What
responsibilities do I have in my home country before I
go overseas?
Should I keep a
mailing address in my home country?
Do it right
- take care of all your obligations - debts, bills,
taxes, etc. before you go. Get a permanent forwarding
address - so that important mail can find you. Most of
us use our parents or relatives for this at first. But
know that they grow tired of this after a few years.
Get a
Commercial Mailbox
I'd like to
encourage you, if you are going to spend more than a
couple years overseas - to do it in an adult way. And,
to me, an "adult" takes care of their business and
doesn't leave it to others to take care of it for them.
So . . . I encourage you to use a commercial mailbox
service - rather than leaving it to your family or
friends.
Look at a
company called
USABOX.com
- they are the least expensive I have seen. They will
also do a little shopping for you and send it to you
cheaper than any other company. Want a little treat you
can't find overseas? They will send it to you.
Do I really
need a home country address?
I think so.
In a few years, if you would like another credit card,
if you want to maintain a credit history or to buy a
house, for example - it is useful to have a permanent
home country address.
Get a CPA
for your taxes
Taxes are
not difficult to do - but if you hate doing them (I do!)
- line up a CPA to do them for you before you leave.
Also, over a period of time, taxes can become
complicated as you lose contact with all the changes and
as you invest in property and/or stocks with your
savings earned overseas.
