"riverman" wrote in message ...


The school is looking at ways to legally accomodate this new law, but
their first impression is that there will be a mass exodus of americans in
the next few years.

I doubt there will be a mass exodus. When it gets right down to it, you need
a new tax accountant. While I am an accountant, I am not a tax accountant
but isn't there some credit for taxes paid in another country? The expats I
do taxes for don't pay a foreign income tax and it's been a while since I
dealt with it.

'First' 80K? Who makes anywhere near $80K? [snip] Also, you get to have a
retirement plan, a ROTH, a representative in the government to protect
your rights, etc. You also get the option to own your housing, and to
write off the interest on your loan against your mortage payment, which is
akin to having your housing paid for and then some.

Do you want me to apologize for working full time, raising a kid, and
getting three degrees after being a ward of the state of Florida while you
were out perfecting your paddling skills? I worked my ass off, took some
lumps, made some mistakes, got a few breaks here and there, but overall just
persevered. Yes, I make more than 80k as I'm sure several here do. some here
make more than me, some make less, so what? I don't get to take summers off
and go all over the world to fish and see places I only dream about in
National geographic. As to my retirement plan, like most non-union
non-public sector employees I'm on a defined contribution plan. I'm
dependent on the stock market and what I can put away in a 403b to eat and
travel on something besides social security. You're right it's a lifestyle
choice, I made mine and I live with it. You got the same government bubba,
but as far as representing "me", I'm a democrat in a republican state

We've been down this road before, but trust me; being an expat worker is
just another slice of real life; it comes with its benefits and its
expenses, but its not the end of the rainbow. Its a choice of lifestyle
based on knowing the benefits and deficits. Getting a tax benefit isn't
some sort of free pass to nevernever land, and when its invoked on a
teacher's salary, and offset by the expenses of living overseas, its not
even such a big thing. My out of pocket expenses for living overseas far
exceed the taxes I'd be paying on my salary if I worked back home.

Maybe you have mis-conception on teacher's salary, last time we got into
this particular ****ing contest I googled up a couple of stories which
mentioned long term teachers in the Chicago area and somewhere near
DC/Baltimore getting 6 figures salaries. Granted these are the exceptions
but teachers are not exactly living in poverty.

But now, the primary benefit just went away, and a huge expense just
increased. Hitting expat workers for a tax hike is just a cheap shot, as
our tax benefit is absolutely nothing compared to the tax release Bush
just gave the ultra rich, and we have no lobby, no legal representation,
and no one looking out for our side. And it generates a very strange type
of sympathetic support for Bush when other 'victims' of his fiscal
mismanagement see him picking on someone else other than them. Its a
smokescreen for the tax cuts to the wealthy.

You know I despise Bush as much as anyone and the overall tax cut does
benefit the higher paying *taxpayers* which I think is wrong in this period
of deficits and supposed war, it alos makes need changes to the alternative
minimum tax which has become more and more a middle class tax trap. And if
you expats had no *lobby*, then why are we reading about it in national
publications? Like I said the first time you brought this up, we have single
moms in this country trying to escape poverty making what you make and
paying taxes. So now you have to pay taxes on your housing, you income is
still tax exempt. In your case it is a very easy fix to keep your money tax
free. Like I said, hire a good tax accountant. He/She will be worth the
$500-$1000 its going to cost you.