expats may need to consider a Plan B,

a second or even third country to relocate to

when trouble expands.

The classic example is Ukraine/Russia.

The New York Times online has just posted

an opinion piece that states that 700,000

people residing in Russia have left the

country since the fearless leader (/s) called up

hundreds of thousands of additional troops

in September.

Caleb Jones rules out a 'living' flag for any

country bordering on Russia because of the

leader's proclivity to invade other countries.

Here in Ecuador, a national strike caused

massive roadblocks in some communities ..

with protesters burning rubber tires in the

streets and parks for 'good measure'.  The

strike is paused for negotiations between

the government and the indígenas and

could resume if the latter is dissatisfied with

the results.

In July, one month or so after the Ecuador

strike was paused, Panama saw its largest

protests in many years.  Caleb Jones has

removed Panama from his list of 'living'

flags, although he still has investments

there.

Burkina Faso in West Africa is not exactly

on most Expats' Plan B list, but it might

be worth mentioning that the country

just saw its second coup in a year last

Friday, with its military leader deposed.

cccmedia in Quito, Ecuador

Top 'flag' countries we like for 2024.

Caleb Jones...

Dubai .. Mexico .. Paraguay.

cccmedia...

Colombia .. Peru .. USA (home country).

Top reasons I chose Colombia, Peru and the USA for 2024.

1. Andean cities in Colombia have excellent year-round weather.
2. Colombia, Peru and USA all have excellent blackjack conditions if you know where to look.
3. All three countries have cities in the Eastern and Central time zones.
4. International travel from my home base in the capital of Ecuador is generally not difficult, especially with the convenient hub of Bogota, Colombia, operating smoothly.

-- cccmedia in Lima, Peru

Top reasons I am maintaining my primary

residence in Quito, Ecuador, even though

Ecuador is not among my top 3 flags for '23

(FYI, two previous posts referenced 2024 --

I was getting ahead of myself and meant '23.)

My car (2016 gold-exterior Chevy Sail) is in

Quito and I like to drive it now and again.

My 'infrastructure' -- including my condo,

my attorney, my primary dentist, my masseuse

and my South American bank -- are in Quito.

The more time I spend in Quito, the less

my hotel expenses are, growing my

Banco account.

Easy to get around and also to find whatever

is needed, as I know Quito better than any

other city in South America.

My large screen TV setup, well devised for

NFL action and other sports, is at my

Quito condo.

Happy New Year to all members of this site.

cccmedia

Five flags .. how does this work?

How many flags do you have now?

What is the optimal number of flags?

Five-flagger Caleb Jones, an Expat

originally from the USA who lives

primarily in Dubai and Paraguay,

explains the concept of five flags...

¨That is spreading your risk over five

different countries.

¨You live in one country where you are

not a citizen.

¨You have a passport in a second country

that you don't live in.

¨You base your business in a third country

that doesn't tax businesses or taxes them

very low.

¨You have your investments in a

fourth country with no capital gains tax.

¨You have a fifth country where you

buy your stuff that has no sales or

VAT tax.¨

Jones says the main object is to bring

one's tax obligations down to the

single digits or as close to zero as possible.

At  YouTube... Caleb Jones channel

my history with five flags