Chapter Thirteen

Year One Compliance Checklist

Your first year as an Act 60 decree holder is the most important. The habits you build in year one — the tracking systems, the professional relationships, the documentation practices — will serve you for the entire life of your decree.

Here is a month-by-month guide to your first year.

January — The Fresh Start

Set up your day-count tracking system for the new year

Make your $10,000 charitable donation (or set up the January payment)

Review your Day 1 documentation — property deed/lease, utility bills, bank records

Schedule your quarterly check-in with your Act 60 attorney

Review your investment portfolio with your wealth advisor for Act 60 sourcing compliance

Q1 (January–March)

Begin accumulating Puerto Rico days — aim for 45+ days in Q1

Charitable donation receipts filed and saved

Puerto Rico bank account showing regular activity

Driver's license obtained (if not already done)

Vehicle registered in Puerto Rico

Professional and personal mail redirected to Puerto Rico address

Q2 (April–June)

Running 90+ Puerto Rico days year-to-date

Puerto Rico income tax return filed (deadline April 15 for PR, coordinate with your CPA)

Federal return filed reflecting Puerto Rico residency (coordinate carefully with CPA)

Property purchase (if not already completed — remember 2-year requirement from decree date)

Update estate planning documents to reflect Puerto Rico residency

Q3 (July–September)

Running 135+ Puerto Rico days year-to-date

Review your day count — are you on track?

Check in with attorney on any legislative updates to Act 60

Hurricane preparedness: generator, water, medications, documentation backup (cloud storage is your friend)

Q4 (October–November)

Verify you have met or will meet the 183-day requirement before December 31

Confirm and calendar the annual DDEC report deadline tied to your Puerto Rico income-tax filing schedule

Annual report filing fee: $5,005 — budget for it

Year-end review with CPA — confirm compliance, plan for following year

Attorney year-end check-in — any decree compliance issues to address?

Charitable donation documentation complete and filed

December

Confirm you've met 183-day requirement for the year

Year-end financial planning with wealth advisor — income sourcing, timing of any gains

Plan following year's calendar — ensure Puerto Rico days are built in from January

Update your day count spreadsheet to show final year-end total

Store all compliance documentation in a safe, organized location (physical and cloud backup)

Annual Compliance Calendar

A downloadable version of this compliance calendar, with reminders and links to all relevant filing portals, is available at doradobeachinsider.com. Set up the reminders now — before you need them.

This checklist is a general guide and does not constitute legal or tax advice. Specific compliance obligations may vary based on your decree terms and individual circumstances. Always work with your Act 60 attorney and CPA.