Law firm in costa rica — find an attorney in costa rica

Law Firm In Costa Rica — Find An Attorney In Costa Rica

If you are planning on visiting Costa Rica, getting married in the country or are considering moving to the country to buy property, it is a good idea to get in touch with a law firm in Costa Rica that can help you understand the laws of the country when it comes to business, employment, immigration and even domestic law.  You can find an attorney in Costa Rica by going online and finding out what type of services they offer to those who are visiting the country, are immigrants of the country or who are planning on visiting or staying in the country.

It is always a good idea to have some type of legal counsel before you sign any legally binding contract in any country in which you do not know the law.  In fact, it is a good idea to have legal counsel in your own country.  If you plan on emigrating to Costa Rica to live, do business in this country or to get married in Costa Rica, you should look for legal counsel.  When you are in Costa Rica, you have to abide by their laws. 

There are many people who wish to have a vacation home in Costa Rica and, perhaps, rent it out during some times of the year to others.  In order to do this, you need to find an attorney in Costa Rica who not only understands real estate laws in this country, but who also understands the obligations of landlord and tenant.  You need to find a law firm in Costa Rica that can help you with these issues. 

If you plan to do any banking in the country of Costa Rica, it is a good idea to get an attorney in Costa Rica who can help you with this type of offshore banking.  If those who are renting your home in Costa Rica are paying you, they might be paying you through and agent in the country.  It will be necessary for you to set up an offshore banking account.  This will also give you some tax advantages when it comes to your affairs in the United States or in some other countries. 

Buying property in Costa Rica is a good option for those who want to invest in property that is not only in a vacation climate all year long, but also is priced to sell.  Before you do this, however, you need the advice of a legal consultant in Costa Rica. 

If you live in Costa Rica and want to get legal counsel about any type of matter that has to do with the law, you need to use a law firm in Costa Rica.  Do not depend on your own lawyer in your own country to help you with this as the laws vary from country to country.  Divorce, for example, is very different in Costa Rica than in the United States.   For any type of legal help in Costa Rica, whether you are visiting, planning to get married in the country or if you are planning to buy property, seek the advice of Costa Rican lawyers. 

How to take advantage of tax breaks with a home based business

How to Take Advantage of Tax Breaks With a Home Based Business

Tax Day of April 15 comes around before we are ready. Then we scurry to make sure we have all the deductions accounted for that can hopefully assist us in getting money back from Uncle Sam.

Unfortunately, many people do not realize what kind of tax breaks they can get by having a home based business. Most people think there are many more requirements to having a home business than is actually required by the government. There are only three:

1. You show a profit ‘intent’ (even though you may not show a profit yet).
2. You work your business on a regular and consistent basis (even if only three to four hours per week).
3. You keep good records (just like a big, full-time business).

With a home-based business, it’s important to remember that your street address is also your business address since it is housed in the same location. Because of this, there is a «deductible business portion» of your home-related expenditures. This can include a portion of utilities, furniture, janitorial service, home office equipment, maintenance expenses, etc.

There is also a huge benefit to hiring your spouse for your business because you can then deduct ALL out-of-pocket health cost for the whole family. If you hire your kids in your business rather than give them an allowance, the wage expense is tax deductible to you and is usually tax free to your child (up to $5,700 per year and put any above that in a Roth IRA for maximum benefits).

The biggest single tax deduction may be in your car’s ignition in relation to potential tax savings. Keeping a 90-day consecutive period vehicle log is actually allowed to figure the tax break for your car, rather than writing down that information every time you go somewhere related to business all 365 days of the year.

Never take another ‘vacation’ and not get to claim tax breaks. Make sure you do something in relation to your business when you are traveling so it will become a tax deductible business trip. However, there are some stipulations that apply in this field and you need to be able to substantiate the business expense. However, the number 1 reason that triggers an audit is math errors on the return. The second reason is an incorrect Social Security number on the form. So to keep from sending up a red flag, triple check your numbers.

The IRS has been instructed by Congress to give huge refunds and deductions to taxpayers who have a home-based business, OR anyone who operated one at any time in the past three years. You can easily file an Amended Tax Return (Form 1040X) by following simple step-by-step instructions if you had a home-business in any of the past 3 years, and get a refund check for thousands of dollars…plus interest if you have not claimed those deductions yet!

You deserve to get as many tax deductions as possible if you have a home business, including an online business. Be sure to do your research to see what you may be missing out on.

How to earn extra income to improve your life©

How To Earn Extra Income To Improve Your Life©

Extra cash can be the difference between struggling to survive or being able to have the things you want. Wouldn’t it be nice to pay your bills and still have extra cash at the end of the month? If you’re living paycheck to paycheck, you are in danger of a personal economic disaster. You have two things you can do to better your financial situation. The first thing you can do is decrease your debt. But that’s easier said than done. Chances are, whatever debt you have can’t be easily decreased. You can cut back on some things but the mortgage, car payments, credit cards and personal loans payments are pretty there until they’re paid off. The other thing you can do is increase your monthly income. This is a more viable option. Increasing your monthly income can greatly increase your chances of avoiding a future economic downfall.

I would like for you to think about some very serious questions. What is your current financial situation? How financially stable are you or your family? Are you living life to the fullest or just existing? These are questions you should be asking yourself everyday.

In these tough and unpredictable economic times, with layoffs occurring pretty much on a daily basis, having extra cash or a financial back up plan is crucial. We are living in a time where a majority of people are one or two paychecks from losing all they have. One or two paychecks from living on the street. Many didn’t have a financial back up plan. They spent and lived right up to limit of their means. And still today, there are millions of people without a back up plan. Millions of people that don’t have some sort of extra income coming into their household. Don’t let it be you.

What could you do with an extra $400 or $500 a month? If you are on a very tight budget, an extra $500 a month could ease the stress of paying your bills. If you are doing okay with your full-time income, then an extra $500 a month can help to make a change in lifestyle. An extra $500 a month is a new car payment, it’s extra money that can go towards taking a vacation, it’s extra money to do more activities with your spouse, it’s extra money that can help a family member or friend in need of financial help, and that’s just to name a few things and extra $500 a month could do for you. The bottom line is just an extra $500 a month can significantly change your life for the better.

If you want to ease your stress when paying bills, if you want to have extra income to buy a new car or just have extra income to be able to do more and get more out of life, then you need to take the steps necessary to find something to do that will provide the amount of extra income that you want so you can live the more fulfilling life you desire.

How to discuss being fired from your last job in an interview and still look like a star candidate

How to Discuss Being Fired from Your Last Job in an Interview and STILL Look like a Star Candidate

Mid-managers and executives get fired for lots of reasons. Some are legitimate for performance reasons and some firings are completely unjustified. Regardless of the reason for being let go, there are solid methods for communicating the circumstances without hurting your candidacy with potential future employers.

Here are three solid steps you can take to have successful interviews after being fired.

Step #1 — Give yourself time to decompress

This is the most important step you can and will take. If you have lost your job most likely you will go through a grieving process — similar to other significant life-losses we all experience. If you interview prematurely, you may inadvertently «wear your grief» and/or find yourself unable to talk about your last employer with the kind of convincing detachment and discretion you will need to keep interviewers focused and excited about the value you offer them.

What if you need to begin to interview right away? To speed up your «grieving process» while still honoring that time cycle, take a ceremonial weekend vacation, book a round of golf, take a spa day or a family picnic by the lake. Whatever you decide, make sure it’s fun and relaxing because this is your decompression time…just for yourself! Title your outing: «Your Ceremonial Moving On.» This is a physical process that evokes very real physical and mental benefits.

I have seen this «Moving-On Ceremony» work wonders with my clients and I promise it will work for you too. In fact, I have used it myself. When I left my last employer my husband threw me a congratulatory dinner and I bought myself a big decadent slice of carrot cake, stuck and candle in it and we spent the evening talking about the future. It was wonderful!

Step #2 — Identify your allies

You want to contact any and all allies you have and had with your last company. These can include past colleagues, people that worked for you, key executives, clients and vendors. Anyone that can attest to your strengths, your attributes and anything positive. In applicable cases, those individuals who can diplomatically hint that there were problems beyond your control with your last company can be especially helpful. Remember, references can be provided by lots of other people besides your past «boss.»

Step #3 — Prescript a BRIEF, but clear, statement

Develop a brief statement about the reason you were fired and practice saying it. You can use it in your upcoming interviews. Keep it short, simple and clear. Here is an example:

«Unfortunately, I had no choice but to leave my last employer. When I originally took the position, I was excited about________. At first blush, it seemed that their recent merger was going well. I had no idea there was such internal animosity amongst management. Perhaps in my excitement about the opportunity I missed the subtle signs. If I were to interview for another merger situation, I would certainly know what questions to ask. Now I am focusing my attention on moving forward and I am quite excited to be here to talk with you about your corporation’s goals.»

No matter what you «say,» the secret is to be positive, bold and forward-thinking. Your interviewers will focus on whatever you shine the spot light on, so keep your attention on them, their challenges and how you can help.

Using these three steps, you can easily turn a situation you may be worrying about into a non-issue. Remember, too, many people who have been fired are afraid that they will have to make big sacrifices in order to land their next position. But most of the time this is simply not the case. Use the situation to reflect on whatever can be learned from it, use these powerful techniques to minimize any damage and simply move on!

Jobs in iraq — what to do with all that money

Jobs in Iraq — What to Do With All That Money?

People accept positions in the Mideast, such as jobs in Iraq or Afghanistan for various reasons. Some will take these jobs out of a sense of duty, or to do their part for the cause. Others for the adventure or even to fine tune jobs skills in a very dynamic environment. For others, it’s simply a quicker way to make a lot of money.

For most, salaries earned while working jobs in Iraq or Afghanistan are the most they’ve ever earned. Many pull in salaries in excess of USD$10,000.00 every two weeks, which quickly compensates for the doldrums of living in a war zone. The money builds rapidly, and without a plan many will quickly squander it. Of course that’s not always the case, and for some, their goal may be nothing more than to take care of short debt, help out family members or put it away in a savings account until they decide what to do with it. Others will just spend it.

I’ve seen many who spend hard earned money as fast as they make it. They get to comfortable with their new salaries, as if the job is never going away or they plan to spend a career in a war zone. They’ll return home on vacation, buy a new car for the spouse, add an addition to the house, etc., etc.. Before they know it, the money is gone. Now they end up staying another year to recoup the savings that they’ve just spent.

I’ve met people who’ve fallen into this trap and end up working in these locations for years to cover their own spending or that of a family member. When I was in Iraq, I worked with a guy who had a spouse in Thailand. He spent a year working in Iraq, quit his job and then spent a year unemployed living the good life in Thailand. Certainly the dollar goes much farther in Thailand although in his case he built a big beautiful house and really lived it up. After that year was over and the money was gone, he was back in Iraq.

Others however, travel to a war zone with distinct goals in mind. They know what they want to achieve and how long it will take to get there. They’ve communicated with their spouses and prepared the family for their absence. These are the people who rarely return.