71 thoughts on “1,759 published expatriates in Q2 2017 Federal Register list”

1. “People want to get on with their lives in the countries they call home, not sit around waiting for news out of the capital of a foreign country.”

   Yep. My plan remains to divest myself of my foreign accounts as quickly as I am able to avoid them being able to enact some punishment for me later.

2. Thanks for this Eric.

   It’s hard to feel sorry for those career State Department employees that Tillerson is side-lining, when it is probably one of these geniuses who’s responsible for the obscene increase in renunciation fees. I wonder how many of these employees think that the name and shame list is a good thing, considering they could have had input as to whether it should remain.

3. @Bubblebustin: It’s hard to feel sorry for those career State Department employees that Tillerson is side-lining, when it is probably one of these geniuses who’s responsible for the obscene increase in renunciation fees

   For what it’s worth, Patrick Kennedy, who signed off on the Federal Register docs announcing the fee increase, is already gone — he resigned like a week after Trump took office. Jill Warning and Celeste Tinari Scott, the two contractors who were listed as the contact people on those offensive justifications for raising the fee — and who probably ghost-wrote them for Kennedy — also are no longer with the State Department

   (Ironically, Warning herself was an expat before working for the State Department and is now one again according to this article — though she’s working as a US Navy civilian contractor, so I guess she can use on-base banking facilities and doesn’t get smacked by FATCA.)

4. The FATCA is slowly getting rolled out where I live. I live in fear that bank is going to tell me to take a hike. It’s going to be terrible if I have to put stuff in my wife’s name and/or working for cash-only. It makes me feel like an illegal alien in a country I’m a citizen of!!!

5. A friend expatriated Feb 10 this year. Made the list already. Huzzahs!!!!

6. My 18-year-old son (who renounced in June) and I (who renounced in April) aren’t on the current list.

   But the good news is that we each got our CLN’s within 10-14 days of our Calgary appointments. I rather wonder if this is the only sort of work still going on in the State Department.

7. @ Rebecca I, too renounced in Calgary, December 1, 2015. It took a little over three months for the CLN to arrive and almost an entire year went by before I appeared on the list. Doesn’t seem to be any “rhyme or reason” as too when one get’s the CLN or appears on the list. Some never appear on the list. Did they ask why you were renouncing? They asked me.

8. Ann#1, I wasn’t expecting to be on the list, but just noted our absence for anyone more or less officially keeping track. And I’ll be happy to make the list and wear it as a badge of honour. And that’s honour with a “u”!

   At the Calgary consulate, they did asked me why I was renouncing (though they didn’t ask my son or my daughter when she renounced last year, also at age 18). I told them I wanted to simplify my life in middle age, which is true, and that I don’t believe in divided loyalties, which is equally true. I was then asked to reconsider, in case I decide to retire to the US, or become a snowbird, or… or… . I was then told not once but twice that “a team of lawyers” at State — if not for FATCA doubtless they’d *all* be twiddling their thumbs there — would be reviewing my case. It must have been a swift review because the CLN arrived within 2.5 weeks of my appointment. And this is after a staffer told me at my appointment that it would arrive in “1 to 3 months, maybe 4”.

9. Perhaps the same team reviewing the Russia file.

10. @ Rebecca Thanks for your response! I was curious. I personally know of three people who have renounced in the last year in Calgary. Some were being asked, others weren’t. He did ask me and my response was “Nine years in the US, forty-four years in Canada. Who do you think I am? I was surprised that I was asked. He was aware that I had to apply for a Social Security number, didn’t have a passport and hadn’t visited the US since 1999.

11. Great work again, Eric! Thank you for your quarterly updates. It just disgusts me that people are having to buy their freedom in this way.

12. Rebecca,

    Unlike the (professional) DOS official I interacted with at my renunciation, yours unreasonably, and I believe contrary to U.S. law, made the process difficult for you.

    Did the DOS official act in a manner that “impaired” or “questioned” your right to expatriate or try to intimidate?

    In 2014 our (ADCS) U.S. attorney said the following to the U.S. DOS when it decided to increase markedly the renunciation fee, but the words generally might apply to you:

    “… This individual right [to expatriate] was explicitly recognized by Congress in the Expatriation Act of 1868 which provides in the following terms: “Whereas the right of expatriation is a natural and inherent right of all people, indispensable to the enjoyment of the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness … Therefore any declaration, instruction, opinion, order, or decision of any officer of the United States which denies, restricts, impairs, or questions the right of expatriation, is declared inconsistent with the fundamental principles of the Republic.” 15 Stat. 223; R.S. § 1999; 8 U.S.C.A. 1481 notes.”

13. It’s just a guess of course, but I don’t think the majority of people renouncing even know about the Republican effort to move from CBT or to repeal FATCA. I can however see an uptick in renunciations with Trump as president, when people want to disassociate themselves from the US because of him.

14. And thank you Eric for your great knowledge about the circumstances and people surrounding the renunciation fee increase.

    Disgusting how these people can just scurry off after making life so much more difficult for other people.

