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Hello everyone! Iโm new here and probably this is a very newbie question, but it doesnโt leave my head.
How do you, nomads, pay your taxes? I mean, if youโre constantly traveling, how are you going to pay taxes for a certain country if you are going to stay there a short period of time?
Or do you return to your โoriginal countryโ and then pay them?
By the way, this forum has very nice cool formatting features! 
A bit late to the convo, but I want to look at this from another point of view - ok, letโs say you can be a non resident anywhere and consequently not pay taxes anywhere. BUT. You still receive your earnings somewhere. That account has been opened in a particular country. Are you saying that you can have an account in a random country, not be their resident and still receive your income?
I am from Croatia and am struggling with how to fit in travelings as business expenses, plus all of this what you are talking about. I am always learning about new options. But, for now, I donโt see a way how can I legally receive earnings on my bank account and not be liable to any taxes. In Croatia, there is a special account for business earnings and your private account is separate (you get your salary on this account). This way, tax people can see how much you have earned and know how much taxes you need to pay. If I receive earnings on my personal account, I can do that, but that is not legal. Any thoughts?
Yes. Absolutely. Thatโs one of the pillars of flag theory. Although, I wouldnโt suggest any โrandomโ country, but rather a stable banking jurisdiction.
yeah, just live somewhere on non-worker visa and make sure you are not resident for tax purposes in your country and youโre good - not paying anywhere
Honestly, no. I donโt. I havenโt really worried about it though I guess it should be on my radar. The UK absolutely does NOT allow you to work while on a tourist visa. If asked, never tell them youโre working. It would be difficult to prove that you performed work while in a specific country, IMO.
As for proving the 330, Iโve note seen much mentioned about that. I did find this from here:
"If I am audited, how do I prove my travel dates to the IRS?
The IRS is not specific about what documentation is required, leaving that largely to the auditorโs better judgement. It is wise to keep a travel log in addition to plane ticket stubs and any other documents that might support your claims. Sales and credit card receipts can also be helpful. If your travel is related to business, your employer may be contacted for additional documentation."
so thatโs something to keep in mind.
Hej Rodrigo,
Here this is also discussed.
Brazilians are taxed based on their worldwide income based on residency. So it is the same as Europeans. The trick is to no longer be considered tax resident in Brazil.
Giving the fact how difficult Brazil is becoming for doing business and insane regulations it is a good idea to start looking abroad to set-up your business.
Cheers.
Yes - Same boat Mandy! You have to be gone out of the US for 330 days I think before you are exempt from what I read.
yes, 330 days out of 365, but they donโt have to be in a single calendar year.
FYI for fellow Americans: Living outside the US (even 365 days a year) doesnโt absolve you of tax responsibilities if you havenโt established a tax home somewhere else. Americans are always expected to pay taxes somewhere. https://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Foreign-Earned-Income-Exclusion-Can-I-Claim-the-Exclusion-or-Deduction
That is not strictly correct. A better statement would be that we are assumed to pay taxes somewhere.
โIf you do not have a regular or main place of business because of the nature of your work, your tax home may be the place where you regularly live. If you have neither a regular or main place of business nor a place where you regularly live, you are considered an itinerant and your tax home is wherever you work.โ
Most nomads will fall under the highlighted part. So, for the USA, legally, our tax homes are wherever we are working, which for most of us changes multiple times a year. However, since most of us are not in one place long enough for that country to consider us a tax resident under their laws they donโt require us to actually file taxes.
We meet the US requirement of having a tax residency outside the USA. That is what matters. What happens after that is between us and whatever country/ies we have been working in.
What it comes down to is that the tax system isnโt set up for nomads so this is a legal loophole. One that could possibly be closed in the future if they required proof of a tax liability elsewhere, but which is open at the moment.
Food for thought. Thanks. I have a family member who is a tax guy. After the holidays die down, Iโll have to pick his brain about this. 
Make sure he is a tax guy who specializes in expat taxes and the feie otherwise his knowledge will likely be lacking. I tried to talk to a regular CPA about it first and they had no idea so I spoke with someone who specializes in expat taxes and that is what I was told.
Also, keep in mind that the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion only applies to the first $100,800 in income (for 2015) and does not apply to Self Employment Tax. Youโll still owe Self Employment tax for all income plus income tax for all income in excess of the limit.
Can one setup a pass through entity, such as an llc, that has the worker (foreign non/never resident in any tax jurisdiction to qualify for the feie) as an employee who draws a salary so the entity has no profits. Or will the entity still need to withhold taxes from that salary?
