Go back to SG after 17 years?
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Originally posted by Boomslang4829:
I've lately been comtemplating moving back to Asia from the US within the next 2 to 3 years also.
Kind of fed up with the loose fiscal policies of the US govt, and having to pay through my A$$ in taxes...property tax US$10K, income tax US$15K, Social Security and Medicare US$12K (which I will never be able to withdraw because it will be bankrupt in 30 years)...
The cost of living in the US is pretty high. A 20 minute taxi ride is US$50, then have to tip some more. Tipping is everywhere...go for a meal in a restaurant, tips are now expected to be 15% to 20% on top of the sales tax, which is 8.25% in my state. And there are no options for hawker fare, so the cheapest meal you can get is about US$10, plus tip and tax on top.
Add to that the crap state of the job scene. Asia seems so much more happening in terms of job opportunities.
The only thing I would miss moving back to Asia is the casual way of life and the nicer manners people have over here.
I agree that SG is not the same place as it was 17 years ago. It sucks that the govt is letting so many foreigners in to replace SG workers. I would say maybe fo work in China or HK or Taiwan and become an expat, you'll probably get special treatment.
You have been living in the wrong state.
Personal property taxes can be assessed at almost any level of government, though they are perhaps most commonly assessed by states.
Some exemptions are available to homeowners in certain counties. In California, both Los Angeles County and Ventura County offer a homeowners exemption for property owners that live in the home.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Property_tax
Australia has no property tax for owner occupied properties.
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Originally posted by Boomslang4829:
I've lately been comtemplating moving back to Asia from the US within the next 2 to 3 years also.
Kind of fed up with the loose fiscal policies of the US govt, and having to pay through my A$$ in taxes...property tax US$10K, income tax US$15K, Social Security and Medicare US$12K (which I will never be able to withdraw because it will be bankrupt in 30 years)...
The cost of living in the US is pretty high. A 20 minute taxi ride is US$50, then have to tip some more. Tipping is everywhere...go for a meal in a restaurant, tips are now expected to be 15% to 20% on top of the sales tax, which is 8.25% in my state. And there are no options for hawker fare, so the cheapest meal you can get is about US$10, plus tip and tax on top.
Add to that the crap state of the job scene. Asia seems so much more happening in terms of job opportunities.
The only thing I would miss moving back to Asia is the casual way of life and the nicer manners people have over here.
I agree that SG is not the same place as it was 17 years ago. It sucks that the govt is letting so many foreigners in to replace SG workers. I would say maybe fo work in China or HK or Taiwan and become an expat, you'll probably get special treatment.
It's very sad the way the country is turning out.
No more "homely" feeling anymore.
You will likely get a culture shock when you see and experience what is happening.
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For Australia:
Principal places of residence are usually exempt from land tax, although this is subject to certain qualifying criteria which vary between jurisdictions.
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Originally posted by Boomslang4829:
I've lately been comtemplating moving back to Asia from the US within the next 2 to 3 years also.
Kind of fed up with the loose fiscal policies of the US govt, and having to pay through my A$$ in taxes...property tax US$10K, income tax US$15K, Social Security and Medicare US$12K (which I will never be able to withdraw because it will be bankrupt in 30 years)...
The cost of living in the US is pretty high. A 20 minute taxi ride is US$50, then have to tip some more. Tipping is everywhere...go for a meal in a restaurant, tips are now expected to be 15% to 20% on top of the sales tax, which is 8.25% in my state. And there are no options for hawker fare, so the cheapest meal you can get is about US$10, plus tip and tax on top.
Add to that the crap state of the job scene. Asia seems so much more happening in terms of job opportunities.
The only thing I would miss moving back to Asia is the casual way of life and the nicer manners people have over here.
I agree that SG is not the same place as it was 17 years ago. It sucks that the govt is letting so many foreigners in to replace SG workers. I would say maybe fo work in China or HK or Taiwan and become an expat, you'll probably get special treatment.
US$10,000 for property tax?
Do you live in NeverNeverLand?
If you are rich, it's good to help spread your wealth to help the less fortunate of society.
Philanthropy is a virtue.
In Singapore, there is no such thing as welfare, if you are poor and stupid, you just die and save the government from complications.
Remember that the real property tax is an ad valorem tax, or a tax based on the value of property. Two owners of real property of equal value should pay the same amount in property taxes. Also, the owner of more valuable property should pay more in taxes than the owner of less valuable property.
The property tax differs from the income tax and the sales tax because it does not depend on how much money you earn or on how much you spend. It is based totally on how much the property you own is worth.
For example, if an assessor assesses property at 15 percent of value, a house and land with a market value of $100,000 would have an assessment of $15,000. With no exemptions, this is the property's taxable assessed value. This $15,000 is not the tax bill. The tax bill for this house depends on the municipality's tax rate.
The tax rate is determined by dividing the total amount of money that has to be raised from the property tax (the tax levy) by the taxable assessed value of taxable real property in a municipality. If, for example, a town levy is $2,000,000, and the town has a taxable assessed value (the sum of the assessments of all taxable properties) of $40,000,000, the tax rate would be $50 for each $1,000 of taxable assessed value.
