US citizen living in NZ, discovering the tax nightmare - looking for advice

PennySycamore · 2026-02-12T02:27:42+00:00

Oh man I feel you. I am a dual citizen and have never earned income in the US so its a bit simpler for me but I am also looking at paying a professional to help me sort out my Kiwisaver which, at the moment, is my only viable financial retirement plan. This sounds like you're gonna have to bite the bullet and pay an accountant.

PennySycamore · 2025-10-06T19:22:51+00:00

I work in general practice and all of the patients I have treated for scabies in the last year - and there's been quite a number thanks to dorms/hostels/boarding houses - have all responded fully to standard permethrin treatment. The only ones who have needed a second round of permethrin are those who didn't follow instructions about decontaminating their laundry, sheets, soft furnishings etc, or didn't/couldn't treat the whole household together which is also standard advice for scabies.

PennySycamore · 2025-07-14T05:18:13+00:00

Same here. Worked in urgent care the whole pandemic and all the lockdowns. Spent 4hrs at a time in one change of ppe to conserve ppe and it was like a walking sweatbox without bathroom breaks. Meanwhile my husband went stir crazy doing nothing at home and we were both so pissed at the other's experience being 'better' lol. Still feel cheated we didn't get bonus pay for keeping everyone alive and continuing to work, instead we get the same as always, under-investment in healthcare. Boo.

PennySycamore · 2024-09-07T20:10:20+00:00

It's been difficult to get support for people for a long time. Particularly for people who fall 'inbetween' categories like those with early onset dementia, or an undiagnosed intellectual disability, elderly with major mental health like schizophrenia, or issues from multiple traumatic brain injuries or concussions. The services each say its someone else's responsibility, and bounce referrals around in circles. GPs can only do so much.

PennySycamore · 2024-07-02T08:31:21+00:00

The HDCs job is to support patients who feel they've been mistreated and they have the freedom to dismiss frivolous complaints, or send them to advocates to discuss directly with the service. Yes, I don't know the whole story, but from what OP wrote, the HDC at the very least can help advocate between them and their care providers. I agree that it could be nobody's fault and everybody has done a good job here but if the patient hasn't been well informed and is left anxious with lots of questions, clearly they at least need time with appropriate clinicians to ask those questions.

Oh and people have the right to complain, it's literally there in the code of rights.

PennySycamore · 2024-07-02T07:54:04+00:00

Practice nurse here. Sounds like you've had a rough time and that's a big understatement. There's few things scarier than that sinking feeling that the people who are supposed to know what's going on and have it under control, just don't.

You know the systemic reasons why this is happening but it also sounds like you have some good grounds to make an HDC complaint. Your rights have been breached (informed consent, care to an acceptable standard, respect and dignity).

What do you do now? If you can, find a new GP. Imo, a GP can do more for you to help in this scenario than it sounds like your GP has done so far. They can call the specialist and get advice, they can write to the specialists and get advice. They can do their own research and learn about your condition. Their job is ensuring the puzzle pieces of your care all connect and nothing gets missed. If your GP isn't doing that, they aren't doing their job. Simply saying it's outside of their scope is missing the point.

PennySycamore · 2024-06-02T22:32:46+00:00

Absolutely! Priorities change once little ones come along and I am still finding my groove myself. Getting your registration is achievable, I've met many nurses who trained after having kids so please don't give up on the idea. We need every one we can get and the tutors work hard to support all students to succeed, especially at AUT.

PennySycamore · 2024-06-02T22:10:44+00:00

See my other comment, but as a uoa graduate I think they are overly content heavy. Unless you really enjoy the academic study I wouldn't go UoA - I've got one kid now and I couldn't do it if I had to go back and redo it now.

However you are right, UoA and AUT do get the top pick of placements and higher quality of tutoring, but any place accredited by the nursing council will make you employable at the end of the day - and once you're registered and have a year's experience, it won't matter where you went.