15. I know it’s a small thing, but I’m still puzzled by the presence of duplicate names in these quarterly lists. This time I have found

    DE LADURANTAYE PHILIP LAURENT
    DE LADURANTAYE PHILIP LAURENT

    and

    LABONTE NATHALIE DENISE
    LABONTE NATHALIE DENISE

    It seems unlikely, but not impossible, that these are names of four different people. In the more probable case that these are names of just two people, why weren’t the duplicates eliminated during compilation of the list? Is it just lack of proofreading, or did duplicate records somehow get passed to the Treasury Department?

    It’s an interesting example of bureaucratic inertia and questionable competency that the U.S. Government continues to publish this strange list four times a year. Long may it continue! At least the process provides employment to some people.

16. “Quarterly Publication of Individuals Who Have Chosen to Expatriate”

    Oh, the explanation has been staring us in the face for so long but we never noticed.

    “Who Have Chosen”

    The list excludes those of us Who Felt Forced.

    That’s the explanation, right? Right?

17. http://intltax.typepad.com/intltax_blog/2017/08/2017-second-quarter-published-expatriates-second-highest-ever.html

18. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DGP3RmQVoAAixcW.jpg

19. Wish you all the best. With FATCA treaties now hunting for all citizens around the world and every bank requiring you to tell them about all your other citizenships and residencies increasing day by day regulations and countries, you think congress will repeal a law like that which gives IRS some small change to run their business for a few hours, then you are all dreaming about Congress. They are still bickering over Obamacare and could not do anything with it. FATCA repeal calls for an executive order. It’s been 7 long years people are fighting and most of the people renounced. Can’t get a proper brokerage or bank account in my own country and passport with banks telling me now to leave US passport (very easy thing for them to say) and we will open an account for you. Since CFTC (brokerage account ) regulations are quite strict on brokerages for US citizens that brokerages don’t want to have US clients anymore. Banks are scared too that they reject my application since I have a US passport taint. As Patricia and iota renounced and enjoyed the benefits I suggest you all start preparing for it sooner than later. I don’t believe this congress will be able to pass a FATCA repeal law. Tax reform might only include TBT for companies only as proposed by DT. Individuals don’t matter. The best way is to tweet DT for an executive order for repeal but as you know Congress makes all laws. President can only veto them or approve them.

20. Contact your congressperson. Don’t take their lack of response as anything other than a call to not give up.

    I must have sent my congressman 20 letters over the last several years. I’ve now been given a direct line to his legislative director. I don’t know what will happen as a result of her involvement, but I won’t stand for nothing.

    Drip, drip, drip.

21. I like this video from IRSMedic about the Repeal lawsuit update, but I think a little too cheery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NVDxStMBtE

    @Harrison.super – what would happen if you put down some other nationality on the form? The crazy thing is that nobody seems to know since no one else has this taint.

22. @ All Another letter, another form yesterday for the firm that employs me. CIBC this time and regarding the trust accounts. We had letters from TD and BMO in 2016. We still haven’t had letters for all the accounts. Part B of these forms always ask about a person or persons who directly or indirectly control an account and whether they are a US person for tax purposes. Glad, we can say “NO.” We have no US persons with the ability to control directly or indirectly the account.

23. “AnonAnon says
    August 2, 2017 at 8:33 pm
    I know it’s a small thing, but I’m still puzzled by the presence of duplicate names in these quarterly lists. This time I have found

    DE LADURANTAYE PHILIP LAURENT
    DE LADURANTAYE PHILIP LAURENT

    and

    LABONTE NATHALIE DENISE
    LABONTE NATHALIE DENISE”

    Wouldn’t surprise me in the least if they are copy and pasting from a spreadsheet. Mickey Mouse organization.

24. Stephen, I definitely believe the staff member and the vice consul were trying to intimidate me by mentioning “teams of lawyers”, and I believe those mentions certainly fall under the heading of “question[ing] the right of expatriation”. I also believe I was subjected to these comments and my 18-year-old children were not because of my age and situation (mid-fifties planning for retirement).

    Fortunately, thanks to Isaac Brock Society and keeping up with Trump/State Dept current events, I brushed off the comments, but that intimidation could be successful against someone with less information and fortitude.

    Honestly, I think the current U.S. renunciation system is meant to be intimidating and complex — the high cost, the long wait times — in order to force all but the hardiest souls to reconsider. Again, this is why your work and that of everyone at IBS is so vital. Thank you all.

25. Rebecca: I’m so glad Stephen quoted the 1868 Expatriation Act: “Whereas the right of expatriation is a natural and inherent right of all people, indispensable to the enjoyment of the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness … Therefore any declaration, instruction, opinion, order, or decision of any officer of the United States which denies, restricts, impairs, or questions the right of expatriation, is declared inconsistent with the fundamental principles of the Republic.” 15 Stat. 223; R.S. § 1999; 8 U.S.C.A. 1481 notes.

    Not only was your treatment unlawful but the WHOLE DAMNED THING … the renunciation fee, the laborious, time-consuming process, the interrogation, the intimidation, the WORKS … is so beyond illegal it is simply appalling. I doubt anybody has the stomach for another lawsuit but I truly believe the US State Department should be taken to court over the fee alone to say nothing of all the other abuses.

    I agree with Bubblebustin that it’s perfectly terrible how “civil servants” and elected officials put these dreadful “extra-legal” regulations and fees in place while “in office” and when they leave the rest of us are left suffering under the effects of their tenures for years/decades to come.