Is that how people use the FEIE if self employed, by creating a tax entity to receive the income first?
depends on where youโre traveling, how long youโre there and where youโre from originally. Iโm a US citizen. the US is one of the only countries in the world that requires its citizens to pay taxes no matter where theyโre living. However, if you meet certain requirements you can get an exemption. I am generally traveling on a tourist visa and not in one country long enough to be considered a resident, therefore I donโt pay taxes anywhere.
Mandy, curious if you happen to know anything about telecommuting on a tourist stay for various countries in Europe? On Wikipedia, it says most countries donโt require a work permit for telecommuting during the 90 days youโre granted as a tourist, but some do (of course they donโt list which ones). And what about the UK and Ireland? From what Iโve read, they donโt allow it but Iโm not entirely sure.
The main reason I care is that Iโm a US citizen, planning to claim the foreign earned income exclusion and Iโm sure Iโll need documentation if I ever get audited. In case the IRS is hip to foreign work permit laws, want to make sure I understand all that and have proof. Any advice appreciated.
Well, thatโs very interesting! So if you travel only with tourist visa, you donโt need to pay taxes?
Also, if you eventually became a citizen of another country, do you still need to pay your US taxes?
I live at Brazil, so itโd be nice if someone from Brazil clarify this for me! 
depends on the country youโre traveling in. yes, as long as I am a US citizen, I am required to pay US taxes.
When asking questions like this which are completely country specific, telling us what country youโre from will help a lot, especially if you put it in the title so people know.
Hey Mandy-
thank you for sharing your knowledge here. i know this is an old topic but i just wanted to see if the rules you played by in 2015 still is in effect.
i am a US citizen, about to leave the US to India on a tourist visa. I will likely stay in many other countries throughout the next 2 years or so, all if not most on tourist visa. I am currently employed by an american company as a full time employee, but this will change to independent contracting status as I leave the country.
I am trying to see 2 things here:
ideally, i qualify for FEIE, and i donโt need to pay self employment tax somehow-- then my tax will be close to 0. but even just having FEIE, 15% self employment tax is not terribleโฆ
itโs been several years since this discussion came up, and ive seen in different places about IRS auditors targeting digital nomads and Trump potentially removing the 330 / 365 rule, so i am a bit anxious. last thing i want is to think i owe no tax and have to scramble for a fat tax bill.
sorry for reviving this thread, and thanks for your help!
Hi guys,
After the Netherlands, the Bay Area, Colorado and being on the van life for 8 months, I am now in Sedona, AZ with a few other digital nomads. We are sharing a home here and are wondering if there are more like minded people in the area.
We do a bunch of hikes and campouts in the northern of Arizona. If you would like to connect with us, please do so :)
Val
Does anyone ever travel to any Islands like Bermuda, Barbados, Barbuda and St. Kitts & Nevis?
Hi there, title says it all. Canadian nomad hoping to find the city/town in Portugal with great, consistent surfing, a solid coworking spot, and a fun group of young nomads. Please recommend!
I'm in need of a tax advisor who understands "our" typical situation. I'm all good on being legal on taxes at this point, but as I'm doing more investing and there's more compliance and KYC and such, it's getting more complicated to deal with this topic. Not living in my country of citizenship, company in another country, resident in yet another country, banking in a different country ... you know how it is, a pile of red flags.
Would be great to find a good tax advisor to sort things in a way that makes my situation as "explainable" and easily dealt with as possible. Any leads?
Hi, I've got a question to anyone who had experience with the digital nomad lifestyle. I'm 24, I'm in my last year of university doing computer science, got 3 years of experience mostly doing web development.
I never liked the idea of staying in one place, getting a job and growing roots - hence the will to take the opportunity and travel the world. My main question is โ how do I go about it? Are there any useful resources I could look into?
How do I go about insurance and such once I decide to move. I currently live in Switzerland and do freelance work for one company. It's not a lot, since my studies don't allow me to pick up a full time job, but it allows me to cover simple expenses.
I'd be happy to get some insight into how things work and also happy to network with anyone interested.
Hi guys ! hope you are doing well.
I would love to get your feedback regarding the best insurance for digital nomads. i'm traveling around Asia since 1 year and for next 4 or 5 years. Would love to buy an insurance to cover especially :
- health
- laptop, phone ...
- Flights
Hoping to see all the cool stuff people are working on while they live an extraordinary life.
Anyone know of any groups or resources for Ph.D. students working on dissertation while living as a digital nomad? I know there are several virtual writing groups around, but wondered if there were any specifically for digital nomads, particularly those who are dissertating.
Thanks!
Hey Nomads!
Iโm looking for an international health insurance (no travel insurance) for my nomadic life. It should cover the basic services and at least be accepted in the EU (itโs ok if itโs not accepted in the US as Iโm aware they rarely are). Nice to have: enter into a contract online. Anyone got a good experience or a recommendation?
