# Dogs and Taxes



## Katy Gal (Nov 12, 2017)

Hi everyone. This is my first post. 

I am living in the USA now, so I am "considering" a move, either temporary or permanent to Mexico. I was born in Spain of American Ex-pats, have lived in New Mexico for 30 years, and speak "intermediate" Spanish. 

I will probably return to the US every 180 days because I have relatives near to the border. 

I will have a remote job in the US, and will work via the internet. My main reason is that I must pay back a student loan taken out to get a (useless) master's degree. I will still keep my address in the US-- at least for the present. I also am an artist and one main reason I want to move to Mexico, is to be closer to a Bronze foundry I am using there in Juarez. I would actually like to move closer to TJ and Baja but that will come later. 

Does anyone know of Mexican taxation on US income? Is this an issue? I know I will have to pay taxes in the US, but what about Mexico? 

What about dogs? If I do this, I need to be able to take my dogs with me. I know in some countries there is a Pet-passport situation. Is there one for Mexico? 

Well anyway, Nice to be here. I am sure I will learn a lot here.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Mexico and the USA have a tax treaty, and you will not pay double taxes. So, what you earn in the USA will be taxed in the USA. You can work online with a USA business, but may not work in Mexico on a tourist 180 day permit. That is strictly prohibited.
Your pet will need current veterinary documents at every border crossing. Mexico and the USA have different requirements, so check their websites carefully.


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

No double taxation, which some take to mean that if you pay in one country, you won't have to pay in the other, which is not exactly true.
Don't know how it works with IRS, but my Canadian accountant explained that if, say, I am taxed at 3% by Mex. govt. on my Mexican earnings, and my tax bracket is 15% in Canada, the 3% I paid in Mexico will be deducted, leaving me to pay 12% in Canada.
However, working online for a US company (or free lance with US or other foreign to Mexico customers only)while residing in Mexico is not taxable in Mexico nor do you need Mexican work permission to do so.


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

You will want to keep your US bank account, and leave its mailing address set to your US address. (You can convert to e-statements to cut the paper flow to that address). Have any pay you earn online deposited into that US account. It will be clearly US income, and you'll report it on your US taxes as usual (state and federal), and you won't file Mexican taxes. 

What are you going to do about a car? To others here: does Juarez have an exclusion zone near the border like Baha?

Is Juarez safe? From the handle, I'm assuming a female poster, and from other details, mid 30's or older and single.


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## Katy Gal (Nov 12, 2017)

Yes. I am female, over 30, single. 

Since I am an artist, and will be working on art, I believe that may be considered as Work. It may not be as well, since I am working, but would not be in an employer/employee relationship. An artist is self-employed and considered a business owner, so I may need a "business" type visa, rather than a tourist visa. I will have to look into other potential forms of visa, like "guest-artist" or other. (I also might look into a TESOL certification since I have a Masters in Education, and a BA in English, though I am not sure the money will be as good). 

Safety could be a concern. I am a hermit, do not party, or hang around with gangs. I would also be getting housing on the advice of the people running the foundry, who are life-long residents and one a famous artist. I believe that they have found accommodations for artists over the years. 

I believe also that; according to on-line sources, there are 6.5% of all retirement age ex-pats in Mexico living in Juarez, more than live in, say, Puerta Vallarte. I'm hedging my bets on there being a decent ex-pat network there. Maybe not? I do not know at this point. 

And yes, I will keep and maintain a US bank account and have pay transferred from work to bank automatically. It looks like a permit is required in Juarez, but not in Tijuana. Will need to study this further. (I actually would prefer to live in Tijuana, Baja or other places.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

eastwind said:


> You will want to keep your US bank account, and leave its mailing address set to your US address. (You can convert to e-statements to cut the paper flow to that address). Have any pay you earn online deposited into that US account. It will be clearly US income, and you'll report it on your US taxes as usual (state and federal), and you won't file Mexican taxes.
> 
> What are you going to do about a car? To others here: does Juarez have an exclusion zone near the border like Baha?
> 
> Is Juarez safe? From the handle, I'm assuming a female poster, and from other details, mid 30's or older and single.


