Some of the plants growing in NatureWalk

Pineapples

Pineapples

More Pineapples

Jatropha

Jatropha

Cocoa Pods

Some of the flora and fauna on NatureWalk

Spider monkeys can be found throughout NatureWalk at all times of year

Currently there are large flocks of Scarlet Macaws nesting in NatureWalk (hopefully they'll stay)

This is a Spoonbill in the Tulin River

Poisonous frog (don't touch)

This scary looking creature is a fresh water river shrimp, delicious eating and on the menu for clients lunching at NatureWalk.

Aracari

Cocoa pods grow wild in NatureWalk

Candians can use their RRSP funds to purchase Investment and Vacation property in Costa Rica

Did you know that as a Canadian Citizen you can use your RRSP funds to purchase investment and vacation property in Costa Rica, that you can use yourself?

Well you can and to find out more, why not contact our specialist RRSP advisers.

They'll give you and absolutely free, no obligation consultation to explain the process to you.

Just visit our enquiry page at:

http://www.costaricainvest.ie/RRSP.html

Complete your details and we'll be in contact by return

Fly & Buy to NatureWalk

NatureWalk has a full Fly & Buy Program in place.

This is worth up to US$2,000 in travel and accommodation expenses.

To find out more e mail us at info@costaricainvest.ie or alternately see more on our website here

Trade Your Real Estate for Real Estate in NatureWalk

NatureWalk has aTrading program in place which allows you to trade your underperfoming assets - Real Estate, Cars, Boats, and Heavy machinery for income producing Real Estate in NatureWalk

To find out more e mail us at info@costaricainvest.ie or visit our website here

Taxation of U.S. Citizens Who Live and Work in Costa Rica

By Marion A. Keyes for the Costa Rica News

Since 1962, “qualified”US citizens living and working in Costa Rica have been able to exclude for U.S. tax purposes Costa Rican earned income and certain excessive housing cost amounts. Under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, a “qualified individual” means a U.S. citizen or resident whose “tax home” is in a foreign country and who either: a) resides in a foreign country or countries for an entire taxable year, or b) is present in a foreign country or country during any period of twelve consecutive months for at least three hundred and thirty (330) full days in such period.

Resolving the question of “Which country is a person’s ‘Tax Home’?” can be difficult as it is a subjective, fact-based analysis. In general, an individuals “tax home” is the place:

1. Where they maintain a regular or principal place of business;
2. Where they are allowed to deduct their traveling expenses;
3. Where they reside for the entire taxable year; and
4. To which they have a “closer connection.”

A deeper level of analysis is then required to evaluate whether an individual has a “closer connection” to a particular country. Some of the factors that are taken into account include:

1. The location of the individual’s permanent home;
2. The location of the individual’s family;
3. The location of personal belongings, such as automobiles, furniture, jewelry, etc.;
4. The location of social, political, cultural or religious organizations with which the individual has a current relationship;
5. The location where the individual conducts his or her routine personal banking activities;
6. The location where the individual conducts business activities;
7. The location of the jurisdiction in which the individual holds a driver’s license;
8. The location of the jurisdiction in which the individual votes; and
9. The country of residence designated by the individual on forms and documents.

If you are a “qualified individual,” then you are able to exclude up to $92,900 of Costa Rican earned income for 2011.

In addition to the exclusion for Costa Rican earned income, a “qualified” U.S. taxpayer can exclude from Gross Income a portion of their housing costs.[7] This is a very detailed and formulaic computation and I will not subject you to further brain damage in this week’s article. If you would like to know more about this scintillating subject, I have provided the citation for you to geek out to your heart’s content.

Marion A. Keyes is a U.S.-based tax attorney who focuses on International Taxation, Asset Protection, and Estate Planning. He speaks English and Mandarin Chinese fluently and has enough Spanish that he has talked his way out of Costa Rican speeding tickets on no less than three occasions (“Me encanta este pais.”). Marion can be contacted via his website at www.taxlawgeek.com where he blogs on a number of tax law issues.

To read the full story visit the Costa Rica news here

Aeromexico flies on biofuel

4 August 2011

Aeromexico is the latest airline to fly its planes on biofuel. Along with Boeing, the two companies powered a flight from Mexico City to Madrid using a General Electric motor that ran on bio-combustible fuel.

The flight, which took off at the beginning of August, had 250 passengers on board. The airline plans to make the flights more regular by implementing a programme that will see its Boeing 737-700 planes making commercial flights to San Jose in Costa Rica, as well as other destinations.

The Mexican Ministry of Communications and Transport, along with the Airports and Auxiliary Services were also involved in the launch of the biofuels’ flight. The jet fuel was made from a mixture of petroleum-based jet fuel and oil purchased from a jatropha curcas oilseed plant in Mexico.

To read the full story on Biofuels International click here

Grow your own Green Oilfield - webinar recording