Why More Americans Are Renouncing U.S. Citizenship
They all generally agree on the facts of the situation. Even so, there is very little pressure to change it. As one Senate staffer pointed out, nobody in Congress represents overseas Americans. And government officials think this law is succeeding at catching the tax cheats.
That may be worth the side effect of losing a few thousand American citizens every year.
Via Ari Shapiro, International Correspondent, London
I got two thumbs down for my comment:
Every renunciation is another brick in America’s Berlin Wall.
Hi all. Ok, here is wonderful evidence that it is worth all the effort and the patience of Job required to educate homelanders on these blogs:
tetonniki
• an hour ago
Don’t let the screen door hit you on the way out!
tetonniki tetonniki
• 17 minutes ago
OK I have to apologize and retract my comment. After reading through the comments about how this is affecting middle-class US ExPats that don’t even owe any US taxes I realize I’ve been duped once again. Apparently, the real culprits are still getting away scot-free and it’s the middle class getting reamed. I guess I should have guessed that any law passed by our politicians who are mostly owned by the 1% would have really created a law that would have netted their own overlords.
The comparison should be 3000 times their net worth.
How many of these are mid millionaires? The US has shot itself in the foot, they will never have an opportunity to tax that money ever again.
NPR covered it. That’s something.
“None would talk on tape” is “I won’t associate myself with anyone not living in USA”
Just Me,
The NPR article you discovered says: “As one Senate staffer pointed out, nobody in Congress represents overseas Americans.”
It so happens that In a few hours I will be visiting in Seattle a staffer of Senator Patty Murray followed immediately by a staffer from Senator Maria Cantwell. You can imagine what I will be complaining loudly about and I will provide case examples. Both senators are my reps as I vote in Washington state.
I am alerting in advance both staffers to the NPR article and am quoting the sentence you provided.
At the meetings I will ask whether the senators represent me and others like me, and whether they will fight for our interests. I am looking for a straight answer on this.
Will let you know the response.
credit Just Me for his continual flood of social media tools towards NPR. Six hundred contacts might have had an effect.
@ Mark Twain
Right on about Just Me. I was going to mention that but I got busy going through all the NPR comments. Still working my way through there. A fairly good but way too short NPR offering however happy to have it — FINALLY!
@Bubblebustin
Perhaps its more like, “every renunciation is another expat forced to jump over America’s Berlin Wall.”
“That may be worth the side effect of losing a few thousand American citizens every year.”
The renunciation games are just getting started. In a couple of years it will be 20,000 to 30,000 per annum. Watch this space.
@Joe Blow
“In a couple of years it will be 20,000 to 30,000 per annum. Watch this space.”
That would be if the consulates could keep up. There’s already a 1 year waiting list in Switzerland and 3 to 4 months in Paris. I don’t see the numbers going way up unless they speed up and streamline the process. But yes, one might think that most American Abroad who got married to non citizens will indeed renounce – or be excluded from financial affairs, as well as all accidentals who have a US birthplace. I wonder what that percentage is from the 6-7 millions number…
@Deckard
Wouldnt it be something if some of those homelanders saw the light? In more ways than one- also concerning their own negative consequences of FACTA for USA:
My question is…
There is an appeal of a ruling filed by the Bankers’ Association of I think Texas & Florida… Do u think they will have any rippling effect to the Fatca crap? I understand it only is trying to stop it in the US… but the info they are giving up is nothing compared to what Fatca is doing to all. If I have to give up all that info… why shouldn’t they… ok.. maybe cause I ain’t got that kind of money.. but still.. Want to be fair.. share everything & we can all sit in the boat as it sinks together.
I don’t expect to see much of AtticusInCanada here today. She has been very, very busy at NPR. Thank you Atticus! I need a nap now, just from up arrowing her comments (others too) and splashing in a few of my own into the sea of nearly 600 comments in 13 short hours. Wonder if Just Me will dive in — could be even more interesting if he does.
I think the nobody in Congress represents overseas Americans comment is true but not xenophobic. The basic problem is that Congress only represents voters. I ran across a figure from Democrats Abroad in a 2004 New York Times article in which it was stated that only 24% of eligible Americans abroad turned out in the 2004 presidential election . That is a really low turnout rate. To give you an example, single parents and latino citizens are known for having low turnout rates and their rates are twice as high as that! The one group the literature on the politics of taxation flags up as getting kicked around is undereducated single mothers and they also tend not to vote. This is why it is very important for everyone who is not planning on renouncing to register for the 2014 midterm election primary and vote 1) voting in the primary provides the best opportunity for getting rid of some members of Congress who ignore us. Waiting until the general election is not so good because so many seats are firmly under the control of one party, 2) The primary electorate for a midterm election is small, so we have a better chance of getting noticed and scaring the heck out of Congress. The time for loyalty is over. Anyone who doesn’t want to exit needs to make a lot of noise!
