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Comment by UAEbound | Hacker News Reader

I think this is mostly related to ethics, but it can also refer to having you do something that you normally wouldn't do that is ethical, but you can be paid off to do.

I have an example - I'm an average software engineer in the midwest making $170K/year in a great field, and I've been offered a position in Dubai, in an outdated industry, making somewhat less salary, but 0% taxes and a housing and travel allowance.

Here is the thing - I love my current job, love the field, love the local weather, culture, apartment. I really don't want to move, don't really like the new field, really don't like living in Dubai (lived there for six months) - but, Net of Travel/Allowance/Salary/Housing/Taxes, I'll be making $50K more in pocket

At a certain point, money can buy your unhappiness. I guess we'll see if $50K is enough to do that for me.

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Not sure if you're a US citizen/green card holder or not, but it might be worth mentioning that if so all of your worldwide income is subject to reporting and taxation. If your tax liability in your bona fide tax residence is less than what you would pay in the US, then you owe money to the US.

AFAIK, for US citizens and green card holders, there aren't any income tax advantages to working in a place like Dubai.

FEIE means there is a sizable dollar for dollar advantage, depending on the taxation rules of the host country. https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/fore...

True. The FEIE does cut that down a bit, but anything over the FEIE limits would still be subject to tax in the US, though not in the host country, as you mentioned. I was simply making the point that having a bona fide tax residence in a country with a lower tax rate than the US does not necessarily mean that taxes will simply be those of the host country with lower tax rates (e.g. Dubai, Singapore, etc.).

UAE is quite a freedom-phobic place.

If you're an LGBTQ person, you're gonna have a bad time.

If you're a woman, you might have a bad time.

If you are a smiling person who laughs at a good joke about the administration and likes jokes about administration, you're gonna have a bad time.

I have heard of passports taken away for silly reasons ("we just need it to do some photocopies...") And not given back until the company was "done with you", effectively holding a free person hostage in the state.

I wish you none of the above, but I would read more about UAE and think about it more than twice before boarding that plane.

Good luck, really.

Spent six months living there. Everything you just said/read is true. A bigger issues for contract laborers than expats, but still an issue.

As long as you are a straight, white, non-jewish, male that has no interest in being in the private company of women, and no interest in politics, freedom, or human rights issues, and are comfortable waking up, doing your work, and going home again - you'll probably be fine in the UAE.

$170K/year doesn’t make you happy, but you think a mere extra $50k would?

So I know that I'm going to be significantly more unhappy in Dubai than I will be here in the Midwest - I don't spend 50% of what I make already - I certainly don't need anymore money, and neither am I likely to spend it. In fact, I'm going to be miserable, but, "Everyone has a price" - means that, offer me enough money, (and $50K/year is about in the right space), and I'll trade misery for money.

that seems like a really low amount of money for the things you're giving up. particularly given your already good salary in a presumably low COL area

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