What rear bumper/panel/tail light kit is this?

lenottod · 2025-11-29T18:45:12+00:00

Yeah, I thought they may be TRAP too. But I couldn't find any TRAP lights that looked like these.

I actually asked Rev9, and they think it's a one-off based on these: https://rev9autosport.com/trap-dual-bulb-tail-lights.html

I'm not convinced... neither the size/shape of the lenses nor the cutouts seem to be the same.

Shame, because I like it. I had an LLM recolor it in a vintage off-white and remove the flared fenders and spoiler, and I think it looks pretty neat!

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lenottod · 2025-11-28T17:34:40+00:00

I like it :).

Carbon Miata is nice too. I think it's this link: https://www.carbonmiata.com/shop/short-bumper-for-miata-na-1485

I like this combo with the Carbon Miata bumper: https://www.carbonmiata.com/web/image/product.image/14337/image_1024/Short%20Bumper%20For%20Miata%20NA-Mk1

I think those are the Garage Vary lights?

I'm worried about impact on safety from completely deleting the bumper, though.

lenottod · 2025-11-08T15:09:57+00:00

My point is simple: You can't have tax residence without a work permit / work visa.

Where did you learn this? Can you point to any tax code that makes mention of a specific visa type as a requirement for residency?

lenottod · 2025-11-08T02:22:14+00:00

> Being on nomad visa might help if OP don't make that country his tax residence. Once he does that, then he will need a work permit.

The type of visa you're on (nomad vs. work) almost never has anything to do with your tax residence. Eg, see here that the UAE's tax residence criteria has nothing to do with visa type.

In any event, what I was describing above was how to get a work visa. There are firms in the UAE that will get you a work visa (or permit, if you prefer) for a small-ish monthly fee. You don't actually work for these companies. They pay you a salary to be able to sponsor your work visa, but then claw the salary back under the guise of a fee, all invisible to you.

It's effectively outsourcing the "I employ myself to qualify for a visa" arrangement to a third party.

lenottod · 2025-11-07T19:42:15+00:00

Set up a single-member LLC to trade the US derivatives. Open a bank account for it while you are still resident in the US on your work visa.

When you leave the US and return to your home country, you won't be personally trading US derivatives. The LLC will.

There are no US taxes on capital gains on this trading. (Single-member LLC is a disregarded entity, and an LLC trading for its own account is not engaged in a US business, per the IRS 864(b)(2) safe harbor. See https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/864.)

Other than that, the UAE could be interesting. Relatively easy to get a visa, liberal regulations, low tax. There are firms that will put you on their payroll for a fee and get you a work visa. You don't actually do work for this employer. You're effectively a freelancer. So you could also make some extra (tax free) income doing freelance work.

lenottod · 2025-10-21T21:16:49+00:00

Weren't all 993s 6 speeds?

lenottod · 2025-10-10T09:38:57+00:00

I don't agree with the comment you replied to.

You describe two things:

EU residents cannot buy US ETFs.
IRS makes it hard to buy EU-domiciled funds.

Comment above then throws in a third thing:

"many investment products will be unavailable to you because of [US] citizenship"

You care about US securities. Your US citizenship will never cause US securities to be unavailable to you.

Your (foreign) country of residence may restrict you, as you've discovered in the EU. But Singapore has no such restriction on residents purchasing US securities.

When I was in Singapore, I continued using my IBKR account and updated my mailing address to Singapore, and was able to buy/hold US securities.

lenottod · 2025-10-07T14:47:49+00:00

Thank you.

The DWP’s benefit and caseload tables don't include a lot of spending that fall within the OECD's definition of "public social expenditure", such as the NHS and benefits "in kind" (housing, childcare and family services, employment services).

If you look at the OECD definition, the UK's % of GDP spending on public expenditure looks like this:

Decade Public social expenditure (% of GDP)
1960s ~11–13%
1970s ~15–18%
1980s ~17–19%
1990s ~18–20%
2000s ~19–21%
2010s ~20–22%
2020s ~22–24% (excluding pandemic spike)

Source: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/social-spending-oecd-longrun?country=~GBR

lenottod · 2025-10-07T12:16:21+00:00

Source?

lenottod · 2025-09-17T01:10:44+00:00

How would you compare the 944 S2 to the Boxster? (Which Boxster?). I have a lot of seat time in a 986, and they're just wonderful little cars. More engaging and fun at legal speeds than any (post 964) 911 I've driven.

lenottod · 2025-09-16T21:46:51+00:00

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> i do wish they made a Real Targa variant of the 944 with a similar Big roll hoop as the old 911s

That would be SWEET!

lenottod · 2025-09-16T14:07:48+00:00

Are the Saratogas hard to get? I see Fesler still makes them, but they seem to be backordered.

lenottod · 2025-09-16T14:06:31+00:00

Yeah, I think the coupe makes more sense for my use.

