Trip7

We've seen the Arik Air comparison. Does anyone have any other CRJ 900 or similar contract jobs that we can compare. It doesn't help much when all someone posts is "I know someone that makes 100k!" without giving any details

TonyW,
Does Arik Air Captains pay any local taxes on the $8,000/month? Do they pay US taxes since they are home 28 days at a time 4 times a year? If they do can you do a side by side comparison with taxes taken out? And one for FOs as well

187fw

Trip7,
airscan.com
- or -
flygryphon.com

TimSmith

Here is Captain Q400 compensation chart

Q400 Captain contract: $6734/month $2000/month living allowance $30/overnight per diem $5000/year override if already typed $12,600 bonus if you complete 42 month contract. Pay figured on 70 hours/month. Paid $96/hour for hours flown over 70.

So yes, the offer is VERY light. To make another contract comparison, E145 regional jet captain in China get $12000/month tax free.

The Q400 job also comes with 7 round trip tickets back to the States.

I read that an ASA captain was influential in securing this opportunity. Find out what his cut is. Sounds like ya'll are so far off average in Asia that he is going to retire in the next year or two off of ya'll.

Captain

US$5,327/mo

Captain

US$6,734/mo

US$2,000.00/mo


US$1,000.00 or up to 7 round trip (Y Class) tickets to your home each year.

$30/night


$5000/YR. Additional compensation.

Bug Smasher

Same goes for domestic flying here, but...we keep running right back to it.

BoilerUP

The big difference between here and there is this:

Here, there's an overabundance of pilots.

There, there's a severe lack of pilots.

SuperPilotJesse

Easy to say when you have a paycheck.

BlueSkies

Very good points everyone is bringing up. I want to really say thanks to TonyWilliams for his contributions.


I understand it from reading the IRS's website you can do either a bona-fide residence OR a physical residence exemption, you are not required to do both. The bona-fide residence test allows you to leave the country more often and for longer, but having a residence in country for an entire tax year is required. While the physical test requires you to have spent 330 full days (i.e. not even one hour not in a foreign country or it doesn't count towards the 330 days) in a 12 month consecutive period. Since it's the IRS and confusing I could be completely wrong though.

Here's where I got my info:
Foreign Earned Income Exclusion - Can I Claim the Exclusion or Deduction?

BobSakamano

Gotta chime in again here...EVERY overseas contract is NET of LOCAL taxes. It doesn't matter what LOCAL taxes are. If you would gross US $15k per month, but after LOCAL taxes the pay is $8k, all that matters is the bottom line. It's like saying I bought a Chrysler with a $49,000 window sticker. Yeah, well after discounts, rebates blah blah blah...the real retail market value of the car is $25,000. That is all that matters as that is what you PAY/TAKE it home for. Same thing with local taxes. They DON'T matter. What is the net amount of your paycheck?

As far as ex-pat tax free status goes, as Tony says and I can attest to, unless you can prove you meet ALL of the guidelines, be prepared to pay as a self employed person. If you think the first $86,000 is yours to keep from Uncle Sam just like that, think twice. It is a fact that the IRS has hired over 800 new agents specifically tasked with enforcement for misguided citizens claiming ex-pat status. I highly recommend looking into the CFR's pertaining to expat tax status, not some random website that says you don't have to pay US income tax. Just because your passport doesn't get stamped doesn't mean there isn't a record of every entry/exit in to the US.

Some risks to consider: 1. maintenance may or may not be on par with US air carriers. Outside of Western Europe, Australia, Canada, 1st world East Asia and some of the Saudi and UAE carriers, maintenance programs can be a crap shoot, especially risky start-ups. 2. Contracts are all about the money. When PC time comes and you have a bad sim, it's game over-end of contract. Good luck getting home, it's been real. There are no do-overs. 3. Housing - $8-900 a month? On my last job, the housing was included - like most standard contracts and my flat cost the company $1,500 per month (in a country not nearly as nice as Vietnam). I don't think $8-900 will get you much. Do you really want a roommate? That may be your only option with that money. 4. Transportation = to and from your flat to the airplane and back on most contracts. How much will it cost to take a taxi where you want to go? 5. Not unlikely scenarios: coercing you to fly beyond legal times, aircraft you wouldn't accept in the US, lost days off, fighting for overtime pay. 6. Risk of tropical disease, especially Malaria. Ask Tony how many of his coworkers have contracted it in his locale. 7. In the event of an accident/incident, what is your exposure? 8. What do you need to go through for license conversion?

Also, as an expat you are not going to be popular with the local employees, especially local pilots. They will be friendly to your face and do everything in their power to undermine and discredit you. You are invading their territory and, in their eyes, are a threat and have no right to be there.

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SuperPilotJesse - LMAO at your TIC comments.

Captain Tony

I have a friend who currently flies for ASA. He went and flew ATRs in India for a year and a half at about $10k a month, no taxes after we retired ours (was typed at ASA). Worked his butt off, but now is an ASA FO and saved enough to live pretty well. This for an ATR! This deal is pathetic to fly a CRJ 900. I'm betting the only takers are FOs chasing upgrade and furloughees looking for a job.

TurboDVR42

Good point!
We had guys alos go to india to fly for kingfisher on the ATRs. $8500/month plus housing of $1500. Some guys went to ireland for 7700 euros per month. Housing was a 5 star hotel w transportation provided.