Experience with Mexico?

[DavidS]

haha - true - Mexico is No.1 on the list of the worlds most dangerous countries, they kill people there for good and no one really can do anything not even the police.

There are better places unless you want to make it as the new cartel leader.

Which places would you recommend?

 

[EuroKiss]

Which places would you recommend?

Probably Detroit, for some of the users of this forum is way safer…

 

[Mr Magoo]

just pay off the cartel and you are perfectly safe

 

[void]

haha - true - Mexico is No.1 on the list of the worlds most dangerous countries, they kill people there for good and no one really can do anything not even the police.

There are better places unless you want to make it as the new cartel leader.

yeah, you must be right - the whole country of the size of half of Europe is a war zone - that's why tens of thousands of Americans cross the border daily, to enjoy the "heat"

 

[uplana]

that's why tens of thousands of Americans cross the border daily, to enjoy the "heat"

I thought it was the opposite ?

 

[EuroKiss]

I thought it was the opposite ?

The desperate ones.

 

[botero]

I've been living on and off in Mexico for the last 6 years and am a permanent resident now. I'm very well integrated here and even have a Mexican wife and child born here.

I used to be one of those people who used to recommend Mexico to friends and said that the media is always exaggerating with the issues. However, after hearing about three separate kidnapping incidents of people I know, I started to change my mind. All of a sudden all the news of the murders, kidnappings, shootings, robberies felt more real to me and wasn't just background noise anymore.

I roll my eyes anytime I see articles writing that Mexico is the "paradise for expats". A billion positive articles from expat bloggers will never change the fact that it's a broken third world country with so many issues that it's mind boggling. You may be able to shelter yourself in the gated expat communities and fortified resorts, however, you're still in a giant zoo, and in this zoo, the animals roam free.

Who I would recommend Mexico to:
- Mexicans
- Refugees
- Tourists
- Western retirees on a budget who don't mind the many issues and low quality of life
- Digital nomads on a budget who don't mind the many issues and low quality of life

Who I would not recommend Mexico to:
- Anyone with kids
- Anyone conscious about their health, security, and future
- Anyone looking to start a new life that has the opportunity to live in a more developed country
- Anyone who likes the rule of law
- Everyone else not mentioned above

As for me, I'm going to bite the tax bullet and move to Europe.

 

[EuroKiss]

As for me, I'm going to bite the tax bullet and move to Europe.

Enjoy the green pass…it is for your “health” and the “future” of your children…

 

[Praetorian]

So far the only people i know that successfully moved to mexico had one of the following reasons:

1. They had legal issues/were part of the mob and wanted to lay low away from all the heat in their home countries. But even there their troubles back home eventually caught up to them in mexico as i've seen cases of expats getting shot at in Acapulco, Cancun, etc by the people they were trying to run away from. It's a temporary solution if you're trying to escape a bad situation, the ones still doing it change cities every few months or relocated somewhere in asia.

2. They enjoy corruption and found ways to benefit from it, since literally every part of the government there is for sale for the right price. Some found solid ways to do business in mexico and make profits without angering local criminals/affluent people.

3. They were in the tourism sector and their main business was in Cancun/Isla mujeres/etc.

Mexico is a good option for those who know exactly what they want. But if you move there as a tourist and expect paradise you'll be disappointed very quickly. It's not a place to "settle down and live a quiet life", at least not anymore.

If i was considering a move to a country like this, i'd probably pick the Philippines, Thailand, etc. At least the criminal scene in those countries can be avoided to some extent if you got the money whereas the cartels are everywhere you go in Mexico.

 

[EuroKiss]

So far the only people i know that successfully moved to mexico had one of the following reasons:

1. They had legal issues/were part of the mob and wanted to lay low away from all the heat in their home countries. But even there their troubles back home eventually caught up to them in mexico as i've seen cases of expats getting shot at in Acapulco, Cancun, etc by the people they were trying to run away from. It's a temporary solution if you're trying to escape a bad situation, the ones still doing it change cities every few months or relocated somewhere in asia.

