American Club events - tax planning, expat traps

[Adventure Traveler]

Has anyone attended a tax planning seminar for Americans? IPAC is hosting a seminar, Expat Tips and Traps on Wednesday, 8/25 at the Maybank Towers. Hwv, host is financial adviser...

Are they useful? Worth $30?

The link:
http://www.ipac.com.sg/upcoming-events

[Strong Eagle]

This is definitely not an "American Club" event. This is a financial advice firm that hopes to earn a commission from you, and is using this event as a teaser to get you in the door.

As to benefit? Who knows? You might learn something interesting, I dunno. But tax planning for Americans abroad is pretty cut and dried. You get an earned income exclusion, you get a housing allowance exclusion. Everything else, you pay tax on at the rate as though the exclusion didn't exist. So, I exclude most of my Singapore income from taxes but pay taxes on dividends and rents from my properties.

I've yet to see any firm here be worth a bucket of warm spit when it actually comes to managing a portfolio with lots of US companies and mutual funds. No one has been able to suggest to me an international mix. All the financial advice firms will push you to invest in whatever product they are flogging.

[Adventure Traveler]

The CRCE of the American Assoc. of Singapore also held a tax seminar on the same day. So, AAS does hold these types of events for a fee led by a financial advisor. I did not include a link to AAS in my original post. Don't see any upcoming events like that at AAS. If you're interested, visit: http://www.aasingapore.com/en/calendare ... s_view.asp

Would still like feedback on their events.

[Strong Eagle]

The CRCE of the American Assoc. of Singapore also held a tax seminar on the same day. So, AAS does hold these types of events for a fee led by a financial advisor. I did not include a link to AAS in my original post. Don't see any upcoming events like that at AAS. If you're interested, visit: http://www.aasingapore.com/en/calendare ... s_view.asp

Would still like feedback on their events.

I'm a former board member of the AAS and know about their offerings. Biased as I am, they generally pick good speakers and get good grades from the audience. There has been one dud that I am aware of. Having said that, most are fairly elementary in nature. The US embassy also does a yearly tax talk.