For all American citizens it’s that time of the year again filled with fear and excitement. Will I owe taxes? Will I get a refund? Do I even need to file? These are all good questions. Happily, Uncle Sam has answers to these and other questions.
If you are a US citizen the government is entitled to tax your income regardless of where it was earned. If you lived outside of the US all last year and earned income you will probably have to report it. According to IRS guidelines, if you were self-employed, worked as a consultant or contractor and earned more than $400 you will have to file (usually under Schedule C). For more information for filling Read more
Well, there aren’t that many options. You can either fly into Liberia or San Jose.
Juan Santamaria Aiport (SJO) is commonly known as the San Jose airport even though it’s actually located in Alajuela. Traffic through this airport is not bad and getting from the plane, through immigration, baggage claim and customs hardly ever takes more than a half an hour.
The airport is not small but not large by any means either. There are many duty free shops and restaurants like Burger King, Schotlkys, Papa John’s and Cinnabon. Café Britt also has souvenir shops at the airport which often offer discounts for bulk purchases. If you need to rent a vehicle you can do that too and exchange Read more
Costa Rica has become quite the topic of conversation. So much so, that last December there were two articles written about retiring to Costa Rica.
The first in The Wall Street Journal recanted the experiences of two retirees as they planned and consequently moved to Costa Rica. Some interesting points were made here. An important point is the need for planning before moving here. However, I think one of the most important steps in planning may have been overlooked by the writer, Vicki Berrong. The process of applying for residency can be started before you even step foot on Costa Rica. If you start before you move this can actually make the process easier. For more information on permanent Read more
Ahhh! What a headache it can be to just think about buying a car in Costa Rica. Between simply finding a car, a lawyer, rtv, marchamo, and deciding whether to buy from a dealer or an individual you may think bringing your own car may be simpler. The truth is it probably isn’t simpler.
If you don’t have residency yet and you leave Costa Rica every three months then bringing your car may work out for you, for a while. So long as you are on a tourist visa your car will be attached to that visa, meaning when you leave the country that car needs to leave with you. However if you are planning on becoming a resident Read more
ICE stands for Costa Rican Institute of Electricity. However, ICE is way more than just an electric company. It’s THE electric company and the largest, most widely used telecommunications company in Costa Rica.
When it comes to electricity, you have no choice, ICE will be your electric provider. The service is good and mostly stable. There are some power outages, mostly scheduled ones. It is a good idea to purchase a UPS to protect valuables like computers and tvs since the voltage output varies enough to potentially damage them.
ICE Costa Rica for Internet
As an internet provider I think that ICE is pretty solid. In our home we have both cable internet from Read more
You’re off the plane and in your hotel room wondering, How do I get to where I want to go? Take the bus! Buses in Costa Rica are efficient and reliable. You just have to know where to find them.
It all depends on where you’re going. In San Jose you’ll find bus terminals to anywhere in the country. In Barrio Mexico, you can find Pulmitan Liberia, the bus company that will take you to Liberia and anywhere on the way to Liberia. From Liberia you can take a bus to many of the surrounding beaches like Conchal, Playa Naranjo, Playa Hermosa and Playas del Coco.
If you want to go to Tamarindo, Samara, Nosara or historic towns like Read more
Everything in Costa Rica is a monopoly. One electrical company, one water company, even when it comes to cable or internet there’s not a lot of options. Cable Tica is one of those few options, but is it the best option?
Customer service is the mark of a successful company. In my opinion, Cable Tica is failing miserably when it comes to customer service. Recently I called their customer service line to ask a simple question, How many channels do you offer in English? I had to call six different numbers before anyone would even attemp to anwers my question. Then the only answer I was given was “All I know is that 6 channels are SAP enabled. ” Read more
Any legal paperwork in Costa Rica can be a real pain. Long lines, a million hoops to jump through and just when you think you have every document you could possibly need they ask for another one, original and certified photocopy. Getting your CR driver’s license could be another classic headache, but it doesn’t have to be. Here’s what you need to know:
If you have a valid driver’s license from a foreign country then the process is pretty simple. You need
Your valid driver’s license. Original and photocopy
Full physical examination. Just ask your doctor for a physical for your driver’s license and you’ll get exactly what you need.
Passport with a current tourist visa, permanent residency card or
Want a job with plenty of vacation time to spend at the beach? Teach English! And what better place to do it than Costa Rica. There is a huge need in Costa Rica for qualified English teachers. Most jobs in Costa Rica require at least a basic understanding of English, so the need for teachers is constantly climbing. What credentials do you need to teach English? Where can you teach English?
Credentials- Most institutions, whether public or private will require a bachelor’s degree in anything. A TESOL/TEFL certificate is not necessary but a sure fire way to get the job. TESOL certifications are available in most universities, online and even here in Costa Rica. Some private schools will also Read more
What is this? This doesn’t look like a ¢ 1 000 colones bill! That’s because it’s the new and improved ¢ 1 000 colones bill. That’s not the only one that’s changed, Costa Rica is introducing a whole set of new bills. The values of the new bills are ¢ 1 000, ¢ 2 000, ¢ 5 000, ¢ 10 000, ¢ 20 000 and ¢ 50, 000.
Why new bills? The new bills, fabricated in Rennes, France, are nearly impossible to counterfeit. Each bill is now a different size and has slightly raised numbers to help the blind identify each bill easily. Bills of 2 000 and above have additional security features like the iridescent thread running from Read more
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