Considering BA as an early retirement option

[Rich One]

As far as big metropolitan cities, there is no better one than Buenos Aires in Latin America IMO.

- Sending/receiving packages, limited very expensive imports (computer dies you'll need to go to Uruguay), anything related to money, someone smells gas in your building and the buildings gas is cut for 9 months while they investigate it, protestors blocking highways and streets every week, trucker strikes, transportation strikes, sanitization goes on strike in January and smelly garbage piles up in the street, flooded streets, power outages in the summer for 48 hours, little recourse if you're a victim of a crime. There are various little or big annoyances that you'll have to deal with when living here.

LOL.. very good points.. It all depends on you basis of comparison things are like that South of the Borer... ha.. This is not switzerland ç

Love it or Leave it

 

[jeff1234]

Any Argentines who think a better life awaits them in the USA will be in for a rude awakening. If the 2008 recession will be anything to go by, they'll be competing with Americans with Master's degrees for minimum wage jobs collecting shopping carts at Target. In that respect, Canadians or Aussies would be far more attractive (and include better health care).

US Millenials were already a lost generation before COVID, with the lowest homeownership and most debt (and most tattoos, coincidentally) out of all previous generations.

I had completely forgotten about the executives working as cashiers at Walmarts. Those that forget history are doomed to repeat it.

 

[aketada]

A friend just asked a government official about Bienes Personales as regards to expats. He was told that Argentina will not tax anyone who pays taxes in another country. They consider that double taxation even though one tax might be Income Tax in the US and the other tax a wealth tax here.
Has anyone else discussed this with anyone in our government?

Yes. This is a well tread subject for anyone who is considering living abroad with meaningful financial sources in the USA (and anywhere else they happened to be from). The 2.25% wealth tax is a substantially more than the tax i will pay as an expat drawing on a combination of taxable and taxfree funds from the USA. Assuming I live in BA drawing $60K/yr after tax... it would mean i'd pay roughly $6k in taxes to the fed (i am a resident of a no income tax state) due to the draws on a combination of taxable and taxfree accounts. A tax of 2.25% on my net wealth is more than 10X the $6k tax bill i'd owe the USA Fed. ... so Argentina giving me a credit for the $6k for the taxes paid to the USA... and asking for the remainder of $54k... is a nonstarter.

But as i've mentioned, i've got 5yrs for this to hash out in my favor hopefully.

 

[Rich One]

For weather and culture, whats your list when you consider healthcare, taxes and cost of living?

All countries in Asia are out because of language and Culture OUT..!
All Countries in Africa OUT , Perhaps Melilla, Ceuta Spanish Territories.

Cost of living/taxes/Healthcare in Europe and Latam
Portugal, Greece, Italy (Albania, Montenegro and Bulgaria out for language)
Panama, Belize, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Argentina?, Colombia

 

[on the brink]

There used to be a tax treaty between Argentina and the USA, but I believe that is no longer the case.
I do know that Argentine accountants advice US citizens against taking up Argentine residency, as their taxes would double .

 

[EL_TIGRE_de_Tigre]

Any Argentines who think a better life awaits them in the USA will be in for a rude awakening. If the 2008 recession will be anything to go by, they'll be competing with Americans with Master's degrees for minimum wage jobs collecting shopping carts at Target. In that respect, Canadians or Aussies would be far more attractive (and include better health care).

US Millenials were already a lost generation before COVID, with the lowest homeownership and most debt (and most tattoos, coincidentally) out of all previous generations.

I am not sure I can agree, but I do respect your opinion / point of view.

(I saw some Argentines do wildly well in the time frame you referenced.)

RESPECTFULLY always.

 

[EL_TIGRE_de_Tigre]

Argentina is like that incredibly hot girlfriend that cheats on you and gives you crabs. You know you should leave her, but somehow you just can't. Because you still love her, in spite of her faults, and you have so much invested in the relationship that you cannot bring yourself to throw it all away.

I know you said you have visited here, but have you ever lived here? If you had, you wouldn't be asking. When I first started posting on these forums, I didn't know jack squat about Argentina, but I was convinced that I had a good handle on the subject. And I was utterly, pathetically, absolutely wrong.

Argentina is to other countries, to the rest of the world, what non-Euclidian geometry is to mathematics. The rules are just different. You must live here a few years to even begin to understand, because there are no words sufficient.

In my opinion, you must study the history of Argentina to even begin to understand Argentine politics today, because (in my opinion) the core issue today is the same as it was during the 75 years of on-again, off-again civil war with which this nation began. Learn a little bit about the system of "retenciones" before you tell me I'm full of it.

I will never voluntarily leave Argentina. I love this country with all my heart and soul. So much so that I get all choked up trying to talk about it. I hope to retire here, live the rest of my life here, die and be buried here, (though hopefully not any time soon). But that doesn't make me blind.

Let me conclude by saying that everything I have written above is hopelessly inadequate. I have utterly failed to express what I want to say, because there are no words. Argentina defies description.

So let me take it from there (In an effort to support and help you with your post.) ... AS I ALWAYS SAY ...

"POLITICS & ECONOMY ASIDE - ARGENTINA IS AN INCREDIBLE COUNTRY!"

And I truly feel that way. There is no place on this earth that can replicate Argentina, what it stands for and what it offers. (I know there is Uruguay, and it is similar, but that is not good enough!) It feels like home because it is.

 

[Sdiz.usa]

Crime in this country is really bad. I would be very careful with deciding to move here with a young boy. If you have a well off economic situation, be very careful in not showing this to society because of kidnapping and theft, especially home invasions. Not to mention corrupt cops and a non existent judicial system. This is probably the no. 1 country in the world for scam artists. Be ready to live in a super socialistic/union driven environment. Public health care for the elderly here is very poor. Make sure that a budget is set for private health care. Other than terrible infrastructure (maintenance to roads is almost unheard of) and continued power outages during peak months of summer, Argentina's society in general is very friendly and loving. But it depends what you prioritize in your life. MONEY or SAFE SECURE LIFESTYLE?

 

[mc kenna]

You're certainly entitled to your opinion...and i'm not disqualifying your opinion but why are you still there? Presumably you still have your passport...there isn't a shortage of other places that would welcome you. I ask because there might be something for me to learn about painting myself a corner. Thank you.

The one thing about this place is that it will welcome you with open arms and at the beginning everything will seem great, that honeymoon lasts a few months, maybe even years, however, as soon as you need to get something done, you will find out how frustrating it becomes. As you advance in age, you realize that time is not something you wanna waste waiting on the plumber or the electrician or having to send paperwork back because it wasn't in triplicate and things of that nature. You actually come to know that your time is way more important and valuable than playing their little bullshit games of seeing who is the flakiest mofo in the county.
If you ever thought going to DMV was a drag ,back home, wait until you get here .
I am not against visiting every now and then but living here? no thanks i had about 3 lifetimes worth of bullshit in this country in the last few years.
Good luck to you

 

[Ceviche]

Crime in this country is really bad. I would be very careful with deciding to move here with a young boy. If you have a well off economic situation, be very careful in not showing this to society because of kidnapping and theft, especially home invasions. Not to mention corrupt cops and a non existent judicial system. This is probably the no. 1 country in the world for scam artists. Be ready to live in a super socialistic/union driven environment. Public health care for the elderly here is very poor. Make sure that a budget is set for private health care. Other than terrible infrastructure (maintenance to roads is almost unheard of) and continued power outages during peak months of summer, Argentina's society in general is very friendly and loving. But it depends what you prioritize in your life. MONEY or SAFE SECURE LIFESTYLE?

Maybe we live in different Argentina(s) is 2 parallel universes.