I miss Greek restaurants.
I am planning to marry outside my race (a woman from Myanmar). In Asia people tend to marry within their own race. In the USA nobody frowns on mixed marriage.

I really do not miss the USA much, for the following:

There is too much intolerance toward people who do not want children.
There is too much crime.
The taxes are too high.
I am tried of political correctness. In Singapore I feel equal.

 

There is too much intolerance toward people who do not want children.

That highly depends on where you live in the U.S., and that hasn't been my experience in the areas where I've lived.

There is too much crime.

Same as above. There are many, many places in the U.S. where people don't bother locking their houses and don't think twice about leaving car keys in the ignition. The national crime rate is moderate by global standards but declining.

The taxes are too high.

Objectively, no. The U.S. is ranked somewhere past #50 in the world in terms of personal tax burden, which is really quite excellent for a developed economy. There are several states with zero income taxes and even some with zero sales taxes. There is no general federal sales tax or VAT, and state rates (among those that have sales taxes) are much lower than European norms. The U.S. is fairly rare in having a negative effective personal income tax rate for lower income individuals. There is no general wealth tax in the U.S. The U.S. has very few "taxes" -- required payments to support corrupt governments and politicians -- unlike many other countries. The U.S. has highly tax-advantaged retirement savings programs and highly tax-advantaged real estate (particularly when mortgaged). Motor vehicle taxes (including fuel taxes) are much lower than in Europe, Japan, Australia, and, yes, much lower than in Singapore. The U.S. social insurance system -- payroll taxes versus benefits returned -- is quite excellent by global standards. The effective corporate tax rate in the U.S. is ridiculously low.

Taxes in the U.S. are generally higher than in Singapore, however.

In my experience the U.S. is a consumer paradise, actually. I love shopping in the U.S. Unless you're looking for something very specific, it's very hard to beat the U.S. in terms of prices and quality for consumer products.

 

we are about to move there from Australia. We have young kids. I am told to bring lost of those 'squeezy fruits' and junior toothpaste !!????!?

I think most things are readily available except some friends have said they prefer to shop for womens clothing back in Australia (especially jeans and swimwear) or from internet (UK, USA etc)

eucalyptus oil?

 

Thanx BBC watcher. Your numbers are closer than mine, I was doing quick calculations off the top of my head. Even if my Singapore taxes are about $4000, they still come to only about 2/3 of what I spend on a typical vacation since I moved to Singapore.

I have some old pay stubs. Health insurance, 401k, state, and federal taxes were killing me. The tax on cable TV, phone, and the city sales tax of 11% was having me for breakfast.

I have something in Singapore that I seldom had back in the USA... Money left over at the end of the month.

With regards to USA tax liability,I only have to worry if I make about $95000 USD a year. My future wife will not have a SSN. How can I claim the deduction for her?

 

With regards to USA tax liability,I only have to worry if I make about $95000 USD a year.

Not exactly. You're referring to the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion. Unearned income -- interest, dividends, capital gains, etc. -- is not excluded from U.S. tax, so as you save (for retirement and for other reasons) this is something to pay attention to. For example, if you participate in CPF and end up with PFIC problems it can be horrible, actually.

My future wife will not have a SSN. How can I claim the deduction for her?

You would get a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) for her.

 

I have never been dishonest on a tax return, and I have no intention of ever doing so. I did make a mistake once. The dollar amount was small. The IRS agent was very helpful, and professional. They waved the penalties. Every since then I have let a professional take care of my tax return. That way I never have to worry.

All that being said, if the government pushes my patience, I will just blow them off. I have always considered law enforcement in the USA (and most notably Arizona) to be "toothless" at best. I see even less of a reason to respect them when I am living on the other side of the Earth.

 

"Toothless" is not the first word that comes to mind to describe Arizona's law enforcement.

 

Let me guess, you buy into the Sheriff Joe charade? He only bothers to chase crime that gets press. Meanwhile Maricopa county is the crystal methane, and car theft capitol of America. Most Arizona prosecutors hate him. Also Arizona has a reputation for perusing crime that brings in revenue in the form of fines. If you have no money to pay, they will not bust you so long as you are not endangering the public. That is why Phoenix has an epidemic of boom cars driving round violating noise ordinances. That is the main reason I moved to Singapore. I had enough.

Drive through any Wal-Mart parking lot in Phoenix. I bet 10% of the cars are owned by illegal aliens and have stolen plates. My plates were stolen twice from my car parked at work.

 

OK, but that's not toothless in my view. Selective works for me.

 

Yup!