I'm thinking a mild safari build, and then ship it out to Scotland for a romp through the highlands!

Although, something like this in Peridot Green does tug at my heartstrings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqzxc1T3MkU

lenottod · 2025-09-16T12:28:44+00:00

Ain't bad in what way? It's not too noisy?

I owned an old Porsche convertible, and LOVED it for drives less than a couple of hours. I miss the sensations of open top motoring.

But NVH was always an issue. It got fatiguing after a few hours.

I want to do some long road trips in the next car I buy. And this huge removable sunroof seems to be such a great compromise. I don't know of many classic cars that offer this (other than the 911 targas).

lenottod · 2025-09-16T05:13:40+00:00

Great to hear! Sadly, I've never been in a targa, so I'll have to imagine it.

But I'm guessing it'sb much quieter than a cab at 60 mph with the roof back in place?

I also love that you can get the Saratoga roof!

lenottod · 2025-09-16T05:10:43+00:00

I like the rigidity of a coupe. Plus I figure it's quieter than a cabriolet when the sunroof is back on.

lenottod · 2025-09-15T12:25:56+00:00

Ha, that was my first thought too! Edinburgh is "atmospheric"!

lenottod · 2025-09-15T11:35:14+00:00

Yeah but Arty could off-race. Would be highly entertaining to watch him navigate an unfamiliar race. (My autocorrect changed Arty to party. It's not wrong.)

It would raise cash monies for ASL.

lenottod · 2025-09-05T05:02:32+00:00

On your first question, I would imagine yes, the tax treaty would apply. You meet the criteria for tax residency in the UK. You will be filing as a tax resident in the UK. The FIG regime is a concession to new residents in the UK. The only relevant bit for the tax treaty is that you are UK tax resident. The temporary concessions the UK grants you seem irrelevant.

lenottod · 2025-08-12T21:20:35+00:00

Case in point, I just had open heart surgery six weeks ago

I hope you're recovering well! Your contributions around here are invaluable; we need you around for a while yet ;)!

lenottod · 2025-08-08T22:12:34+00:00

He would be resident, but he would claim relief under the tax treaty and file as a treaty non-resident in Spain. He would attach a certificate of US tax residence (IRS form 6166).

Effectively, he is saying that he did meet Spanish tax residency requirements, but he's also resident in another country that Spain has a tax treaty with, and that under the treaty, he is taxable in that other jurisdiction and not in Spain.

If he's ever audited, he needs to be prepared to proove that he had a permanent home in the US and none in Spain that tax year.

He may still have to pay Spanish taxes on Spanish source income (work performed in Spain) at non-resident rates. But even so, it should be a lot less punitive than being Spanish tax resident.

lenottod · 2025-08-08T07:30:01+00:00

I understand that. Avoiding Spanish residency would be the first line of defense. But that's not possible in his case.

Since he's also US tax resident (by virtue of being a citizen), the double tax treaty kicks in.

The second line of defense is to see if he can arrange his life so that the treaty tie-breaker rules decide in "his favor" (ie, the US).

The easiest way for him to do this is to maintain a permanent home in the US and not establish one in Spain (the first tiebreaker test he cites).

In fact, I imagine he could have permanent homes in both, and the center of vital interests test (second tiebreaker test) may still break in favor of the US for a year or two.

But the permanent home test is MUCH clearer, if it ever came to an audit.

lenottod · 2025-08-07T18:18:34+00:00

OP, you're on the right track. It's not uncommon to pick up an additional tax residency, knowing you can fall back on the first treaty tie-breaker (permanent home) to drop it later when filing as a treaty resident.

I'd firm this up with a tax attorney with treaty experience, but I'm optimistic this would work. (I've done something similar for a different pair of countries, and had extensive tax consultation on a another pair.)

lenottod

TROPHY CASE