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How Nonresident Taxes Work

By: Dave Roos

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Author's Note: How Nonresident Taxes Work

My family and I lived abroad in Mexico for six years. Two of my children were born in Mexico, but both my wife and I are passport-carrying Americans. While in Mexico, my wife worked for an international school and the staff there handled all of the paperwork for Mexican income taxes. I worked as a freelance writer for American newspapers and magazines, so I didn't bother paying income tax in Mexico. Researching this article, though, I'm starting to wonder if I should have. Sadly, skirting income tax is a proud tradition in Mexico, so it's unlikely that anyone would ever come after me for a few spare pesos. In the meantime, I'll continue to live by my credo: Ignorance of foreign tax laws is bliss.

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