I was thinking that if there was a UK branch of the Isaac Brock Society, maybe it could be the Thomas Paine Society (named after the author of the highly relevant 1770s pamphlet Common Sense) and our motto could be ‘Be a Paine,’ Not a bad motto for all Americans abroad, though.. . . .
The US can limit the rate at which it grants people CLNs by limiting the availability of consular appointments. Meanwhile, with data that it obtains under FATCA and the IGAs that it has extorted from other countries, it can charge penalties on its expat citizens who have failed to file proper paperwork even if they would owe no actual tax. It’s quite a shakedown, because almost no one except those being fleeced cares about it.
I’m glad I long ago ceased to be a citizen of a country that treats its people like that.
@Em…
I just haven’t had time to dive into the comment stream much, due to other issues. I have done a couple reply comments, and a few arrow ups. I see Atticusincanada activity, but have been on a phone conversation with an Indian immigrant who has a horror OVDP story with mis-communication or lack of communication between TAS and the OVDP Examiner that has her hung out to dry, and trying to help her find a resolution. Also, have been in contact with James Fallows of the Atlantic who is interested in the renunciation story as part of FATCA impacts, so working on something for him between trying to finish painting my entry way and get scaffolding up for a roof leak that needs fixing… 🙂 We all have our excuses don’t we…?? .LOL
I promise over lunch I will do a few.. 🙂
Good to see NPR finally gets a clue about what is really going on.
Wish I could believe it will make a darn bit of difference.
not really related to this link but not sure if anyone has been following the groovy little counter monkey guy down on the bottom left corner of the page.
in just 2 hours there have been over 2000 hits on this site.
i am heartened to see that much activity in just a couple of hours.
keep up the fight….this war is not over yet!!!
@Joe Blow
Yes, that too…
Not only will renunciations skyrocket, the number of registered births abroad will plummet. I wonder what the homelanders would say about that? That babies should get in line to pay their fair share?
@ Just Me
I once said, because of your amazing writing activity, that you must have clones. You denied it. Okay, I believe you. BUT maybe you should consider being cloned — at least get one for that painting job. 🙂 After all you’ve done to get NPR to cover FATCA you deserve kudos and please take all the time you need to make whatever comments you wish. Meanwhile we have Atticus in Action et al.
@Just Me,
It would be nice for that immigrant to share her horror story (including some indication of balance numbers) to get us a better idea on why they treat her like that.
Hopefully, the TAS will be able to intervene and the story will have a happy ending.
Maybe Not That Lisa could give her the contact of Nina Olson’s attorney that she was in touch with and apparently was very helpful. Maybe Not That Lisa can help her too.
Thanks for all you’re doing to help these people. I am forever grateful for all your posts which personally helped me tremendously come up with my decision.
@noone & anonanon
The embassies and consulates can certainly (and most likely will) control the flow of appointments for renunciations and relinquishments in order to keep the numbers down. That is one of the problems with waiting to see if things will change for the better.
@bubblebustin
That’s right, they should tax expat babies. Those little rug-rats need to pay their “fair share” too. I can see Carl Lenin and Chuckie Schumer pointing their crooked old fingers for the cameras now. LOL
@noone
She is calling Nina’s office tomorrow, as there is a failure at the regional level. I can’t share much more, as you can understand.
Just spoke to staffers from two different Senators. One knew little about our problems but the second (boss is on the SFC) had actually heard the NPR broadcast this morning, and we had a very intelligent conversation. This staffer also remembered and discussed good comments previously made to him by one of us.
I mentioned briefly CBT vs. RBT and FATCA but focused almost completely on our need to renounce from the U.S. and from the IRS without suffering financial harm. Just let us leave. Both promised to forward the Richardson SFC submissions (general and PFIC) to their tax people and I will follow up with them.
I am certain that in the 45 minutes I was able to get my simple points across. I accurately described using strong words and repeatedly how we feel about Congress and how Congress feels about us.
You can argue that this was all a waste of time but it was important for me to complain directly to the people responsible for harming us.