Tina Turner ‘to become Swiss, give up US passport’
25 January 2013 – 10H41
US singer Tina Turner arrives for the Emporio Armani fashion show in Milan, on February 26, 2011. Turner — who has been living in Switzerland since 1995 — will soon receive Swiss citizenship and will give up her US passport, according to Swiss media reports.AFP – US pop legend Tina Turner, who has been living in Switzerland since 1995, will soon receive Swiss citizenship and will give up her US passport, Swiss media reported Friday.
“I’m very happy in Switzerland and I feel at home here. … I cannot imagine a better place to live,” Turner told German language daily Blick….
Makes sense. She’s lived in Switzerland for the past 20 years, so she might as well continue doing so under the same conditions as any other Swiss citizen. Switzerland is a great place for celebrities, since they can go about their normal lives without people making a big deal out of such.
This is interesting news. At least we have more than the “Affaire Depardieu” in regards to celebrities.
I suspect she may have managed to remain compliant, as as a fortuned person she may have the resources to engage all of the CPAs and lawyers needed.
I wonder what take she has on the whole FATCA/FBAR/Double Taxation mess especially as regards poor and middle class people living and working abroad. Perhaps she could be a spokesperson for us?
*Jefferson D. Tomas , would be nice and one could try to get in touch with her, but she is rarely seen in public and thus probably doesn’t want to be involved in anything.
As far as her life decisions go, giving up U.S. citizenship is:
“Simply the best”.
One more example of somebody who (in all probability) is willing to pay a whack of cash to be out of the U.S.
I can hardly wait for the “Schumerization of the Issue” – she must be a “tax cheat!”
More evidence of a growing trend:
Those with no money (until they are educated) want to immigrate to the U.S.
Those with money want to get out.
Can this be good for the future of “Form Nation”?
@USCitizenAbroad
…and can attest to the fact that US citizenship in not ‘better than all the rest’.
Clarifying her situation, eh? That sounds like code for something else.
Good for her though high profile cases are somewhat double-edged. They bring attention to the issues but stir up a lot of “don’t let the door hit you as you leave” sort of nationalism from the homelanders.
But she does highlight the problem of having emigrated and then assimilated for love only to years and years later find that her native land has decided to make it nearly impossible to live a normal life outside the confines of the homeland,
Haven’t seen an reaction in the MSM yet. Could be she is low key enough not to attract that but I wonder if the politicians will use this to jump start that ridiculous ExPatriot thing again.
*Robert Wood at Forbes will be hot on the case. I guarantee it.
@Tim No sooner said than done – here it is:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2013/01/25/swiss-tina-turner-giving-up-u-s-passport/
Over a 1000 comments at Yahoo
http://news.yahoo.com/tina-turner-her-way-swiss-citizenship-105547825.html
Comments are rather less nasty than usual with many stating how Switzerland might be preferable to the US. Of course, not many of them understand why one might feel the need to give up US citizenship to live in Switzerland.
The Forbes piece wasn’t that bad. I think that the fact Turner left the US long ago probably accounts for the slack she’s getting in the Yahoo comments.
Depardiux was able to state why he was leaving
@ a
Clarifying her situation = Citizenship tax and FATCA
@Tim.. Congratulations on getting Woods attention to write the story…
The renunciations of the “peculiar institution” of citizenship-based taxation are just getting warmed up.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peculiar_institution
@AbusedExpat
I once heard a Yiddish word that sounds like klutzkasha, which is a type of reasoning that involves circular logic. The speaker offered the question “Wasn’t slavery good for the slaves?” as an example.
Cheers bubblebustin!
*Here is the improper version of the story:
Perhaps ACA should reach out to her.
RT: “Tina Turner gives up US passport to become Swiss citizen”
http://rt.com/usa/news/turner-us-swiss-tax-764/
From the article:
“But her home state in the US appears less enthusiastic about the decision. The mayor of Brownsville, Tenn., said she was “surprised” to hear about Turner’s decision to give up her US citizenship and said it might be time to think about why someone would do that.”
“’I think anytime a person, whether they’re world-renowned or the most meek and mild, makes a decision to change their citizenship we need to step back and think what causes that decision,’ Mayor Jo Matherne told FOX411. But even though the mayor expressed concern about the singer’s US abandonment, she said Turner still keeps in contact with her hometown.”
Perhaps it is time for Brockers to mobilize and explain clearly in the comments of the numerous articles that will come out about Tina Turner and explain why someone would renounce US citizenship. Tina Turner’s renunciation will bring real attention to the issue, much more so than the Facebook guy.
PS. It would be good to mention the Isaac Brock Society website in the comments.
*this abcnews blog didn’t publish my comment that she was choosing to not be a US citizen and was not required to renounce. They did publish many tax comments like this, though:
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2013/01/tina-turner-to-become-swiss-citizen/
FOX News: “Tina Turner becoming Swiss citizen; hometown mayor ‘surprised'”
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/01/25/tina-turner-becoming-swiss-citizen-giving-up-us-passport/
From the article:
“I think anytime a person, whether they’re world-renowned or the most meek and mild, makes the decision to change their citizenship we need to step back and think what causes that decision,” Matherne said.
*I sincerely hope that this will be the story that knocks FATCA and Citizenship based taxation into the mainstream media, where it can be critiqued and discussed.
Reading the comments in these news articles, it amazes me how many misconceptions people have about citizenship and taxes. Some of the wrong (and sometimes absurd) concepts and assumptions I read:
1. People can only have one citizenship.
2. People can “denounce” their citizenship.
3. People can “change” their citizenship to any country they want.
4. People have to be citizens of a country to live there.
5. All countries tax based on citizenship.
6. People only pay tax to their country of citizenship.
7. Switzerland has very low taxes.
8. Sweden has the highest tax rate in the world.
9. US citizens keep paying tax to the US for 10 years after they renounce their US citizenship.
Another opportunity for Chuck Schumer to reintroduce the expatriot act.
I just hope that she will fight back all the negative press that her decision is going to generate and expose FATCA as the main reason of her choice.
*I can’t wait so see how they turn this American sweetheart into a villain. A black woman born into poverty, pulled herself up by her boot straps, used her great talent to become a world-wide success. Overcame a wickedly abusive husband to re-invent herself in her 40’s and 50’s and become an even bigger success. Selling millions of records, she inspired so many young women to pursue their dream. The outspoken senator from NY better start working on his “spin”.
Turner: “I’m very happy in Switzerland,” she explained to a German-language paper, according to the AFP. “I cannot imagine a better place to live.”
Speaks volumes I’d say.
http://www.newser.com/story/161662/tina-turner-dumping-us-citizenship-for-swiss.html
Read what the rocker chicks have to say:
http://jezebel.com/5979030/tina-turner-plans-to-give-up-her-us-citizenship-and-ill-use-the-power-of-her-songs-to-try-and-stop-her/gallery/1