Potentially Moving to Argentina

[Redpossum]

Welcome to Argentina.

I came here from California 7 years ago, and I have found happiness. It takes a couple years to adjust, but at this point I'm not ever going back to the USA unless they drag me back in chains.

Argentina has this strange ability to capture the hearts and loyalties of those of us who were born far away in very different societies. This has always been so; look at the example of Almirante Brown.

I do think there is active conspiracy from the outside to sabotage Argentina, and indeed all of Latin America, so that it will remain a source of cheap raw materials and a market for manufactured goods. This is the same struggle that was played out at the dawn of the Industrial Age 200 years ago, reaching its climax at the Battle of Vuelta de Obligado, and the external enemies now are the same that they were then. This is really not the venue for lengthy, involved discussions of the intersection of history, economics, and political science, but such is my viewpoint, based upon my studies of those three fields.

Argentina is a wonderful place, Argentina is a terrible place, you will love it, you will hate it, you will laugh, you will cry, sometimes you will laugh until you cry, and sometimes you will laugh to keep yourself from crying. But Argentina, for all its faults, has captured my wicked old heart, cynic that I am, and I never want to leave. I get all choked up just trying to put it in words.

Damn this country, God bless this country, I don't know.

Welcome to Argentina.

 

[BAHibs]

Just one point to add about online work here in Argentina, the current law is that any income made from freelance/contractor work in another currency has to be "pesified" within 5 days at the official peso rate which is almost 50% lower than the rate of the likes of Western Union.

Essentially Argentinians, if doing the "right" thing, would need to sell their dollars at 96 pesos and buy back at 176 pesos, a "tax" of nearly 50%.

How many people actually do this is probably extremely low, but just something to keep in mind if you need this money 100% "blanco".

 

[Newman_ZA]

Thanks so much for all the information that you guys have provided. I do appreciate the inputs. Some things we may need to consider more but like anything in life its all about perspective. Right now we are not happy where we are. The immigration aspect of 90 day runs won't apply to us as my wife is Argentinian and I can get a permit so thats a huge bonus. As @Bajo_cero2 says, its almost impossible to compare directly but coming from RSA is a huge improvement in safety and a change in lifestyle.

 

[TWB103]

but coming from RSA is a huge improvement in safety and a change in lifestyle.
[/QUOTE]

Wow SA must be in civil war if AR is far safer. You still need your wits about you to reduce likelihood of being victim to violent crime especially in Mendoza Capital.

 

[Preston]

Just one point to add about online work here in Argentina, the current law is that any income made from freelance/contractor work in another currency has to be "pesified" within 5 days at the official peso rate which is almost 50% lower than the rate of the likes of Western Union.

Essentially Argentinians, if doing the "right" thing, would need to sell their dollars at 96 pesos and buy back at 176 pesos, a "tax" of nearly 50%.

How many people actually do this is probably extremely low, but just something to keep in mind if you need this money 100% "blanco".

Could you please give a links to the law you are talking about? Does this also apply to investment earnings, like if I Western Union myself $100 USD per week (at the blue rate) it's illegal? Thanks!

 

[BAHibs]

Could you please give a links to the law you are talking about? Does this also apply to investment earnings, like if I Western Union myself $100 USD per week (at the blue rate) it's illegal? Thanks!

From what I understand you'll be completely fine with returns from investments, for example many Argentina open an LLC in the US as their salary from this is technically shareholder payouts which do not have to pesified.

I'll try to find back a link to the law.

 

[Redpossum]

Could you please give a links to the law you are talking about? Does this also apply to investment earnings, like if I Western Union myself $100 USD per week (at the blue rate) it's illegal? Thanks!

LOL, if that was illegal 3/4 of the people on this forum would be in jail, and WU would be out of business.
Just as a note, it'd be better to send yourself $200 every other week. The fee is $10 for the first 100 and 5 per hundred after that.

 

[Preston]

LOL, if that was illegal 3/4 of the people on this forum would be in jail, and WU would be out of business.
Just as a note, it'd be better to send yourself $200 every other week. The fee is $10 for the first 100 and 5 per hundred after that.

I see, thanks both for the tips! I just started sending directly to my MACRO account so as far as I can tell, no fees (except the 2% macro takes in Ingresos Brutos). Any thoughts on if this is a bad idea, would I be better off receiving pesos in hand?

 

[Preston]

From what I understand you'll be completely fine with returns from investments, for example many Argentina open an LLC in the US as their salary from this is technically shareholder payouts which do not have to pesified.

I'll try to find back a link to the law.

Thanks! I was reading an older post where Bajo Cero said the dolar blue (generally speaking) is illegal, maybe no matter what I try there will be some aspect of it being technically illegal, but commonly acceptable.

 

[Redpossum]

Thanks! I was reading an older post where Bajo Cero said the dolar blue (generally speaking) is illegal, maybe no matter what I try there will be some aspect of it being technically illegal, but commonly acceptable.

"Obedezco pero no cumplo" is an attitude that goes back over 200 years, to the time of the Spanish viceroys, who used this phrase to articulate why they did not always precisely carry out the instructions of the king, who was 5000km away and had no faintest idea of conditions in the New World.
(apologies for horrible run-on sentence)

Similarly today, our lords and masters in their luxurious walled estates apparently have no idea of what life in the real world is like for us working jerks.