Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes Ah, it’s Saturday morning, my day for shopping at the Puriscal Farmers Market. It’s 7:30 as I head into Puriscal for my weekly visit to the feria (farmers market). I prefer going early before the large crowds arrive, so I still have time to attend to clients to show a…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Until recently, dogs were not part of most families in Costa Rica, nor was there any pet culture at all. Now, almost everyone has one or more pets at home. Some years ago, people were complaining that in their condominiums, dog owners wouldn’t clean up the poop their dogs leave…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes The annual Costa Rica property tax runs from the 1st of January until the 31st of December. You can pay the property tax quarterly. The percentage of the yearly property tax is 0,25%, as regulated by Law 7509. The correct way of calculating the Costa Rica property tax or impuesto…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes If you own an active or non-active corporation, you will want to know how much corporation tax Costa Rica (in Spanish: impuesto a las personas jurídicas) must be paid this year. The 2023 corporation tax 2023 must be paid before January 31st, 2024. Those who fail to comply with this…
Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes Do you know what makes Escazu unique? Living in Escazu is different than it is elsewhere in Costa Rica, anywhere, really. I moved to Escazu in the 80s, when we had cows and horses in the streets. Now, living in Escazu is comparable to urban living in other parts of…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes You’d say, “What is so difficult about parking your car”? It seems simple, but let me tell you a few things. It might save you from getting a ticket, having your tag taken, or getting your car scratched all over. Once you move to Costa Rica and drive your own…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes So, you did things differently back home? Well, guess what? They do things differently in Costa Rica than you are used to. Who says that the way you do things is the correct way? I see expats get mad too often in the grocery store, the bank, the hospital, the…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes What and what not to pack when you move to Costa Rica? Probably half the stuff you plan to pack you do not need. But there are other things that you don’t see the need to bring but you might kick yourself in the head later. The title of this…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes What is Costa Rica escrow, and why should you use escrow for a real estate closing? Is it really necessary? The Costa Rican authorities don’t want you to purchase a property with a wheelbarrow full of money. For many years, cash purchases happened all the time. Worldwide, authorities want more…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes When selling your property, it’s crucial to NOT be an unhappy seller. An unhappy seller usually turns into an angry seller, which makes the sale of their property almost impossible. After writing this article about the 5 crucial keys to NOT being an angry seller, I have come up with 9…