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Renunciation and Relinquishment of United States Citizenship: Discussion thread (Ask your questions) Part Two

Ask your questions about Renunciation and Relinquishment of United States Citizenship and Certificates of Loss of Nationality.

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NB: This discussion is a continuation of an older discussion that became too  large for our software to handle well. See Renunciation and Relinquishment of United States Citizenship: Discussion thread (Ask your questions) Part One

 

10,433 thoughts on “Renunciation and Relinquishment of United States Citizenship: Discussion thread (Ask your questions) Part Two”

  1. @Heidi

    “It’s a good idea to keep proof of mailing of your final tax returns and 8854.”

    How can you do that? Are you saying to send it return receipt or signature required?

  3. From the UK, I sent my 8854 by Royal Mail International Tracked. £8.70. You get tracking all the way, so I’ll take a screenshot of the tracking record at delivery.

  4. @iota, I did similar. Posted through Swiss Post recorded delivery service and tracked online on their website and on the US Postal Service website too. I took paper copies of both tracking delivery details and also kept the e-mails just in case.

  5. I still am waiting for my CLN (since May) & hoping I’m not one of the unlucky ones who waits over a year. I’ve been told to go ahead & assume that it’s coming (not my fault they’re so bogged down) & do the final filing & forms. I’m seeing that I file from Jan. 1 up to the day before I relinquished, forms 1040, 1040nr, & 8854. I assume also the FBAR for accounts over $10k, as well. Is this list correct?

    Also, I noticed that the Federal Register of renunciations hasn’t yet been released for the last quarter of 2015. The other times, it was out before the end of the first month following that quarter.

    I wonder if it’s late because there are so many?

  6. @Jane, the Register is rarely out on time so nothing new there. I doubt it’s because they have so many as it’s full of mistakes, omissions, double entries, etc, anyway.

  7. @jane
    Fbars should be done for all accounts if the aggregate in them all is over $10,000…crazy….
    You could try emailing the embassy to ask why it is taking so long. It sometimes speeds things up.
    Federal register is late more often than not.
    I took 9 months to show up, some never show up at all!.

  9. I’m waiting for my CLN since October. Since I was warned by the Consular person that it might be 4 – 6 months, I plan to wait until 6 months and then email an enquiry to the Consulate. I’m expecting that my enquiry, together with their response, will be sufficient confirmation that I’m no longer a US citizen, and a copy of my final filings plus proof of delivery of 8854 to Philadelphia, will be sufficient confirmation that I’m no longer a so-called “tax citizen”. Though I doubt if these proofs will ever be needed, it’s just as well to have them, I reckon, in case the CLN never turns up.

  10. @heidi

    I did email them & nicely asked if maybe the paperwork got lost in the post? They replied that as soon as they knew something, I’d know…sigh.

    RE: aggregate acct. balances– I sure hope my US embassy-recommended tax guy has done it all correctly. As I said before, if I could do the filing myself, I would– so how would I know if his figures & such are correct? I just keep fingers & toes crossed that everything is in order.

    Cheers

  11. @Joe, yes, no need to provide a copy of the CLN. A copy is sent to the IRS when the State Department issues yours so it’ll be on their records.

  13. @heidi – the ACA link says June 30 2016, for FBARs for tax year 2015. It’s not changing until next year.

    The new deadline applies to FBARs for taxable years beginning in 2016. As a result, for filers required to file the FBAR for 2015, the deadline will remain June 30, 2016. For filers required to file an FBAR for 2016 and thereafter, the deadline will be April 15 of 2017 (automatically extended to June 15, 2017 for filers living abroad)

  14. Note that expats get a ‘break’, though, as done with 1040 filing; and the date is still June 30 this year (for TY 2015):

    …
    US citizens residing abroad will receive an automatic extension of time to file the FBAR until June 15, with an additional four-month extension available to October 15.
    …
    The new deadline applies to FBARs for taxable years beginning in 2016. As a result, for filers required to file the FBAR for 2015, the deadline will remain June 30, 2016.

  15. Don’t those expatriating in 2016 need to file fbars for the part of that year (up until they renounce ) by April 2017, ie they are still us citizens for part of the 2016 tax year.
    I was told by my accountant that this was needed for my final filings.

  16. @Medea It seems risky then, if the waiting for the CLN is long. Perhaps better to cancel the renunciation appointment and fix the passport and SSN first.

  17. @heidi – yes, for those renouncing in 2016, the deadline is April 2017 – with extension available if needed.

    But for those of us who renounced in 2015, the deadline is June 2016.

    So says ACA.

  21. @joe
    Why would you apply for a SSN if you don’t want to be an American anymore? It can take up to 2 yrs and you have to go to the US to do it.
    Once you renounce you are no longer a US citizen on THAT day. They cannot refuse your renunciation unless they think you have been co-orced. The cln is just an official document confirming this for banks etc. An ITIN is the
    only way to file your taxes if you are not a US citizen as stated in the link Medea posted from tje irs website. Others have done it this way.
    If you are not sure if you want to renounce, then you should wait until you are sure.

  24. I am sure I need to renounce, but I would like to do it cleanly. What makes me hesitate is if I would have to wait too long for the CLN.

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