$2,000,000 / $40,000,000 = .050 x $1,000 = $50 (tax rate)
The town tax bill for this house with an assessment of $15,000 would be $750. The $750 results from dividing the assessment of $15,000 by $1,000 to get $15 (because the tax rate is based on each $1,000 of assessed value). Then, the $15 is multiplied by the tax rate to get the tax bill of $750.
$15,000 / $1,000 = $15 x $50 = $750 (tax bill)
As you can see, the size of the tax bill depends on both the assessment and the tax rate, which is based on the tax levy.
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Originally posted by deepak.c:
US$10,000 for property tax?
Do you live in NeverNeverLand?
If you are rich, it's good to help spread your wealth to help the less fortunate of society.
Philanthropy is a virtue.
In Singapore, there is no such thing as welfare, if you are poor and stupid, you just die and save the government from complications.
Remember that the real property tax is an ad valorem tax, or a tax based on the value of property. Two owners of real property of equal value should pay the same amount in property taxes. Also, the owner of more valuable property should pay more in taxes than the owner of less valuable property.
The property tax differs from the income tax and the sales tax because it does not depend on how much money you earn or on how much you spend. It is based totally on how much the property you own is worth.
For example, if an assessor assesses property at 15 percent of value, a house and land with a market value of $100,000 would have an assessment of $15,000. With no exemptions, this is the property's taxable assessed value. This $15,000 is not the tax bill. The tax bill for this house depends on the municipality's tax rate.
The tax rate is determined by dividing the total amount of money that has to be raised from the property tax (the tax levy) by the taxable assessed value of taxable real property in a municipality. If, for example, a town levy is $2,000,000, and the town has a taxable assessed value (the sum of the assessments of all taxable properties) of $40,000,000, the tax rate would be $50 for each $1,000 of taxable assessed value.
$2,000,000 / $40,000,000 = .050 x $1,000 = $50 (tax rate)
The town tax bill for this house with an assessment of $15,000 would be $750. The $750 results from dividing the assessment of $15,000 by $1,000 to get $15 (because the tax rate is based on each $1,000 of assessed value). Then, the $15 is multiplied by the tax rate to get the tax bill of $750.
$15,000 / $1,000 = $15 x $50 = $750 (tax bill)
As you can see, the size of the tax bill depends on both the assessment and the tax rate, which is based on the tax levy.
I'mo really not catching your drift about property tax. Do you live in the US? Maybe you live in Australia since you're quoting Aus tax statues.If not, you're probably not clear on what's happening by quoting CA tax law. They have it different from most of the country because of the balloning property values they've had int he last few years.
If only we were exempt from property taxes! Here in TX, it's 2% to 3% of your home value, and that's WITH a homestead exemption already.
Not sure what the deal is about your statement about "NeverNeverLand" and spreading wealth too...
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ha ha so funny to see all of you preach to stay outside of SG. You should see all those ministers who visited US and try so hard to convince oversea Singaporean to go back... : )
As to TS and others who think about Going back to Asia heres my take:
What you are experiencing about returning to Asia is call a pharse. In part you have already attained what you wanted to do in life. In part you miss or find the reason why you left Singapore in the first place. So what you are trying to do is simply connecting.
I have seemed individual who completed their U and work abroad after 10 - 15 years they decided to move back to their home country. I have also seemed couple as they grew old they move back to Singapore and stayed in simple 3 bedroom HDB flat while kids worked and lived in Australia. Sort of deposit their kids outside of Singapore.
Personnally...I would considered if my dependents are going to be happy to reside back in Singapore. particularly the adjustment.
Life style changed.... It is true that Asia have the Zest of human touch but most part of Asia are also over crowded. Giving over crowding all other aspect of limitation comes hand in hand.
finally it is your expectation about your life. Can you affort the changes at this stage of your life. And what exactly are you trying to connect.
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who said u can't find familiarity overseas? singapore heat and weather have moved to CA
im sweating my ass off, feels just like home -
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Originally posted by SouthernCross:
No, we welcome him back.
We are trying to give TS the heads up before he makes his decision.
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i went out for 3 yrs, came back
went out 4 yrs again, oso came backdelilcake this to u
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Originally posted by charlize:
No, we welcome him back.
We are trying to give TS the heads up before he makes his decision.
Charlize has the gist of things. -
Originally posted by charlize:
No more "homely" feeling anymore.
State is being destroyed right before our very eyes, yet some people still in dream land, having wet dreams about PAP.
It's all due to the 66.6%. Own up, which one of you are part of 66.6%?
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Originally posted by SouthernCross:
We welcome him back but we need to tell him the real situation 1st if not he come back already thanhe blame us for encouraging him to come back
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Originally posted by automator:
We welcome him back but we need to tell him the real situation 1st if not he come back already thanhe blame us for encouraging him to come back
I think if we change the government, most will come back.
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frankly, home is where the heart is...
and it doesn't matter what passport you hold...
if you find you are most relaxed and comfortable, loved ones around you, are happy, that's where your home is..
maybe you'll find it here in Singapore, and move back here, then.. welcome home
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Originally posted by noopi:
i went out for 3 yrs, came back
went out 4 yrs again, oso came backdelilcake this to u
Oh....sound like you got it too.....its call the traveller's blood.
