Managing US taxes, mail, insurance from Brazil

Inubia · 2025-02-03T17:52:48+01:00

I' m not new member, I just have not posted here for awhile. Glad to see that Abthree and others are still here, greetings! This is a rant as much as advice for prospective expats. I just put down the phone and web browser from again trying to get my mail handled, since all US citizens must file taxes no matter where we live. I've been a permanent resident in Brazil for almost 3 years now with no intentions of ever returning, but I still have issues. I~ve got property and insurance and a car and pensions and bank accounts and whatnot back in the states. And I have spent interminable hours getting stuff to flow properly. I've had 1099's disappear and payment amounts changed without notice to me. The basic problem is that computer programmers and their website designers and systems analysts are so small-minded that they make current address windows only accept USA addresses with USA zipcodes. Workarounds are a bitch and each one is different. Second stage ID verification can be particularly painful. But basically if you have that stuff and you intend to keep it, then you must, must, must have some person that you can implicitly trust who remains in the USA and who can redirect stuff for you. best wishes all Inubia

Inubia Serial expat

Member since 17 December 2020

InubiaSerial expat03 February 2025 15:52:48

293

I' m not聽 new member, I just have not posted here for awhile.聽 Glad to see that Abthree and others are still here, greetings!

This is a rant as much as advice for prospective expats.

I just put down the phone and web browser from again trying to get my mail handled, since all US citizens must file taxes no matter where we live.聽 I've been a permanent resident in Brazil for almost 3 years now with no intentions of ever returning, but I still have issues.

I~ve got property and insurance and a car and pensions and bank accounts and whatnot back in the states.聽 And I have spent interminable hours getting stuff to flow properly.聽 I've had 1099's disappear and payment amounts changed without notice to me.聽 The basic problem is that computer programmers and their website designers and systems analysts are so small-minded that they make current address windows only accept USA addresses with USA zipcodes.

Workarounds are a bitch and each one is different.聽 Second stage ID verification can be particularly painful.

But basically if you have that stuff and you intend to keep it, then you must, must, must have some person that you can implicitly trust who remains in the USA and who can redirect stuff for you.聽

best wishes all

Inubia

abthree Brazil Expert

Member since 28 December 2017

abthreeBrazil Expert03 February 2025 17:06:55

6125

02/03/25 @Inubia.聽 It's great to see you again, and to know that you're still doing ok!

There's no complete solution (yet!) for the problems you're struggling with.聽 Here are some things that can help though, assuming that you've obtained a workable broadband connection there in the Bahian Sert茫o:

Put as many of your accounts as you possibly can on paperless delivery.聽 That solves a LOT of lost statement problems.聽 Have a VPN that lets you use a US IP address if some US accounts won't let you connect:聽 that usually solves it.聽 You may need to pause the VPN for some Brazilian connections.
Use your US bank's online bill pay to pay as many of your bills as possible, especially the recurring ones.
Have one or two Authenticator apps on your phone.聽 I use Microsoft's and Google's.聽 That solves the two-step ID problem easily and elegantly with an increasing number of counterparties, including Social Security.
The payment amount changes without notice sound like a Medicare Supplement -- I have that problem, too.聽 I've found that I can usually catch it by emailing the insurance agent around this time of year, and/or having my Mail Forwarder scan a few bills.聽 I'm probably successful in catching it early only 90% of the time, though.
I use a Mail Forwarder -- US Global Mail, in my case.聽 Some people don't want the expense and I get that, but the problem with people "that you can implicitly trust" is that even with the best will in the world, they move away, they get sick, or they die.聽 A Mail Forwarder doesn't do those things, and also gives you a US mailing address, informs you of everything that arrives there, and follows your instructions on how to forward it or dispose of it.

Stay well and happy!