Thanks in advance!
Hello digital nomad!
I dream of being an independent digital nomad. But it feels very elusive & unattainable with my success rate. In full disclosure, whilst I have dreamed about making money online since high school; I have not earned a single cent making money online. $0, nada, zilch!! On the contrary, I have spent a lot of time & money on books, podcasts. Even though I have spent a lot of time reading/listening to others, I do not have anything to show for it!
I have made attempts in the past to start an online business, but these fizzle out quite quickly when I do not see traction especially when the goal I have set myself is too high.
Instead of reaching for the ultimate nomadic lifestyle goal, I want to start much smaller. Really small! I am simply looking to make $50 profit per month from a new online business. Thatโs it.
I need some advice from you please!
Is $50 profit too low? How long did it take you to earn $50 profit per month?
What is a good way of achieving this goal?
Thanks
Mark
aka the $0 online business entrepreneur
Hey guys, this was my first year as a Canadian nomad.
As far as I know of, Canadians donโt pay taxes if they do not live in the country for 6 months.
But Iโd like to talk to an accountant or someone who does Canadian taxes specifically for expats and nomads to get clear on the rules and for help on my return coming up.
Does anyone know someone who specializes in Canada who can help? Iโve seen plenty of US recommendations but none for us canucks.
Thanks guys!
Hi!
I am planning to move to Latin America for 3-4 months (Oct-January). Iโve narrowed down 6 different places that I want to visit before committing to settling down, but Iโd love to get some community input.
Here are the cities Iโm considering:
The most important things Iโm looking for:
Anyone have any experience with these places and can give some insight? Iโm also completely open to other recommendations.
Thanks!
Rose
I just landed as a n00b digital nomad in Mexico City, and I am wonderingโฆ Where are all the international digital nomads hiding around here? I have been to several coworking spaces (Selina etc.) only to find A LOT of local Mexican workers and businesses. Donโt get me wrong, that is all fine, but I was hoping to meet some international nomads! Any advice?
Thereโs been a lot of discussion on this recently.
Nomads usually stay in hostels, hotels and short-term apartments. But itโs all not very optimal.
Iโve heard people suggest getting funding and building a network of houses you can stay at for a subscription price (e.g. Bruno Haid is working on that).
I donโt want do physical stuff, so Iโm thinking of building a platform around making housing better for nomads.
What are the housing problems nomads face? And how can we solve them with products/services?
I vaguely remember hearing about such a service before, but Iโm drawing a blank on the name. Basically I left my tablet on a connecting flight in Europe, right before my main flight to Thailand. They have my tablet and are willing to ship it out for me, but people have warned me thereโs a big risk of it getting โlost in the mailโ if I ship something expensive like that to Thailand.
Iโm wondering if thereโs a service or community, where I can find a nomad whoโs in Europe/heading to Thailand soon, so I can have it shipped to them in Europe and pay them to ferry it down here for me? I met someone in Budapest a ways back who had built something for this type of use-case, but I canโt remember the name of it. Any help would be appreciated!
I have seen a lot of posts from different people across the world, but not even a single post from someone in India, who has been a nomad, either living within the country or traveling to another one.
Would definitely love to hear stories from such people. We are a couple traveling as social nomads who are trying to bridge the gap between the rural and urban societies in India. We have started out very humble and do not have much resources, so looking out for help from the community.
Ankit & Rishika
Around Love and Life
Hi all, I was looking for a cool spot in Southern Europe for winter and Iโm considering Sicilyโฆ Have you ever been there? If yes, how was your experience? If not, why?
thanks!
Greetings!
Does anyone have experience in Bari, Italy please? We are thinking of going from Dubrovnik, Croatia to Bari by boat in mid-March. Has anyone taken a boat across? Is it nice or can it be choppy? (We are trying to avoid planes, to reduce our carbon footprint, so adding more surface travel.) Also, any info you might be able to offer about Bari and the surrounds? Next step will likely be trains up Italy as the Spring progresses.
Hello all,
Iโm planning on spending a couple of month in Mauritius Island and even when Iโve been there for a week, never rented or worked there.
Does anyone here has tips or experience to share about Mauritius?
Cheers!
Hey all:
Does anyone here have any experience attending a full time fitness bootcamp or a fitness resort while working? I know there is one in Cambodia for digital nomads (Fitness Retreat Resort Kep Gym), unfortunately the time difference vs my work schedule would make my life suck if I tried to go there. Iโm looking for a place between US and Europe timezones that lets you live with them, kicks your butt with fitness, but would also have good WiFi/accommodate working eight hours a day. Iโm also open to other tangential ideas for something close-ish to get that same experience.
Thanks for any help!
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