Understanding U.S. Taxes When Living Abroad
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Read moreThese days you can easily withdraw money at ATMs. MasterCard, Visa, Plus, and Cirrus ATM networks are all widespread in Brazil; if you see one of these emblems on the back of your ATM card, you should have no difficulty finding an ATM to accept your card. You may be charged fees by the Brazilian bank and/or your bank back home. You should try different options before settling on a bank in Brazil, as their policies differ.
You might also consider opening a high-yield investor checking account with Charles Schwab, which comes with a debit card. Although Schwab does not have branches in Brazil, and you may be charged a fee to withdraw funds via another institution here, Schwab reimburses you for those fees. You can essentially withdraw for free… and it works all over the world that way, not just in Brazil.
To open a bank account in Brazil, an individual will need at a minimum:
1) proof of address
2) a CPF
3) a national ID card. Depending on the particular bank and the type of account you wish to open, other documents, such as proof of assets or income, may also be required.
Proof of address could be a rental contract or any sort of bill, such as a utility bill or cell phone bill. Even a letter from a landlord may suffice.
Obtaining a national ID, card can be the sticking point. Until you have some sort of legal residency established in Brazil you won’t be able to obtain a national ID card. And, although the law doesn’t actually require a national ID card to open a bank account, you’ll find that as a practical matter banks simply won’t open an account—even a simple savings account—without one.
Once you have an ID a wide variety of account options will be available to you. Discuss your particular needs with the bank manager. Do be careful about using credit in Brazil, however, as interest rates charged are generally high.
You can also move large sums of money into Brazil—for example, to purchase a property—without having a local bank account. To do so you’ll simply need to enlist the services of professionals versed in providing these services.
Note that the Brazilian government imposes a foreign-exchange transactions tax (IOF) of 0.38%, in addition to any fees charged by your bank.
You’ll sometimes hear that moving money out of Brazil is difficult or impossible, but that isn’t actually true. You just need to complete some government forms and pay the necessary taxes and fees. Outbound transfers can be handled from a number of institutions. If you do have a local bank account, talk to your branch manager.
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Read moreThe FIFA World Cup is nearly here. By now your Panini sticker albums should be complete and days off work confirmed. From June 14 until July 15 the eyes of the world will be on Russia, hosts of this year’s competition. The big games and World Cup rivalries are about to begin in earnest. The biggest sporting event in the world, more than 1 billion tuned in for the last final in 2014. Current world champions Germany will defend their...
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© 2008-2023 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.
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