Which is why I said that it depends. Anyone who is hiring people, starting a business to service belizeans or tourists or otherwise making income originating from within the country's borders should absolutely have a work permit and other required licenses. And if they do not, they should be held accountable for such.

I just think that there is a moral difference between a telecommuter and what some here consider "self-employment".

If the laws are written such that a telecommuter is required to be licened as Chris indicates, then the laws need to be changed or special cases need to be considered. The benefits of bringing that outside wealth into the country cannot be stated enough.

Dianne, watch the spinning avatar......waaatch the spinning avatar. You're getting sleepy.......verrrrry sllllleeeeepy.

Free money, please tell me where this place is?

Business Tax is 1.75% on gross revenue for businesses. Sales Tax may apply for certain services depending on the volume. Income Tax is 25% on all earning over aprox. $US200 per weak if paid as an employee.

A friend owns and operates a project management company in Chicago and has a condo here in Belize. She spends up to six months here. She got her paperwork in order, purchased a trade license and pays here business tax as she operates from the island. Her other option was to form an International Business Company and utilize the offshore legislation.

You simply can not just plot yourself on the island and claim, "Here I am you lucky devils!". This is 1) illegal and 2) very disrespectful.

These folks are not necessarily breaking any US laws in the above listed scenarios. It's the Belize laws on labour, immigration, local government and taxation that are being broken. The law is clear while the enforcement is lax to none.

Telecommuting definition: Use of a telephone and/or computer system in the home that allows an employee to perform job duties and to communicate with the office without actually traveling to and from work.

The point of service is in Belize. The person is in Belize. Belize needs it's cut, pay Caesar his due, it's not that much anyway and the process isn't all that difficult. It's the law regardless of the various economic viewpoints from such astute economists.

My definition of free money as it pertains to this dicussion: Wealth injected into an economy not generated by that economy nor by the people who benefit from or live within the economy.



This is a different scenario than the one I described. Here you are talking about a self employed business owner who is operating her business from belize. I'm talking about employees of another company who can and do work from anywhere, including Belize. Their employer may not even know where they are at any point in time.



How is dropping excessive amounts of foreign generated money into a local economy disrespectful???

Having total disregard for their host country's current law is disrespectful.

She is an employee of the corporation she owns shares in. She is working for her US corporation while she is living and working here.

If you are just passing through, you are a tourist who needs a valid tourist permit. If you are living and working here (for whomever, wherever) you are not a tourist and need to follow the procedures like everyone else, no matter how much money you pour into Belize's economy. Working, paid or unpaid, on a tourist permit is illegal.

The folks that have the resources to greatly impact the economy and drop excessive amounts of foreign exchange into the banking system are usually given great assistance with their compliance issues.

My folks retired here and needed proper immigration status. Retirees are another example of benevolent consumers. Red tape still applies.

Pedro1, sometimes I think you just like to get some people on this board heated!

You should see him in action in real life!!

The major crux of this thread highlights the inherent problems of an economy that generates revenues for community services from income tax as opposed to property tax.

If I were semi retired in Belize and doing a little internet work out of the country, I do not think the same arguments would be made against the work performed were I paying a property tax bill each year that was graduated by property value and the first $100,000 Bze was tax free to Belizean citizens?

That would be the "free money" to the local economy.

Then there is this:

Am I being stalked, or just obsessed over

The question that was presented was if we should support people who do not obtain proper permits. My point was that there is an ethical consideration here.

Are we more ethically bound to the letter of a law or the spirit of the law?

If a law were written to protect the welfare and income of a local citizen that when followed would harm the welfare and income of the same people it was designed to protect, should it be followed?

I agree that the best option is to try to affect a change in a badly designed law. But if that is not an option...

so if you make and sell a hamburger -is that legal or illegal?