[w1ntermute]

> GNI per person in Australia is ~$42k (assume it is similar for USA). GNI per person here is $650. So you live like a king.

Yeah, US is $46k according to Google. Can you afford a chef, maid, and chauffeur? That would be absolutely awesome! (Sorry if I sound a little too giddy; I come from a lower middle class, rural background, and the thought of doing software development while living like a king in a faraway tropical paradise sounds absolutely magical.)

> btw: I don't think you'd ever get away with pretending to be located in America.

Why is this (honest question, I really don't know much about freelancing yet)? The time difference? For phone calls, I'd use Skype to get an American number I could give clients, and my parents would have no problems scanning & emailing any documents that might arrive in the snail mail.

[wallflower]

> > btw: I don't think you'd ever get away with pretending to be located in America.

If you are an American citizen, you have an obligation to pay income tax on your earnings. The same goes for many countries.

[whatwhatwhat]

Because you aren't actually in America.

[w1ntermute]

Yes, I already gleaned that much. My question is how a client I would only communicate with over the internet and/or phone could possibly know this.

[VMG]

You have to appear in person to get certain paperwork done.

[w1ntermute]

How often do you have to do this sort of thing? Is it per client, or if you use a freelancing website, can you do it just once at the beginning?

And if you can build some relationships before leaving (I'll be doing it for a while before I graduate from college), would it then be possible?