Ciudad Juarez is part of the Zona Frontera in which no permit is needed for a US plated car. I have not lived in Ciudad Juarez but I have passed through it on foot many times and it is just as safe as any other city in Mexico. Like any city, there is no guarantee that one might not end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. But millions of people live there without daily fear for their lives.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

Katy Gal said:


> Yes. I am female, over 30, single.
> 
> Since I am an artist, and will be working on art, I believe that may be considered as Work. It may not be as well, since I am working, but would not be in an employer/employee relationship. An artist is self-employed and considered a business owner, so I may need a "business" type visa, rather than a tourist visa. I will have to look into other potential forms of visa, like "guest-artist" or other. (I also might look into a TESOL certification since I have a Masters in Education, and a BA in English, though I am not sure the money will be as good).


Based on my reading of Mexican immigration legislation, to be considered “working for remuneration “ in Mexico (which is prohibited on a 180 day tourist permit) you would need to be both producing and selling your art in Mexico. As long as you aren’t offering it for sale in Mexico, it would be similar to a writer spending time in Mexico writing their novel. The important part is you are not taking a job away from a Mexican. If you were to sell your art in Mexico, then it is a business and you need to have it registered as such, with an RFC number (Registro Federal de Contribuyentes), proper _facturación _, ensuring Hacienda (the taxman) gets their proper cut, etc. 

Have you contacted the nearest Mexican consulate to explain your unique circumstances? They would be the best source to make sure you are doing everything according to Mexican law.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

"Dogs" is a key word here. Traveling with dogs in Mexico is a challenge as most and I do mean most hotels do not even allow service animals. Anyone who has a dog knows that they are family, not pets or possessions. A small dog is hard enough to get a hotel with, dogs is going to present a problem, particularly if they are mid size to large. You can rule out the large chains like Holiday Inn or Fiesta Inn, a small mom and pop hotel is your best bet but I wouldn't rule out sleeping in the car at a Pemex station if worse comes to worse.


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## Katy Gal (Nov 12, 2017)

The important part is you are not taking a job away from a Mexican.

I am a sculptor and would be taking my "originals" to a foundry in Mexico to have my pieces cast-- paying Mexican workers and foundry on average of 1000.00 dollars. So I would be creating jobs for Mexican citizens, not taking them away from anyone. 

Traveling with dogs in Mexico is a challenge as most and I do mean most hotels do not even allow service animals.

Which is why Option one was a conversion van, or other small camper to live in-- If I am allowed to park on the grounds of the art foundry/gallery. The gallery actually over-nights artists (as in provides a room) if a US artist needs to stay down there to do a job. Option 2 was more in the line with renting an apartment for 6 months or something like that-- I mean, the point would be to live in the area, not just to work over a weekend there. The problem with the dogs is that I would rather not pay a dog sitter in the US, if I could save that money and keep the dogs with me in a rental. (2 chihuahua sized dogs, not big)


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

There are plenty of Mexican Hotels that accept dogs. I had no trouble finding them (and I have a quite large dog) when driving from PV to Nogales, or from Cabo San Lucas to San Diego. It is not true that Holiday Inns don't accept dogs. I stayed in one in San Carlos. You just have to do the research first, like ask on an ex-pat forum for dog-friendly recommendations on your route. Apartments or houses same. Might take a little more looking, but not particularly difficult.