2. They enjoy corruption and found ways to benefit from it, since literally every part of the government there is for sale for the right price. Some found solid ways to do business in mexico and make profits without angering local criminals/affluent people.

3. They were in the tourism sector and their main business was in Cancun/Isla mujeres/etc.

Mexico is a good option for those who know exactly what they want. But if you move there as a tourist and expect paradise you'll be disappointed very quickly. It's not a place to "settle down and live a quiet life", at least not anymore.

If i was considering a move to a country like this, i'd probably pick the Philippines, Thailand, etc. At least the criminal scene in those countries can be avoided to some extent if you got the money whereas the cartels are everywhere you go in Mexico.

25 years in Latin America, not a single acquaintance, local or expat, had problems with local criminality besides being stolen a cell phone. You talked about Acapulco that’s one of the most dangerous place in Mexico exactly for being the main destination of “gringos” looking for drug and prostitution, is like saying that I went to Detroit or Portland to carry a quiet and peaceful life (or open a shop in San Francisco expecting great sales for the next “Black Friday”! ).

 

[botero]

25 years in Latin America, not a single acquaintance, local or expat, had problems with local criminality besides being stolen a cell phone. You talked about Acapulco that’s one of the most dangerous place in Mexico exactly for being the main destination of “gringos” looking for drug and prostitution, is like saying that I went to Detroit or Portland to carry a quiet and peaceful life (or open a shop in San Francisco expecting great sales for the next “Black Friday”! ).

Some people who have never been in a car accident before use the same anecdotal logic to not wear seat belts.

On a related note, here in Mexico, the number one cause of deaths of children is car accidents. Very few people bother to wear seat belts here, likely because they are also thinking anecdotally. My wife explained that in her town, wearing a seatbelt makes you look silly, like wearing kneepads and elbow pads while rollerblading. The government and police don't seem to care either. Life has little value here.

 

[EuroKiss]

Life has little value here.

do you think life has a greater value in EUSSR where you cannot even allowed to heal yourself when got - for example - covid?

 

[jjrapy]

do you think life has a greater value in EUSSR where you cannot even allowed to heal yourself when got - for example - covid?

The dumbest comparison I’ve read so far on this forum

 

[EuroKiss]

The dumbest comparison I’ve read so far on this forum

Fine cut and tailored for a dumb person like you…be my guest!

 

[name]

You can get permanent residency by just proving you have had 200K in the bank for the last year but then you are liable for tax in Mexico.

Being a permanent = Mexico taxes your worldwide income??

 

[void]

Being a permanent = Mexico taxes your worldwide income??

no
there are for example tens (maybe hundreds already) of thousands of Americans living in Mexico permanently and paying only U.S. taxes on their income outside Mexico

 

[name]

no
there are for example tens (maybe hundreds already) of thousands of Americans living in Mexico permanently and paying only U.S. taxes on their income outside Mexico

Yeah but thats only because they get taxed in the US first

 

[Golden Fleece]

The point is that you need to consult a tax professional, not get advice from a chat site. Especially if you actually perform your work in Mexico.

Mexico has become one of the more aggressive countries in Latin American when it comes to taxing its residents. Mexico taxes residents on their worldwide income. If you’re living and working in Mexico, the government wants its cut. Here’s a summary of the taxation of expats in Mexico.

Many of our clients in Mexico are audited each and every year by the SAT (known as Hacienda). This agency is very happy to deny any and all expenses of a business that are not documented or are paid to a tax haven country. If you’re a gringo or European, expect the Mexican SAT to be even more hostile.

Mexico taxes expat residents on their worldwide income. In most cases, you’re a resident for tax purposes if Mexico is your primary home (your home base) and you spend more than 183 days in the country.

It’s also possible to be classified as a resident if you spend less than 183 days a year in Mexico. If SAT believes Mexico is your “center of vital interests”, they will classify you as a resident for tax purposes.

Taxation Of Expats Living In Mexico - Escape Artist

Taxation of expats in Mexico - Mexico taxes residents on their worldwide income. If you’re living and working in Mexico, the government wants its cut.

www.escapeartist.com