Expat Taxes – Can you do them yourself?

Nicole  | 

I’m going to figure that out!

I am now living in Mexico City with my Mexican temporary residence. I’m self-employed so I have had an accountant in Michigan handling my taxes for the past six year. Now that I’m fully settled in as an official expat, I’ve been learning about expat taxes and some of the specialties related to them. My accountant has decided it’s best that I find an accountant who specializes in expat taxes.

I’ve reached out to some of the expat tax specialists here in Mexico City, and have had unfortunate experiences with them not following through. I’m taking this as a sign that I get the opportunity to use my Finance degree and Accounting classes from university to learn if I can successfully accomplish completing my own taxes.

I’ve been researching like crazy about the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, changing my LLC to an S-Corp and deciding what seems to make the most sense for me, my company and my bank account.

I will post along my journey of exploration of doing my own taxes – for 2023 (I have an extension) and 2024. I hope writing it out will be helpful to me and anyone else curious to learn and do their own taxes as an expat.

Please keep in mind that I am NOT a tax professional or an accountant. I plan to complete my own taxes and then have them checked over my a professional before submitting them. I suggest that any questions that you have regarding your tax situation and what is best for you to be consulted with a tax professional or accountant.

Mundos Roasting & Co in Traverse City, Michigan – a digital nomad review

Nicole  | 

While playing around on Google Maps looking for coffee shoppes while I was visiting friends in Traverse City, I discovered Mundos.

Mundos began their journey in November 2017 with their first location on Boon Street. I always love to read purpose/mission statements on websites, and this statement from Mundos gave me all the feels-

We love Traverse City. We are enamored by the natural grandeur that exists here, the life we live and the moments we share. But above all, we love the people. We want to create spaces where people experience the beauty of coffee and community.

Mundos

The team opened a second location in Suttons Bay and in spring 2022, they opened two new unique cafes on Front Street – Mundos 305 and Mundos West.

Location

The “Central” HQ is located about halfway between Front St and Airport Rd on Woodmere Ave. The building is just off the corner of Boon next to a print/copy store. I plugged it into my maps and it was a breeze to find.

Parking

If I haven’t made it clear, paying for parking is one of my biggest pet peeves! Luckily, Mundos “Central” HQ is located in the southeast side of town and has its own parking lot! Score!

The parking lot is small and this cafe can get busy (it’s quite a large place). There are two “rows” of parking, so there is a chance if you park in the front row nearest the building, someone may park behind you. Be prepared to be a little social and ask tables if their car is parked behind you if you need to head out and you’re blocked in.

Entry

As you pull up, the black and white building has a cute farmhouse vibe. The horizontal black wainscoting contrasts nicely alongside the white vertical paneling. Topped off with black barn lights, it gives it a really cozy feel before you ever step in. I visited in September so there were no tables outside, but from photos it appears that they have outdoor tables along the sidewalk in warmer months.

First Impressions

My eyes lit up when I walked in. The simple, clean, white, black and wood decor with beautiful plants scattered everywhere was right up my aesthetic alley! As soon as you walk in, you will find a large wooden picnic-style table – I love community seating. The main area has a garage door that may be open to create an “outdoor space inside” feel during warmer weather.

Directly in front, the counter surrounded by white shiny subway tiles. And your eyes can’t keep away from looking at the astonishing floating Edison bulb lighting. I walked up to the counter and realized that there were rooms to both sides of this main entrance.

The other rooms contained interspersed, more private tables, chairs and couches. Plenty of plants added color, beauty and comfort to the areas.

Menu

As a coffee connoisseur, you’ll be happy to know that Mundos is part of the Coffee Roasters Guild and Specialty Coffee Association. Mundos roasts their own coffee in-house on Tuesdays at the HQ location – and they even ship individual bags, or on a weekly or bi-weekly schedule. Croissants and pastries are made from scratch.

I perused the menu for something unique to try. They offered seasonal drinks, teas, sandwiches, avo bowls, crepes, burritos and more. I was intrigued by the peanut butter latte. I asked the barista what her thoughts were about it, and she told me that she really liked it so I decided to give it a go. How can one go wrong with espresso and peanut butter?

Ignorance is Bliss… or is it Emotional Safety?

Nicole  | 

I promised myself that I would write more. Expand my mind, empty my mind.

I often forget that I enjoy writing. I enjoy telling stories. I enjoy passing along learned knowledge, whether useful or best for trivia nights. And coming up with ideas as words and thoughts flow. 

I’m unsure what the block to writing is for me- but maybe one day I’ll sit down and write about it.

It’s been over a year since I last sat down and wrote anything for my website. Much has changed since then.

In September 2022, I was in Michigan recovering from my emotional strife of living in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. I had a tough relationship with my time and life in Playa. I made my first official move there from the United States and had a vast array of physical and emotional difficulties there. In just 8 short months, I witnessed drug deals in the streets, pedestrians and bikers getting hit by cars, friends being beaten to a pulp for their wallets, my realtor being shot and killed in his car by the cartel while his 14-year old daughter was in the passenger seat, gas leaks blowing up restaurants, my 15-year old cat falling off a fourth story balcony and breaking her jaw, my purse being stolen with my wallet and phone during my birthday dinner, among many other distressing circumstances. 

Returning to Michigan after this all was not only what I wanted, but what was necessary for my nervous system. The first couple of months back, I slept a lot. I cried a lot. I didn’t want to see friends or sunshine. I felt like I had failed in many ways. Most people I met in Playa absolutely loved it, whether they lived there permanently, vacationed there annually or were living the digital nomad winter. Why was it so hard for me? I lived in one of the most sought-after beach vacation spots in the world and yet, I felt unfulfilled, unsafe, lonely, and sad. 

I never used to agree with the saying “ignorance is bliss.” I believed that knowledge always gave you power. I disagree with this now and feel that ignorance can keep you emotionally safe in certain occasions. Perhaps I learned and witnessed more than I was capable of handling in Playa. Perhaps others were blissfully unaware of what was happening around them and that kept them happy. 

I question the information that I intake now. Do I need or want to carry this? How will it benefit me? It is likely to encourage positivity or negativity in my mind? Will I do something with this information? I’m glad that I have such a powerful, emotionally-driven mind, but learning to control intake was one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself.