Life On Sail

Nico and I are originally from France and have been living in Hong Kong for 17 years.  We arrived in 2007 when our son was just 2 years old. After he left Hong Kong at 18 to study in France, we decided it was time for us to move on as well. Our new goal Embracing our newfound freedom, we aimed to break away from our daily work routine.  Our new goal became to take a sabbatical, and we crafted a plan to make it a reality within a year. The purpose of the sabbatical was to travel the world as much as possible within a year or so, and we decided the best way to maintain some comfort while keeping the budget down was by traveling on a sailboat. I lack sailing experience and, to make matters worse, I get very seasick. (Even snorkelling can get me nauseous) In contrast, Nico is quite familiar with sailing; his father owned a sailboat for over 20 years. But I love a good challenge, so I am willing to give it a try. It is all about MINDSET. How do we make it happen financially? Leavin...

We've been living in Hong Kong for the past 17 years.  We finally decided to break free and live a life off the beaten tracks. Risking it all for a year of adventure and probably of discomfort.  It's now time to bid farewell, and little did I know it would be so admin heavy.  So here are the things you need to do on top of the usual moving out process if you want to claim your MPF and leave Hong Kong. Please make sure you do all of it at least 1 month or more before your final departure date (more if you need to consolidate MPF accounts, it can take from 3 to 6 weeks for a transfer!) 3 STEPS 1. Inland Revenue: Ensure that your taxes are settled before leaving Hong Kong. Your final paycheck will be withheld by your employer until they receive confirmation from the Inland Revenue (IR) that your tax obligations are cleared. Your employer must complete   IR56G If you don’t have an employer at the time of your departure, simply email the IR at taxinfo@ird.gov.hk to noti...