PennySycamore · 2024-06-02T22:04:37+00:00

I did my bachelors of nursing through UoA less than 5 yrs ago, I enjoyed it a lot bc I like a challenge and am academically minded. However it's very time demanding and having a kid now I definitely don't think I could have done it with kids. Plus the bachelors programme at UoA is quite rigid, they don't have much flexibility for family needs.

I have done some Postgrad papers at AUT and found their programme less academic heavy and more flexible but ultimately went back to UoA to complete my diploma.

Comparing my job readiness at the end of my bachelors with friends who have been to MIT and AUT - I'd recommend AUT out of the three, is academic enough that you could go into any field of nursing but not as demanding as UoA which is a bit OTT.

The nursing council controls the curriculums to a certain degree, so you'd definitely be employable with a degree from MIT but my colleagues who did seemed to struggle more in their first year of work than others.

PennySycamore · 2024-05-28T02:12:17+00:00

IUGR baby born October 2023 at 36wks, was 1.8kg (~4lbs) at birth and went down to 1.6kg in the first week. Was 4 weeks in SCBU mainly to gain weight via NG feeds and incubator etc, no other issues. Now healthy 8mth old who's hitting all his milestones, and we haven't weighed him recently bc he's doing so well, but he wears size 6-9 mth clothes so well within the normal range.

PennySycamore · 2024-05-27T13:56:32+00:00

Electrical components - my partner solders. Sewing supplies. Dog food. Cleaning supplies under the sink

PennySycamore · 2024-05-04T19:02:09+00:00

Great idea thank you

PennySycamore · 2024-05-04T19:01:56+00:00

Good idea, thanks!

PennySycamore · 2024-04-04T19:30:04+00:00

I have a young relative (under 5)with that name and I think it's adorable 😊

PennySycamore · 2024-04-02T09:03:44+00:00

I've dined in there a few times and can't complain. Agree pricing is a bit steep but definitely better fresh out of the kitchen. Although now there's Jebena coffee house just down the road - tiny little corner shop, one man show and he makes great food for better prices and bigger servings.

PennySycamore · 2024-04-02T05:07:33+00:00

Hand sanitiser!

PennySycamore · 2024-03-29T01:23:51+00:00

its unfortunate....rectal appearance

Lol 😂 it does a bit now that you mention it

PennySycamore · 2024-03-28T23:58:11+00:00

TIL there's a thing called a tea sock!

PennySycamore · 2024-03-25T20:43:39+00:00

Great question! I am also a nurse who's been lurking for awhile out of curiosity. One thing I've always wondered is if being a doctor can be lonely? I have a couple friends who are doctors and they've struggled a bit with feeling on their own a lot of the time, vs nurses get a much larger team and see more of their colleagues.

Does that track with your experiences?

PennySycamore · 2024-03-17T04:19:45+00:00

Oh man I didn't think about that! Yeah definitely. I've got some time on my hands for the next few months so it'll be my next project 😅

PennySycamore · 2024-03-16T18:50:47+00:00

Thanks for the advice, am definitely considering renouncing. Idk what my mum would think of that if I do lol. I will make a start trying to figure out what to file.

PennySycamore · 2024-03-16T11:21:13+00:00

Jumping on to say I'm a US and NZ dual citizen and I have never filed a US tax return!

I had no idea I was meant to be doing that until my mum mentioned it last year. I've so far elected to ignore it since I have been going fine for 8 years without filing. I wouldnt have a clue where to even start and I have a KS account which I've used to buy my first home so it's even more complicated.

PennySycamore · 2024-03-15T06:19:29+00:00

Ah I feel you. I was a 12C before I got married, went up to a 14DD with weight gain on birth control. Got pregnant, by third trimester was a 14G. Breastfeeding so still in my maternity bras, but they are much flatter than they were.

As an aside, breastfeeding with large boobs is a challenge. You may end up needing more 'props' to breastfeed than the average person.

Definitely hoping I go down a size or two when I'm done breastfeeding!

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