Guides

Menaje de Casa to Mexico: the complete 2026 guide

Everything on bringing your household goods to Mexico duty-free in 2026: who qualifies, what counts, what's excluded, the consular certificate, and the free…

Selling a house in Mexico while living in the US: the 2026 tax

The real 2026 tax when a US resident sells property in Mexico: why the casa-habitación exemption may not apply, the 25% vs 35% non-resident options, and how…

Did you lose your Afore by emigrating? No — here's how to claim it

No, you didn't lose your Afore by moving to the US. How to locate and claim your Mexican retirement account from abroad in 2026 — the regimes, the 2026…

How much do you need to earn to sponsor your spouse? (I-864)

The 2026 income requirement for the I-864 Affidavit of Support, how household size is counted, and the three fixes if you fall short — assets, household…

The new 1% remittance tax (2026): who pays, who doesn't

Since January 2026 the US charges a 1% excise tax on some remittances. It applies only if you pay with cash, a money order or a cashier's check — paying…

How much does a marriage green card cost in 2026?

The real 2026 cost of a marriage green card, both paths: adjustment of status ($2,115 mandatory, $3,005 with work + travel permits) and consular processing…

Apostille & certified translation: cost and how it works

What an apostille is, when you need a certified translation, and what both cost in 2026 for a visa or immigration case — by country and document.

Filing taxes with an ITIN in 2026: what you can claim

'ITIN filers get nothing back' is false. What an ITIN filer can actually claim in 2026 — your refund, the $500 Credit for Other Dependents, California's…

No tax on tips & overtime: what you'll really save

The 2026 'no tax on tips and overtime' deductions, explained plainly: what qualifies, the caps ($25,000 tips / $12,500 overtime), why only the overtime…

Aguinaldo in Mexico 2026: how much you're owed and when

How the aguinaldo works in 2026: the legal minimum of 15 days' salary, how it's prorated even if you quit, what's exempt from ISR, and the December 20 legal…

US take-home pay in 2026: what actually lands in your check

How US take-home pay works in 2026: the 2026 standard deduction and brackets, Social Security and Medicare, and state tax — and why the same salary leaves…

Is Social Security tax-free in 2026? The honest answer

No, Social Security is not tax-free in 2026. How much of your benefits is really taxable under the combined-income rules, what the new $6,000 senior…

Can you write off your car payment in 2026? The real rule

No, you can't deduct your car payment — but maybe the interest. The 2025–2028 car-loan interest deduction explained: new US-assembled vehicles only,…

1099 self-employment tax in 2026: what you really owe

Being 1099 isn't tax-free. The 15.3% self-employment tax, how it's calculated on 92.35% of your net profit, the half-SE deduction, and your four quarterly…

Spain autónomo quota 2026: what you'll really pay

The flat autónomo fee is gone. How Spain's 2026 income-based RETA quota works, the €80/month tarifa plana for new autónomos, and how your bracket is set by…

Finiquito vs liquidación in Mexico 2026: what you're owed

The difference between finiquito and liquidación under Mexico's Ley Federal del Trabajo — what you're owed if you resign vs. if you're fired without cause,…

US tax refund in 2026: will you get money back or owe?

How a US tax refund really works: it's your withholding minus your actual tax after credits. Why a big refund isn't free money, what to do if you owe, and…

Child Tax Credit & EITC in 2026: what you can claim

The 2026 Child Tax Credit (up to $2,200 per child, up to $1,700 refundable), the EITC, and the $500 Credit for Other Dependents — plus exactly what changed…

Mexico net salary 2026: how much lands after ISR and IMSS

How your Mexican take-home pay is calculated in 2026: ISR under the SAT tables, IMSS worker contributions, and the employment subsidy — with the verified…

Insurance for your visa in 2026: which policies actually qualify

What insurance each visa really requires: the €30,000 Schengen minimum, why travel insurance fails Spain's residency visas (you need a no-copay Spanish…

Relocation budget 2026: the full cost of moving abroad

What an international move really costs, itemized by corridor — US↔Colombia, US↔Mexico, Mexico/Colombia↔Spain — from shipping and flights to visas, deposits…

International moving cost 2026: sea vs air, by corridor

What it costs to ship your belongings abroad in 2026: sea freight vs air, how home size and corridor set the price, and why the honest range beats a quote-wall.

Colombia visa income requirements 2026: do you qualify?

How Colombia's 2026 visa income thresholds work — digital nomad, pensioner (M), rentista and worker — expressed as multiples of the Colombian minimum wage,…

Relocating with a dog or cat 2026: rules by country pair

What it takes to move a dog or cat internationally in 2026: microchip, rabies vaccine, the rabies titer test some countries require, health certificates and…

Equivalent salary: what you'd need in another city

How to find the salary you'd need in City B to keep the same lifestyle you have in City A, using cost-of-living data — the honest way to compare a job offer…

Mexico's 40-hour workweek 2026: the law, the calendar, your overtime

Mexico's 40-hour workweek is enacted law, phasing in 48→40 hours from 2027 to 2030. What's law vs. myth, why your pay is protected, and how overtime is…

Cashing out a 401(k) when moving back to Mexico: what you really lose

A one-time 401(k) cash-out can lose 30–40% before it ever leaves the US — withholding plus a 10% early penalty. What's fixed, what depends on you, and why…

Do I still have to file US taxes if I live abroad? The 2026 FEIE, honestly

Living in Mexico or Spain doesn't end your US taxes. What the $132,900 exclusion covers, why it doesn't erase self-employment tax, and the Mexico-vs-Spain…

Does a foreign pension reduce your US Social Security? Not anymore

The WEP and GPO were repealed — a Mexican (IMSS), Spanish or government pension no longer cuts your US Social Security since Jan 2024, and SSA owes back pay…