Digital Nomad Article on Cabarete with an agenda

Wow, great article. Well worth the read. Thanks for sharing.

The article certainly has an agenda that mentioned certain characteristics of the so called nomads and portrays a rather dim view of them. True that the center of town development would push the locals out of the barrios into the surrounds.

BUT, and this is a big but, there are far fewer tourists in Cabarete than before. Punta Cana gets the tourists while the north coast lost them in droves. Flights in and out of Puerto Plata are expensive and inconvenient. If pushing tourism, as the article indicates is the goal of the DR government, it isn't being well pushed in Cabarete. That is for Punta Cana and the next big thing in the works, Pedernales in the southwest DR.

I suspect there are far fewer such nomads, digital or analog, and far more retired expats and snowbirds in the mix causing the so-called disruption and gentrification that "happens everywhere". There are many new small condo and home building projects between Puerto Plata and Gaspar Hernandez for those expat/snowbirds.

These are my comments based upon living 20 years full time in Cabarete. Far fewer tourists and an increasing number of expats/snowbirds. Toss in some nomads for good measure, but they are not the majority.  And do not get misled by the articles agenda.

Clearly an agenda but clearly some valid points. Maybe they me to realize everyone who overstays a tourist visa and works here is NOT contributing taxes and using resources.  They are illegal.

[Post under review]

Take away the overstay issue but unless they are causing damage to the area can only see as a benefit. Are they finding a way to circumvent from spending in the local economy?

Spending like everyone else but NOT paying taxes then yes that can cause damage. Driving up prices is damaging too.  Not saying that is all their fault no.  But earning higher than average and paying nothing in taxes is hardly beneficial.  I earn and I pay my taxes here.

Please don't post links to other forums, not allowed.

@planner

Are they tax evaders or they are doing it legally?

Ie. I come and go within 90days and reset my clock. I am a blogger online or something related? Is this person a tax evader?

If people are working remotely in Cabarete and their payments are taxable locally, then yes they would be harming the economy if they fail to pay.  Anyone interested can talk to a DR account if you really want to know when such taxes are owed.

As was pointed out, if there really are so many of these digital nomads that they are driving up the price of rental properties and driving to locals out, then they are hurting those locals because they can no longer afford to live where they were.  Gentrification.  I don't have any idea how many digital nomads are in Cabarete.  The article also did not state the number.

As separate but related issue is that if enough demand is generated by those renting apartments on Airbnb, the local rental prices can also be driven up by anyone using those rentals,  not just digital nomads, but snowbirds and retired expats.  That exact thing has happened in a number of resort areas and may be more significant over all in Cabarete.

@planner
Are they tax evaders or they are doing it legally?

Ie. I come and go within 90days and reset my clock. I am a blogger online or something related? Is this person a tax evader?
-@DRVisitor

DRVisitor, You are legal for the first 30 days if you enter on a tourist card.

So far, there are almost no repercussions for repeated overstayers like yourself, you just pay the fine each time you leave for the overstay.

Details on the taxable nature of your income would need an account to answer. Does this forum have an accountant that could respond?

@windeguy

Not myself as I have never overstayed and was using as example.

I do not know the tax consequences and would be interested in learning.

New population drives up home prices but should spur local economy as well. Many areas people can move to if an issue or need to take advantage of

the new found people if they are able to for current businesses.

So the law here is territorial.  A tourist visa means not working and generating income here. If your feet are  on the ground when generating work related income then you owe taxes.  Online work is work in this country.  I have many programmers working remotely here. They pay taxes. Same thing.

@windeguy
Not myself as I have never overstayed and was using as example.

I do not know the tax consequences and would be interested in learning.

New population drives up home prices but should spur local economy as well. Many areas people can move to if an issue or need to take advantage of
the new found people if they are able to for current businesses.
-@DRVisitor

You mentioned leaving within 90 days. From day 31 onward, if you arrived on a tourist card you are illegal.

I personally feel much of the article I posted had a definite agenda and quoted no numbers at all about how many digital nomads are doing what damage. For a professional journalist, I think the article was sadly lacking in anything but that agenda.

It is lacking.  It makes some good points, others I think may be speculation. 

My wife has has had renters working remotely for many years here in Cabarete.

The term digital nomad came to prominence in recent times when people wanted to work "at home" and then that made them able to work on line most anywhere in the world where that was possible. Cabarete included in that new "world".  Many don't tell the boss where they are. Don't ask, don't tell. Hence they move around. Nomadically.

I don't see that type of person as the reason Cabarete is changing. Cabarete changed far more because of Punta Cana taking the tourists in bulk far more than it did from any small number of internet workers currently identified as digital nomads.

(For those that don't get it, digital nomads are not part of the backpacker hostel commune crowd.)

@windeguy

30 +30+30 renewals no? then illegal? Though none are probably doing it.

Less tourists since covid? What % are digital nomads 1-2% of area?

@windeguy
30 +30+30 renewals no? then illegal? Though none are probably doing it.
-@DRVisitor

If you pay for the extra time using Migracion's web site, you are just paying the exit penalty up front when you are from a tourist card country.

As you mention, almost nobody will do that.

Less tourists since covid? What % are digital nomads 1-2% of area?
-@DRVisitor

Less tourists since well before CV19 escaped Wuhan labs.  Tourists stay up to 30 days.

Punta Cana gets the tourists and the flights while Cabarete gets very little for many years.

Nothing to do with CV19.

There are more expats and snowbirds buying houses and condos and some of that was because of CV19 and the rest is because of very high costs in their home countries as they reach retirement.