I know plenty of foreigners who legally run businesses in Mexico, myself included. None of us were questioned or given a hard time re taking business away from a Mexican. I believe Mexico understands that foreigners who move here are a boost to the economy, whether we are retired or running a business. We pay for our residency visas, business taxes, permits, etc to Mexico, buy food, eat in restaurants, pay workers to build our homes, hire maids and gardeners, pay for car licensing, gas, Mexican car mechanics, and probably inject more into the economy per capita than the average Mexican.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

surabi said:


> There are plenty of Mexican Hotels that accept dogs. I had no trouble finding them (and I have a quite large dog) when driving from PV to Nogales, or from Cabo San Lucas to San Diego. It is not true that Holiday Inns don't accept dogs. I stayed in one in San Carlos.


Well a search on "Booking.com" shows different results. We use it regularly and few if any hotels accept dogs, those that do are usually bottom shelf with a fan as opposed to AC. If you don't believe me, try it. We travel quite a bit with our dog which is a 4 pound Yorkie and have trouble finding a room.

How long ago was this Holiday Inn stay? A search of Holiday Inn San Carlos says "Pets not allowed, service dogs welcome." Their website says that the dog must have papers from a doctor stating it is a service dog. 

To say she will have "no problem finding a dog friendly hotel" is simply not true. I don't think it's wise to advise a first time traveler here with two dogs that it will be a breeze, our experience recently is quite different. 

https://www.hotels.com/ho410233/?pa...1&WOE=5&WOD=4&ZSX=0&SYE=3&q-room-0-children=0


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

It seems like the fundamental problem is you need to forge in Mexico and sell in US, which implies frequent border crossings, yet you have two dogs you don't want to leave with a sitter, which implies frequent border crossings with the dogs and a temporary place to stay on the other side that accepts them. 

I'm not optimistic about this working out without compromises on your requirements.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

eastwind said:


> It seems like the fundamental problem is you need to forge in Mexico and sell in US, which implies frequent border crossings, yet you have two dogs you don't want to leave with a sitter, which implies frequent border crossings with the dogs and a temporary place to stay on the other side that accepts them.
> 
> I'm not optimistic about this working out without compromises on your requirements.


You might do this a few times but eventually import taxes might happen if it is frequent, you can only cross with "gifts" so many times.


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## Katy Gal (Nov 12, 2017)

eastwind said:


> It seems like the fundamental problem is you need to forge in Mexico and sell in US, which implies frequent border crossings, yet you have two dogs you don't want to leave with a sitter, which implies frequent border crossings with the dogs and a temporary place to stay on the other side that accepts them.
> 
> I'm not optimistic about this working out without compromises on your requirements.



I am not worried about the foundry. They have been running for years, and have a warehouse in El Paso, TX where the artist actually never needs to go to Mexico. They pick up, and drop off from there. If all goes pear-shaped, I can just take hotel rooms in El Paso. No doubt they have a Motel 6 there too. 

When I began this thread, I was talking about actually living in, and not visiting Mexico on frequent business trips. I could rent a house, sculpt there, get the casting done, and then have the foundry actually bring the finished work over the border. To me it becomes the difference between renting in El Paso (average small apartment 700$,) or renting in Mexico. 

I am sure this all sounds a bit odd to people who do not do what I do, but I am a bit of a micro-manager and need to be able to actually supervise several aspects of the work as it is done. 

I want to use a foundry in Mexico because the Labor cost is about half that it is in the US. The materials cost is the same. The Mexican foundry workers are as good, or better than those in the US, though they are not paid as much. They still make a really good salary where they live. 

So thanks for all the great answers. I am sure I have a lot of things to think about.


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

Zorro2017 said:


> Well a search on "Booking.com" shows different results. We use it regularly and few if any hotels accept dogs, those that do are usually bottom shelf with a fan as opposed to AC. If you don't believe me, try it. We travel quite a bit with our dog which is a 4 pound Yorkie and have trouble finding a room.
> 
> How long ago was this Holiday Inn stay? A search of Holiday Inn San Carlos says "Pets not allowed, service dogs welcome." Their website says that the dog must have papers from a doctor stating it is a service dog.
> 
> ...


