Just got my bachelors in computer science and masters in software engineering.
I have Dutch EU passport.
At some point in my career I want to have my own business, but taxes here (Netherlands) are really high.
I prefer cold weather and want highest standard of living possible. I want to settle down and raise a family of two kids.
Where should I move to?
Maybe they don't care so much, but they could finance other things. Just as he's free to vote, he's free to move to another society.
Chileans currently face this disagreement. They are discussing raising tax levels to pay for more free college and to pardon a chunk of student debt. This is quite unfair to those who have already paid, and even worse for those who took on debt and haven't fallen behind, as now they will pay forever in the form of taxation.
Not everybody likes socialism, pal.
If people are taking advantage of something without retribution, it's time for the society that enables such things to get their priorities in order. Until recently, anyone could study for free in Argentina, even non-resident foreigners. A country with worse problems like food insecurity and hyperinflation was effectively funding college for foreigners, with no retribution needed. Truly a mess if you ask me. I'm glad they fixed it.
I'm fine getting around by car mostly
not sure about the security part, Dubai has no taxes and is very safe (although really really hot)
I can use a VPN to get around that stuff.
Not an issue.
Another option could be Poland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria.
Don't listen to the bad press, not because it's untrue but because it's incomplete. The bad things are bad, but the good things are glorious.
What about education and stuff for children? Will it be very expensive?
What type of wealth do you think I can build up with this plan?
Kind regards
Education isn’t cheap, but it’s less crazy than the US. Also, you don’t have to pay to go to the doctor.
How much money you can save will depend largely on where you live. Toronto and Vancouver are pretty expensive, there are lots of cheaper options that would help you build wealth with a good paying remote job.
the weather is great, I like rain while working tbh
I'm pretty sure it's really hard immigrating there though from the netherlands
(correct me if I'm wrong)
If you don't have any family connections, you're likely to need an employer to sponsor you, but because you're not from China, India, Mexico, or the Philippines, the process shouldn't take forever, if you have an employer willing to go through the process.
A typical path is to work for a multinational employer somewhere you've got work authorization, with an intent to transfer to the US at some point, and then work towards a green card (permanent residency) and maybe citizenship. The US immigration process is really too slow (and random, if you're coming in through H-1B) to hire fresh grads from other countries directly into the US.
Getting to a good position where you can ask to be relocated seems to be really hard too (correct me if I'm wrong).
Overall the US seems to not be a good option for me, since I completed my masters here. It might be if you study your master degree in the US, since it makes immigrating much easier.
Getting directly hired seems hard; H-1B requires application by early April and if you win the lottery, you can't start until October. I'm not sure many employers will be willing to do that. Maybe if you can WFH in the meantime? Other work visas might not have the same application -> start times, but are still a bit of a random wait on immigration processing, which could be denied.
Getting a masters in the US is a good pathway to immigration though, yes. You can work under OPT after graduation, and you have time to mingle and maybe find a spousal sponsor ;) But it's probably too late for that.
I got in the easy way, through birth, so I don't have direct experience. But I wouldn't suggest you rule it out for sure. I think there's also a 'diversity visa' you can apply for, and they might draw your name out of a hat. I know someone who got in that way. But I know a lot of immigrants because I worked at big tech companies, and they're a magnet for immigrants.
While the on-paper taxes in Sweden are high (and salaries are lower) you get back more than in the Netherlands, especially with kids. I can compare my quality of life with acquaintances in the Netherlands and ours is definitely higher, having a similar background.
With virtual you mean working remotely and then keeping your clients while making the move? Or trying to build some kind of business completely online?
England seems similar to Netherlands too. Canada might be interesting, although I wonder why so many Canadians immigrate to the US.
You will pay the same tax in the US, and get much less for your money.
You might need to focus on what you can control (your business, which you've told us nothing about), rather than what you cannot.
Tax depends on the state, Washington has no income tax. It's a tech hub as well and you can make much muuuuch more money over there than in the Netherlands.
I'm still really young so location is definitely something I can control.
I have no business yet and I'm at the beginning of my career.
I don't have a wife, but I'm planning to find one and have 2 kids.
but it's a gut feel, not based on facts or local knowledge.
As a fellow dutch I've been looking at Romania and Hungary for the same goals. However, I stayed in the Netherlands and I am happy I did.
I heard about Romania through Andrew Tate. Always thought it was a shithole.
Why did you end up deciding to stay in the Netherlands? Although our country will always have a special place in my heart, it does not have a lot to offer regarding for example nature. We also have a housing crisis right now.
Did you look into whether or not you'd need to learn a new language?
(cuz I'm not sure if that's required in our industry)
There definitely are quite a lot of people that do move to Romania, Dubai etc.
Probably 'cause they're not satisfied with the amount optimized.
What you're saying sounds too good to be true. If it was like that nobody would pay tax and the government wouldn't be able to fund basically anything.
What would these issues be if you mind elaborating?
Employees can't do the tax optimization described above, but as a business you have much more options. This is the distinction basically - there are many people who want to be employed and don't want to move. Business is a legal person separate from you, it can exist anywhere you choose.
Why would people want to be employed in a country like the Netherlands?
It's not like the US with crazy expensive healthcare, heck it's free over here.
Well not everyone is a software engineer who can create products from thin air while sitting on the toilet. Some people like the stability etc.
Also taxes in Japan seem to be quite high, on par with the Netherlands.
Baltic states look interesting! According to google Estonia has a fixed 20% income tax.
Although I'm not sure how to pick between them, all three look kind of similar. I've also surprisingly never heard about someone migrating there for financial purposes. I've always thought of the US as the only place to make a lot of money.
You are right about the taxes in the Baltic countries - in all three you can get ~20% effective tax (minor differences between the countries). And they are really similar otherwise.
Most people in a similar situation to yours pick Estonia. It is the most focused one on tech, supporting startups, and overall the most developed one (relatively speaking). Also seems to be the most expensive of the three.
Lithuania has the most business-oriented culture in my experience. Otherwise a nice and chill place.
Latvia is maybe not the best in the above regards (though, not too far off either), but I would say it has the most stuff going on and things to do overall.
The difference between tax levels between countries can be tens of percentage points. But the difference between the productivity of a competent manager-owner and an incompetent one can be hundreds of percentage points! Half of all companies fail within three years of starting. Losing your company is like having a tax rate of 100%! With a masters education in computer science, why not study for another masters degree or doctorate in business? That sounds like a much better investment than moving across the world in order to optimize your future tax situation. Countries can't take away your education, but they can certainly change taxes.
Also, you've not given any hints as to what you enjoy in life. You clearly have preferences - you said you prefer cold weather - but if you're in business, say, for the startup culture, you probably won't get much of a thrill on a pacific island, even if (on paper) it might be the cheapest place in which to start an internet business.
Finally, does your family come into your business in any way? If you aspire to be the manager of a business that will one day pass to your heirs, you'd want to also consider your children's opportunities - availability and cost of education, for instance.
I'm not a know-it-all, I can partner with someone that has a masters in business administration or similar. This remark in particular sounds kind of ridiculous.
In life I enjoy sitting home, reading and playing guitar. Almost all countries have superior nature to the Netherland I can sometimes explore in the weekends.
My children can do their bachelors in the country we live in. Since I have an EU passport I can easily send them to do a masters at a more highly ranked university. Especially with the money gained from the tax-savings.
very overrated, barely worth moving to if not for the great nature