Oh god, yes.

You most certainly need help navigating the various systems. I would also add, some help simply in dealing with the culture shock. Something like 60% of overseas moves for work fail in the first eighteen months, and the culture shock is a large part of that.

Another issue: will they make any allowance (as in financial) for maintaining ties to America? Such as occasional trips back home (not to mention family emergencies etc). It may simply be covered by mr flea's normal salary, but it's likely to be an additional expense you don't have to deal with currently.

Another likely additional expense is taxation; rates are higher in Germany. (You may get more for it too, but it still may not be what you're used to.) Also on the subject of taxation, as I understand it, the US will still require you to file a tax return, and of course you'll need to file in Germany too, which means you'll need a tax agent (possibly two).

The US and German do have a reciprocal tax agreement. I am not sure what that actually means, in practice. (IIRC Aus and the US don't, or didn't - my Aus friend in graduate school always had terrible double-jeopardy-type tax woes as a result.)

flea, my DH may be able to help if you're comfortable offlining about which part of Germany. I'm going to hit your profile addy, so you have mine.

I am not sure what that actually means, in practice.

When I worked in France it meant paying French taxes (ouch!) but then filing in the US and being able to exempt all my French income from US taxes (because the upper limit was well above my salary). My dual citizenship did not impact taxes.

What have I forgotten?

Guest room for Buffistas?

Not if the rents I have been looking at are any indication! This is Berlin, which is a big enough city I don't mind saying! Note this is by no means a sure thing going to happen - no job offer has been made, and I am VERY wary of a company that has never done an international hire before. I had 2 years of German in college but it's quite rusty, and I've lived abroad several times (for up to a year) but always on a temporary, student basis, so I've never dealt with the legal and financial issues.

You know, most of the time when various Project Runway watchers talk about the walk of one model vs. another - I totally don't notice but I was watching Berroco's show from Vogue Knitting Live and one of the models walks like her shoes are pinching her toes. It's completely distracting.

When I worked in France it meant paying French taxes (ouch!) but then filing in the US and being able to exempt all my French income from US taxes (because the upper limit was well above my salary). My dual citizenship did not impact taxes.

I had the same story working in the US. I don't expect you'll be double-taxed (for the most part at least - it is possible on some kinds of investments and such like), but I think you will have to file in both countries.

Good luck with figuring the numbers, flea. Among other issues, you'd want to figure out about after-school care and other programs for the kids, I guess?

In other news, the DDOS attacks against LJ continue. One of the targets appears to be an anti-corruption blogger in Russia named Anton Navalney.

Anyway, Denise who started Dreamwidth has a very smart post about how important LJ is in Russia, and why it's important to support LJ now. [link]

So, people who grumble about "the Russians" taking over LJ should remember that in Russia, LiveJournal isn't just the top blogging platform, it's the blogging platform. It is Russia's free press. It is the tool being used to fight corruption and advance the cause of democracy. And, more practically to LJ users, the Russian-speaking sector of LJ is the reason LJ is still there at all.

What have I forgotten?

do you have pets? If so, be sure to include costs for them, which can be quite steep. I know that when one of my dad's friends PCSed to Germany, their dog had to be in quarantine for a month and it was really expensive.