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you all need to go to Iceland.
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Originally posted by automator:
We welcome him back but we need to tell him the real situation 1st if not he come back already thanhe blame us for encouraging him to come back
Uhm, if you read my post correctly, I didn't say I wanted to return to SG. I was contemplating a move back to Asia instead, any of the countries in Asia where the opportunities are good...nothing to do with reminiscing about family, etc. Just plain 'ol pragmatism about career advancement.Anyways, didn't mean to snag the thread from scrambledeggs about his moving back to SG. I think he's currently in HK?
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it seems there are quite a few people who are saying "don't bother coming back, SG nowadays not worth it...."
i am out of touch with the foreign worker issue back home, but are you saying that SG is now a free-for-all place for all foreign workforce, professional and non-professional? Meaning that you can come in and apply and take up any job even though you are not singaporeans? if that is so, then i do agree that it is surprising and it seem a fairly relaxed ruling......
in the last 17 years i was a foreign worker myself, although i was always lived in asia, and have not lived in europe and americas other than short term trips….. and yes, boomslang4829, i am living in HK now…..
but based on those experiences in different places, it seems that i can make three observations regarding foreigners and regarding low pay and cost of living:
first of all, because i was also "foreign worker", i can say that wherever i go, there are always government policy and rules to make it a bit difficult for me to be a foreign worker... its only a matter of degree of difficulty, from the very difficult to the fairly easy.... but bottomline, it seem all countries have these rules to protect their own locals, so that for the employer it always seem more convenient and logical to hire the local.... the tons of paperwork my company and i went through is just the tangible part of these policy and rules.... so from this experience, my guess is that every government has to strike this balance between making it difficult for foreigners to stay and making it easy for companies to hire
second, it seems wherever you go, there are foreign workers everywhere. even in karachi and dhaka, you have foreign workers.... and in some cities like doha, it almost seems like everyone is a foreigner until you start to wonder where are the locals or if there is something that the locals know that foreigners don't.... the difference seem to be the degree of acceptance of the foreigners by the locals..... some places seem to be generally receptive (in fact most places from my experiences are like that)... while some seem to be generally less so, like tokyo which seem to have a bit of cultural isolation mentality, but then if i am not wrong, i think japan had a few hundred years of isolation policy in the past which maybe have a strong influence on their way of thinking.... but anyway, no matter the degree of acceptance, everyplace even the most receptive places, will have some sort of local, slightly degoratory, term to describe the foreigners.... its always about us and them….
and thirdly, regarding low wages not keeping up with cost of living, it seems to me this is common everywhere and in fact, my guess is it is also common throughout any time in history…. everywhere, if we are the normal “rank and file” guys…. not the rich and not the super poor… whether in china, vietnam, wherever, life is tough! the pay is just about enough to pay the rent, mortgage, bills and your meals… and you probably hear your parents, grand-parents complain about this as well…. and even though my history is not good, my bet is that even if we go back to those warlords and emperor days, the peasants and common folks will have similar complains
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Lets just say, we are at a point, where we drop a piece of tissue paper from our HDB flat, the tissue will land on a foreigner head with higher probability.
And I still prefer you return to Singapore for a 1 month period with dependants, before you decide that Singapore is your place to return to.
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i know a number of people who are making very good money in singapore. i guess it all boils down to your own abilities. you can make money anywhere, its just a matter of knowing how to go about doing it. cost of living high in singapore? pleah, try getting charged USD9 for a 5 minute cab ride before you go on bitching
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To me, there's no place like home. Well, HK doesn't seems very far for SG. Really, if you aren't into politics, this should be your least concern.
Yes, there's an influx of foreigners working here and taking up citizenship. But many are for jobs shuned by our local (ie: hawkers, waiters, salesgirls and engineering jobs).Of course there are some who compete for professional job as well.
Yes, prices of goods, houses have inflated but so are HK. Yes, medical care is expensive nowsaday. Yes, transport cost is up, so are the travelling media services.
Probably, your foremost concern should be whether you can get a job here, whether your family is able to adapt to the changes here, such as education.
There will always be complain and unhappiness everywhere. Even in America where there is suppose to be is a democratic nation. But I supposed after a long way from home, you are looking for a place to rest and to be with your family and friends again.
Best Wishes.
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Now that its mentioned about HK.....
My friend just flew off to HK to join his wife and kids. Migrating there.
They gave up migrating to Australia due to the high prices. And this guy isnt a poor kid. He practically lived in Australia since he was 13 years old. And there is still a lovely landed property near Holland V for him.
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You have left Singapore for a long time and things have changed.
If you intend to move back, stayed for a couple of weeks or a month and see if you can adapt back here.
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PAP has sold out the country to foreign aliens, turning the island into a land of foreigners.
This is what happens when people don't put pressure on their government. We even have the old man talking rubbish about pledge being just bullshit wayang in parliament. This shows how much he cares about the nation.
Totally sold out.
Come back to Singapore stay for a few weeks, see all the foreign aliens, then make your decision.