In Cairo, expatriates typically use a driver rather than relying on public transportation options. During my August survey I found that, even though taxis have meters, drivers are frustratingly unwilling to use them when driving expats.

AIRINC, the leading provider of Talent Mobility data, and uFlexReward, an exciting new HR software company with a unique digital solution for reinventing total reward, have signed an agreement to embed AIRINC data into the uFlexReward solution via AIRINC’s proprietary API.

Do you have assignees based in Hong Kong? If yes, is the recent instability having an impact? Many of our clients are seeing an increase in calls from concerned assignees asking to discuss their situation. Potential options such as a transfer to another location, increased flexibility to work from home, security briefings, and more, along with the impact of these options on their assignment policy.

Language barriers are common on survey, but each year technology makes it easier to get around and collect cost of living survey information. While in Bratislava during my recent survey, I arrived at a transport ticket counter to find that none of the staff were able to speak English, but this wasn’t as much of an inconvenience as it would have been a few years ago.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) that went into effect January 1, 2018 included a provision that limited the amount of state and local taxes (SALT) that are deductible for Federal tax purposes to $10,000 per year (previously uncapped). The SALT limit disproportionately impacted middle-to-high income residents of high-tax states that pay more than the new $10,000 limit.

During the August survey of Harare, our visit found the Zimbabwean economy in a state of transition. This June, after a decade of using a mix of approaches but primarily relying on the U.S. dollar for transactions, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe announced that a new Zimbabwean dollar (ZWL), also known as the Zimdollar, was the only acceptable form of payment.

Worldwide ERC’s 2019 Global Workforce Symposium is being held in Boston this year, just across the Charles River from AIRINC’s Cambridge headquarters. Boston is famous for all-time greats in sports, and AIRINC will be sending a trio of global mobility all-stars to ERC, who will be setting up shop at booth #938 in the exhibition hall:

I recently surveyed Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, a city in the far east Russia, for the third time. Given the city’s size, it is easy to notice any changes. Sakhalin Island is developing in accordance with the government’s plan to promote tourism, which would also increase recreation options for expatriates. 

Data Points brings you the latest updates from our Housing, Goods & Services, and Tax departments. These highlights are based on our expert international surveys, which are conducted on location by our global data collection team.

As expatriates assigned to Buenos Aires search for rental housing, they may soon ask an all too common question: "What is the ABL Tax and how much does it cost?”