On Getting Foreign Jobs: Does Uncle Sam Help or Hinder

by Eugene E. Halmos, Jr., Correspondent; Washington, D.C.,


Serial Information: Civil Engineering—ASCE, 1978, Vol. 48, Issue 8, Pg. 57-58


Document Type: Feature article

Abstract:

With his broad overview of the Washington scene, CIVIL ENGINEERING's Gene Halmos sought to get a reading on whether the U.S. government helps or hinders this country's contractors in getting foreign work. His assessment of the current situation: Uncle Sam does help (a little) but also hinders (a lot more). An example of each: U.S. Commerce Department aids businessmen through its Domestic and International Business Administration, for example. It can provide often excellent country-by-country analyses containing specific information on populations, native industries and available supplies and labor, government systems and the like, that are certainly valuable as background for anyone comtemplating doing business abroad. But among the biggest hindrances is the revised tax law (effect of which has so far been postponed) that would mandate that exclusions of earned income from U.S. tax be substantially reduced. Estimates are that it could cost U.S. engineers and contractors as much as $100,000 a year to maintain an employee and his family abroad.

Subject Headings: Taxation | Government | Contracts and subcontracts | Business management | Labor | Industries | Employees

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