Moving down to STT, (insert eye catching phrase here)

Dear Matt the Maineiac:

First, switch back to the home page and look at the classifieds - see if there's anything about something coming open soon...but you won't get a "villa" on a college grad's budget unless you just graduated from med school. Keep posting, maybe something will turn up for you to look at.

1. If you are going to work in the food service industry you will need to get a health card once you are on island. No clearance to work that I am aware of if you are a U.S. citizen.

Taxes - well, there's an interesting one - the latest from the IRS is that it doesn't matter where your body is on December 31st, unless you live in the VI for the next 3 tax years, you aren't a resident.

Filing Requirements for Individuals in U.S. Possessions

An individual who has income from Guam, the CNMI, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or Puerto Rico will probably have to file a tax return with the tax department of one of the possessions. It is possible that you may have to file two annual tax returns: one with the possession's tax department and the other with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

You should ask for forms and advice about the filing of possession tax returns from that possession's tax department and not the Internal Revenue Service. In some situations you may have to determine if you are a resident or a nonresident of a certain possession. Contact the tax department of that possession for advice about this point. The addresses and telephone numbers for the tax departments of the U.S. possessions may be found in Publication 570. In addition please refer to information about the U.S. possession found at State and Local Government On The Net.

Section 908 of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 created a new Internal Revenue Code Section 937. Section 937 establishes new criteria for determining the residency of an individual in American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Section 937 also establishes the filing requirement for the new tax Form 8898, Statement for Individuals Who Begin or End Bona Fide Residence in a U.S. Possession. This form reports each change of residency to or from a U.S. possession. The IRS is authorized to impose a $1,000 penalty on any taxpayer who is liable to file this form, but who fails to file it.

Look at Publication 570, which directly contradicts the 183 day rule and says you have to be there 3 years....I finally surrendered and handed it all over to my CPA.

2. Ditch Verizon or you won't be able to call home. Cingular's rates include the VI and all states.....of course, Verizon probably has you hooked into some ridiculous contract. However, you can get your phone there or on island - but beware, many on-island employers WILL NOT call you back with anything but a 340 prefix to your number...you could miss a job op that way.

And that's all I can help you with!

#2. Ditto Cingular. You can get free long distance to keep up with the folks back home, but do get a 340 #.

#3. Most single people here have studios or 1 bdrms. A nice 2 bedroom is gonna cost you. You could get room mates, I suppose....

Make sure you have a return ticket. Be prepared for some culture shock and maybe sticker shock as well. Bring us some blueberries, will you?? 😉

Dump Verizon. Even with the cancellation fee, after a few months of roaming, it'll look cheap.

I have some good news for you! I called Verizon when I got here to cancel my phone. All I needed to do was send them something to prove I live on St. Thomas and the ridiculous $175.00 cancellation fee was waived. I have cingular (which is now AT&T) and it works GREAT almost everywhere on the island, and all my calls to the states are free.
For the people at home to use their Verizon cell phones to call me here is also free.

Ditto on the blueberries !

Suzette

Let me stress how much you need a local 340 number. Many people will not call you if it's a long distance call. Cost is one factor, but also many feel it's a kind of "disrespect". If you're here, be here. It says something about your committment to a life on-island if you have a phone from home. It is also a matter of convenience. My Cingular cell phone does let me call any area with no charge, but I don't have any long distance coverage on my home land line, so I can't call a long distance cell without a calling card and spending $$. And most businesses do use land lines.

I'm sure others have another point of view, but that's mine.

I, too, am from Maine and looking at moving down there! Good Luck!!!!

Good Morning!

Thank you for the good info so far.
I'm going to look into AT&T today.

I still am going to look for a two bedroom, even though it's just for me. This way it's more spacious and people can visit without trouble.

As for culture shock and transition; I've already been through some difficult times in life so far, and have been away from home for six years at college, so making a change won't be to difficult, and I am anxious for some culture shock!

Becky ty for the tax info! I'm going to have to read it again so I can understand it I think. =P

What do you think the limit for blueberries is in luggage? Although, it's $6.99 a pint up here, yuck!

If anyone has any little tips I'd never think of for moving down (that haven't been said already) pass them along!

Until then,

Matt the Maineiac

I just want to be clear about my cell phone - I got it here, so it is a 340 number. As Linda J pointed out, you really need it to be 340. You should be able to get it when you are here on PMV.

I disagree with this. I have Sprint and kept my Florida number. I find it advantageous because my caller ID works whenever anyone calls me. Which is not the case if you have a local number. The only Caller ID you will see is if the person calling you has your carrier. My cell phone bill hasn't changed either.

The only problem I had with not having a local number was when they were delivering my gas, but I just gave them my work number instead and raced home!