tax and business set up for Colombia/USA

Hi John,

I am acquainted with an accountant in Cali. I don't know if he would be the right person to advise you, but I sent him a message asking if he is interested in helping you.

If I get a positive response do you want me to connect you with him?

Here's a brief statement about his qualification.

Contador Público con Especialización en Derecho Financiero de la Universidad Externado de Colombia. Conferencista a nivel nacional sobre Riesgos en el Sector Financiero: Operativo; Lavado de Activos, Crediticio, Reputacional. Profesor Universitario : Universidad Santiago de Cali; Universidad Libre Cali. Conferencista sobre IFR´s (NIIF)

Regards,
Raymond

Ray - that is very generous of you thanks.

I would definitely be interested in speaking with that accountant.

Let me know if you'd like to have lunch some time. I work out of Parque El Peñon en the west of Cali.

Saludos - Johnny

OK. I sent Carlos an email describing what you need and wait for his reply.

As for lunch, that sounds nice. Thanks for the invitation. It would have to be mid-November before I could accept.

Regards,
Ray

@CaliRay : Please write only in english on this anglophone forum.

Thank you

Priscilla
Expat.com team

John,

I have not received a reply from Carlos regarding your question. He acknowledged receipt but was traveling from Bogota to Cali. I just sent a followup requesting that he respond.

Sometimes I just do not understand how things work here. People make appointments and don't keep them. No phone call to cancel or reschedule, nothing. People seem to think an appointment for a specific time is simply a kind of maybe I'll be there and maybe not. Even if I do show up being an hour late is OK.

South America in general. It's as if watches or clock do not exists and the word time is not in the dictionary. There is a running joke with me - when someone says I will be there in an hour in Colombia you must add 3 hour if it is Monday through Friday and on a weekend add 6 hours. In Brazil if someone says I will be there at 7PM it really means 10PM. The common courtesy of picking up a cell phone to let someone know they will be late does not exist. I gave up on that a long time ago but will NEVER accept it as the norm. It is by far the must frustrating trait held by almost all South American countries. In the United States it just does not happen - TIME IS MONEY. I think if Colombian or Brazilians lived by that saying there would be a fire lit under their butts and change would come VERY soon thereafter.






Matt V. - Manaus, Amazonas, Brasil
Visit my Personal Blog - brazilbs.blogspot.com

This behavior would be wholly unacceptable in the U.S. First of all it is disrespectful of the other person's time.  But then, as you said, time seems to be of little importance here.

I've only been here five years so maybe, if I'm lucky, I'll live long enough to adjust and learn to go with the flow. In a business sense though, it sure is a drag on productivity.