35m who has enjoyed playing hockey, biking, roller skating, running for exercise, tennis or paddle ball, and dancing ( salsa bachata ), but I can’t find a way to do any of things pain free anymore so generously curious what hobbies or activities you do with sciatica that does not cause pain but gives same community connection, or weekend schedule, or movement.
Close to hitting the 183-day mark in Colombia, which would make me a tax resident here.
Right now I have a solid US-optimized setup using the FEIE, but becoming a Colombian tax resident would complicate things.
Quick note: I actually like paying taxes and genuinely want to contribute. I believe in them. The problem is purely structural, I'm self-employed, there's no US–Colombia tax treaty, and the combination of Colombia's progressive rates with US self-employment tax on top creates a double-taxation situation with no easy offset mechanism.
Here are my options as I see them:
A / Return to the US
Drop the FEIE. US taxes kick back in, but even with SE tax the total burden is lower than what Colombian residency would add on top, and at least it's one system.
B / Stay in Colombia
Accept tax residency and try to optimize within the Colombian system. Pay US SE Tax.
C / Travel and reset
Leave before hitting 183 days, spend the rest of 2026 moving around (thinking Argentina, Jamaica, El Salvador, Nigeria, South Africa), and return to Colombia fresh in 2027. Moving around is appealing as much as it’s not (lonely, no community, sciatica with bad mattresses)
Has anyone navigated this?
I'm close to hitting the 183-day mark in Colombia, which would make me a tax resident here.
Right now I have a solid US-optimized setup using the FEIE, but becoming a Colombian tax resident would complicate things.
Quick note: I actually like paying taxes and genuinely want to contribute. I believe in them. The problem is purely structural, I'm self-employed, there's no US–Colombia tax treaty, and the combination of Colombia's progressive rates with US self-employment tax on top creates a double-taxation situation with no easy offset mechanism.
Here are my options as I see them:
A / Return to the US
Drop the FEIE. US taxes kick back in, but even with SE tax the total burden is lower than what Colombian residency would add on top, and at least it's one system.
B / Stay in Colombia
Accept tax residency and try to optimize within the Colombian system. Pay US SE Tax.
C / Travel and reset
Leave before hitting 183 days, spend the rest of 2026 moving around (thinking Argentina, Jamaica, El Salvador, Nigeria, South Africa), and return to Colombia fresh in 2027. Moving around is appealing as much as it’s not (lonely, no community, sciatica with bad mattresses)
Has anyone navigated this?
I'm close to hitting the 183-day mark in Colombia, which would make me a tax resident here.
Right now I have a solid US-optimized setup using the FEIE, but becoming a Colombian tax resident would complicate things.
Quick note: I actually like paying taxes and genuinely want to contribute. I believe in them. The problem is purely structural, I'm self-employed, there's no US–Colombia tax treaty, and the combination of Colombia's progressive rates with US self-employment tax on top creates a double-taxation situation with no easy offset mechanism.
Here are my options as I see them:
A / Return to the US
Drop the FEIE. US taxes kick back in, but even with SE tax the total burden is lower than what Colombian residency would add on top, and at least it's one system.
B / Stay in Colombia
Accept tax residency and try to optimize within the Colombian system. Pay US SE Tax.
C / Travel and reset
Leave before hitting 183 days, spend the rest of 2026 moving around (thinking Argentina, Jamaica, El Salvador, Nigeria, South Africa), and return to Colombia fresh in 2027. Moving around is appealing as much as it’s not (lonely, no community, sciatica with bad mattresses)
Has anyone navigated this?