Expert Info
on 11 Nov 2013
Hello, I currently live in the US, but we will soon be moving to Mexico and I'm trying to negotiate with my company to keep my remote job.
They are a global company with offices around the world, but I get my paycheck from the US office. They want to keep me as an employee, but I've been told that my situation does not fall into one of their normal scenarios for relocation because the company is not sending me there for a specific need - I am the one voluntarily moving.
I am both a US and a Mexican citizen, so we are trying to determine the best way to handle this. Ideally I would like to continue being paid in US dollars, but I don't know if this is possible.
I also would like to find out what my company would need to do in this unique situation (should they treat me as a US citizen, or a Mexican citizen?) Any insight or guidance to the best source of information is greatly appreciated.
They are a global company with offices around the world, but I get my paycheck from the US office. They want to keep me as an employee, but I've been told that my situation does not fall into one of their normal scenarios for relocation because the company is not sending me there for a specific need - I am the one voluntarily moving.
I am both a US and a Mexican citizen, so we are trying to determine the best way to handle this. Ideally I would like to continue being paid in US dollars, but I don't know if this is possible.
I also would like to find out what my company would need to do in this unique situation (should they treat me as a US citizen, or a Mexican citizen?) Any insight or guidance to the best source of information is greatly appreciated.
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You would be well advised to get a tax expert or possibly even a lawyer to advise you on this but, in short, it should be possible. At the outset, however, it is fairly safe to say that it would be easiest for both parties, for the company to treat you as a US citizen living abroad.
The simplest way to ensure that you get paid in US dollars is to maintain an account in the USA, although if this will continue to be your primary source of income then bank charges may become a bit of an issue. If it does turn out to be a viable option, I'd recommend looking at an international bank such as HSBC.
While I am less knowledgeable of the exact details regarding the US and Mexico, I know, for example, that many British pensioners who stay in Cyprus keep accounts in the UK and they receive their state pensions in GBP.
The chances are, and I don't see why Mexico and the US wouldn't have a double taxation agreement, that you would pay tax in the country where the salary is received but not in both, i.e. if the money is paid into an account in the States, you will most probably pay tax there but not in Mexico.
Again though, these kinds of things are fairly complicated and while professional advice can be costly in the short term, it's always a good idea in the long run.
In the meantime, it may be an idea to have a look at our Banking, Money and Taxes in Mexico and Banking, Money and Taxes in the USA pages to get a feel for the systems in place in both countries.
Best of luck,
Xavier
Keep a bank account in the US and send it to your bank in Mexico.
I do this and the best deal out there is bridge21.com. They take US Dollars out of my bank account in the US, and then deposit MX pesos a few days later.
bridge21 almost always has the best deal. They only do US to Mexico but it's my go to because I live there. It takes a few days so I don't use them for emergencies. I use it for my paychecks because I keep more of my money.
For taxes it is worth it to talk to an accountant. There are good ones cheap in Texas and other border states that specialize in US and Mexico for people like us. It's worth it because sometimes they can save you a lot more $$$ than their charges with complicated stuff like 2 countries.