Resident associations are better off with formal setup

 

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

Editor's Note: While this article was accurate at the time of publication, some information may now be outdated. We are currently preparing a comprehensive update. Sign up for our Alerts to be notified as soon as the revised content is live!

Plenty of expats are paying into an informal committee to maintain the security of their gated community or to keep up the subdivision roads and common areas.

These ad hoc community associations stumble over the smallest of details like opening a bank account because they do not have a formal structure. They generally rely on the good will of a few residents to keep the guards paid, the grass trimmed and the potholes fixed.

One expat expressed concern about the informal nature of his association when he called last week. He wanted to know some alternatives for his residential area.

Here's some good news amid the bad about taxes

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

Editor's Note: While this article was accurate at the time of publication, some information may now be outdated. We are currently preparing a comprehensive update. Sign up for our Alerts to be notified as soon as the revised content is live!

A lot is happening on the tax front in Costa Rica. The news is not so good for locals and expats alike. All is not lost. There are a couple of facts related to taxes that are actually good news.

Most have already read about the proposed doubling of the tax on transferring real estate and the creation of a capital gains tax. One item that is particularly frightening for expats is the proposed 15 percent levy on money entering the country.

If the government does not want retired people to come here, they should place signs at the airports that state, “We welcome tourists. Please spend a lot of money in Costa Rica. People considering retirement, be forewarned you will be taxed to death.”

Scarier, the tax police desire even more power to catch tax dodgers. One of many things they want is the ability to ask doctors, dentists, lawyers and any other professionals about private client data. 

Windows 10 gives Microsoft control over privacy

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

Editor's Note: While this article was accurate at the time of publication, some information may now be outdated. We are currently preparing a comprehensive update. Sign up for our Alerts to be notified as soon as the revised content is live!

Expats retire to Costa Rica to get away from the hustle and bustle of life. The problem: Retirees usually bring a computer, tablet, and a smartphone along with them, so they can stay in contact with loved ones back home.  Most do not realize these devices are like sticking Orwellian big brothers in the goods they pack. 

Windows 10 was released last Thursday. The software is Microsoft’s latest version of its most popular operating system. In the first 72 hours after its introduction, 67 million computers received upgrades. That is 258 installs per second.

An expat living in Costa Rica, an expert in computers and Windows, related in an interview that upgrading from an older version of the operating system to Windows 10 is almost a breeze. He recommended making a good backup before starting the upgrade process.

The system is faster, more efficient and easier to understand. It is also designed from the bottom up to spy on its users. Here are some examples and instructions on how to turn off the prying eyes.