The problem is that you are looking for dog-friendly hotels on things like Booking.com. As I said in my previous post, the best way to find hotels that accept dogs is to post on an ex-pat forum asking for recommendations on your proposed route. There are tons of gringos who road trip with dogs and they are quite willing to share their knowledge, in my experience. 

You are not likely to find these hotels with an online search. Many Mexican hotels do not have any online presence, something I'm somewhat surprised you aren't aware of, as it seems you have lived in Mexico for quite some time and are married to a Mexican?

The dog-friendly hotels I stayed in were by no means dumps. Not the Four Seasons, but perfectly nice accommodations.

As for San Carlos, yes, that was several years ago.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

surabi said:


> The problem is that you are looking for dog-friendly hotels on things like Booking.com. As I said in my previous post, the best way to find hotels that accept dogs is to post on an ex-pat forum asking for recommendations on your proposed route. There are tons of gringos who road trip with dogs and they are quite willing to share their knowledge, in my experience.
> 
> You are not likely to find these hotels with an online search. Many Mexican hotels do not have any online presence, something I'm somewhat surprised you aren't aware of, as it seems you have lived in Mexico for quite some time and are married to a Mexican?
> 
> ...


I have found expat forums not very helpful finding hotels that accept dogs, even Tripadvisor which is all "******" input is not accurate on this topic. When looking at booking dot com *it tells whether the hotel accepts pets or not* and well over 98 % do not. Even if you specify "Pet friendly Hotels", all hotels in that city are listed, even those who do not accept pets.

A hotel without an online presence these days has to be a very small hotel, even the dump "Hotel Cangrejo" in Poza Rica has a listing but nothing else, no photos but it is dog freindly because it probably has fleas already.

However, this is Mexico and my wife indeed knows the ways of her country. Her son has managed hotels here all of his life and he knows the ropes. General managers are graded on *many aspects* of performance and the number of rooms booked is among the top criteria. 

She will call the hotel and BS the general manager, the general manager in turn knows he is being BS'd but he will be very respectful calling her "Dona" after finding out it is a 4 pound Yorkie and make an exception in some cases, but don't bank on it, it's according to how he has been performing and how bad he wants to rent a room. 

The Holiday Inn you mentioned only accepts service dogs with papers from a doctor now. This is one of the problems with expat forums, outdated or inaccurate information.


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

I don't fault hotel owners for not wanting to accept dogs. Unfortunately, the irresponsible dog owners who think their dogs are perfect angels, when, in fact, they have been indulged in sleeping on the furniture or the bed, scratch the wooden doors or furniture, and have "accidents" or fleas, carry the blame for this, I think. Ruins it for those of us dog owners whose dogs don't do such things. 

Personally, I think just because a dog is small, doesn't mean it belongs on the furniture, the bed, or should be allowed to jump up on people. Of course, folks can do as they like in their own homes, but it results in the dog expecting it can do this in other peoples' homes and hotels. Dogs can't understand a concept that they can do something in one place and not in another.

Like children. As a mother of 3 and grandmother of 5, my kids were taught from an early age what proper restaurant behavior consists of (or even at-home dinner table comportment). We did not go to "kid friendly" restaurants, like McDonalds or Chucky Cheeze, since I wasn't into feeding my kids or myself the garbage there that passes for food. 

They were not allowed to talk loudly, be demanding, or run around the restaurant. I would even bring coloring books and crayons to keep them occupied while waiting for the meal, and ask the wait staff for a package of saltines or something to tide them over. If one of them was starting to cry or have a fit about something, as children are occasionally wont to do regardless of decent parenting, I walked outside with them until they calmed down. 

I've been to restaurants where the parents just let their kids be as noisy as they'd be on a playground, chase each other around the restaurant, feel free to just walk around and talk to other diners, etc. Some of whom are charmed, but many bothered. It's no wonder many childless people cringe when they see people walk into the restaurant with kids.


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