adamdp89

Hi All

Relatively new here, so apologies if has already been asked before.

My Wife (US Citizen from birth) and I (UK) married back in 2017, after which we she moved and we settled in the UK.
At the time this made sense as I had work and a home and she was newly graduated.

Long story short, COVID and missing stateside family, we are now visa approved at the USA embassy with a departure date in line with her British resident permit.

First of all, any tips are welcome from expats, settling in, integrating, short term renting over mortgage (given current climate), Cars, driving licenses, internet, phone plans, throw anything at me.
If you struggled and now consider yourself a master, please share your story!

In terms of work I’m in a unique position.
I have carved out a special position at my current UK company who have offered to support my move by keeping me on some kind of arrangement that benefits me and is simple for them.
Wondering if anyone has done something similar and can advise the best way to go about this.
I’ve heard LLC and invoicing back monthly is likely the simplest way, given that I’ll be working from our new home, believe that this can be a ‘tax write off’.

I’ve also been watching the exchange rate tank, and was curious if savings accounts with our current home sale with have an affect on tax implications in the USA.

Apologies for wordy post but would love everyone’s input!

Thanks

civilservant

Likely the only way since the UK employer is not going to be withholding US taxes.

What are you referring to as the tax write off here? The home? Not clear at all.

Any foreign accounts will need to be declared on FBAR.

With regards to settling in an integrating, I would advise that you start looking for US based employment when you arrive. For one, we are heading into a recession, and you can never tell when a company is going to want to tighten they belt - potentially cutting you off. Add to that, it will be hard to integrate when you are essentially isolating yourself for a large proportion of the week by working from home. I found it much easier to get used to the way things worked by working, meeting people, and being 'out there' in the world. JMO.

Jack_Russells4ever

Austin and Texas in general is a great place to live, work and play. You will really love it there, Most Texans are very friendly and helpful.

christmasoompa

Not really sure what you mean by 'departure date in line with her British resident permit', but just to say that if she's eligible, I would advise she gets British citizenship before you leave. Just in case you change your minds and decide to move back to the UK after a few years, it would be much easier than having to apply for a spousal visa all over again.

Good luck with the move.

Pulaski

So a couple of your questions nobody else has touched yet - cars, and drivers licenses. The car supply chain is still severely messed up at the moment, so don't expect that getting a new car will be easy, but try taking a look at International AutoSource, which is a car broker that specializes primarily in providing cars in the US to people who are primarily, currently outside the US. ... I used them myself and have recommended them many times for two reasons - you don't need a US credit history to get decent deal on finance, and you can't beat the convenience of having already taken car of buying a car as you will already be very busy after you arrive with so many other things related to moving to the US - finding a home, connecting utilities, receiving your stuff, buying electrical things, arranging a phone plan, etc. the last thing you need is to be buying a car too.

Then acquiring a drivers license. .... You don't have very long (90 days in Texas), so you'll need to hit the ground running, arranging the six hours of mandatory training ASAP, and booking a test (which might not be possible until you have done the six hours of training, and which, if it's anything like the five hours required in New York, watching safe driving videos, will be the dullest six hours of your life!), but don't worry, the actual road test (any state, all states) is a ****ing joke, which is much of the reason that the standard of driving in the US is so atrocious. Start by going to the Texas Department of Public Safety (the licencing authority in Texas) web site and downloading the drivers manual (equivalent to the UK Highway Code), and reading that, paying special attention to the rules around school buses, and when you can't pass a stationery bus. Also the laws and penalties for drink/impaired driving, as that is still a huge problem across the US, IMO mostly because you don't seem to run much risk of losing your license until you have actually killed someone, and even if you do lose your license, there are many permitted exceptions, such as driving to work, to buy groceries, to go to a medical appointment, to church, etc., and many people just seem to keep on driving anyway.

Nutmegger

There will be opportunities to write off expenses related to your home office -- it must be a proper dedicated room, not just a computer in a corner of the bedroom -- a proportion of the utilities, office supplies, equipment, periodicals. I suggest a CPA to advise you as you get started. Whether you need to incorporate will probably depend on your business. I am self-employed, billing clients in various countries, and it has not been necessary for me.

jjmb

Austin and burbs around are incredibly expensive. In the current market our house, not a mansion of a house 20 yrs old, would be on the market for around $550,000 -600,000. that needs some tender loving care. There will be a drop in the near future due to recession and interest rates increasing but not that much change as Austin has become a tech hub. We don't live in a great burb by Austin standards but it's not eastside. Even so, houses are being snapped up because they are cheaper than places like Round Rock and Cedar Park. Because of the price rises in the last 2 years, property taxes are very high. We are somewhat protected as residents our taxes can only increase by 10%, so the people who buy it after us, are in for a huge increase, also in August, I get an exemption in 2023 for being 65. Rents are becoming even more expensive. My youngest daughter and her husband are beginning to look as they expect their rent for a one-bedroom unit to rise by 300- 400 months from September, so about 1800 a month. . Basically, what is your projected income? And what is your wife's profession?
As you have chosen Austin, I assume your wife has some family connection with the area
By the way, it F****** hot here at the moment. Not even mid-day and it's 96f with a heat index of 109F! Projecting a high of 108F, July is not normally this hot and we still have August and part of Sept to go! Our hottest temperature recorded was in September 2000 and repeated in August 2011.

Good luck with your move. Austin is a great place to live, Texas not so much.

PetrifiedExPat

What will be your gross income (household) when you move over? I will start there

petitefrancaise

Please don't start going on about needing a huge salary. Since Christmas I've worked with nurses starting out with a $55k salary, engineers at $75K right up to C- suite on megabucks. Not everyone needs a 4 bedroom house with 2 SUVs.
1 Bed apartmen $1500, 2 bedroom apartment $2k+ in nice areas near shops etc. Houses start at $2.5k unless you need a really good school area and then it's $3K+
As JJMB says, Pflugerville is popular but becoming more expensive thanks to the Tesla factory just down the highway. Leander is further out with apartments and starter homes and on the commuter line to the Domain and downtown.
Used Cars are expensive at the moment - waiting times for new ones are improving .
Driving License application is supposed to be done within 90 days but there are no appointments available until November so that is being ignored so long as you have the appointment booked.
You don't need to take a 6 hour driving license course - that is in lieu of the in-office knowledge test which is free and ridiculously easy. I only ever advise the 6 hour online courses to people whose English is poor.

S Folinsky

Chuckling a tad. I know that expenses can be relative. But I’m amused by the juxtaposition of “incredibly expensive” with what I see as low dollar figures. Elder daughter lives in Western New York State. Some of her expenses are quite low while others are quite high in comparison to when they moved from L.A. to where they are now.

LegalEagleTX

When we got our Texas licenses we didn't need six hours mandatory training, just the theory and practical tests.

Pulaski

That's what PetiteFrancaise said above (#9) - if you can pass the "written" test in TX you don't need to take the training.

LegalEagleTX

OK, I see, but I don't think the driving course is in lieu of the theory test, if you are required to do the driving course you are still required to pass the theory test. That's how it reads to me -> https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/dr...driver-license

petitefrancaise

You have to take the in-office knowledge test OR take an online course which takes 6 hours.

PetrifiedExPat

Found it!

What a load of nonsense, but sadly also, dangerously misleading advice.