Boris Johnson, native son of New York City and now Mayor of London, has just completed another whirlwind tour of the US.
While visiting the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C., Boris unexpectedly announced that his ultimate political ambition is to become Prime Minister of the Moon. After a rather awkward silence, a Smithsonian tour guide informed Mr. Johnson that the Moon is already a territorial possession of the United States and consequently does not subscribe to a parliamentary form of government. To top-off yet another bad hair day, Mr. Johnson was also reminded by an aide that he is still an American citizen and therefore liable for US taxes and penalties no matter where in the universe he might choose to live, including, for example, the Moon.
Mr. Johnson appeared confused and angry and vowed to have a chat about his predicament with US Ambassador Matthew Barzun. As he turned and fled down a corridor towards the exit he could be heard exclaiming “Absolutely outrageous – they don’t make it easy for you” followed by “It’s an accident of birth that has left me with this thing. I’ve got to find a way of sorting it out” and, almost inaudibly, as he stepped into his waiting limousine, “I may just have to settle for Prime Minister of Great Britain after all.”
Boris Johnson’s aids comments would have been better spent embellishing the divided loyalties aspect of renouncing rather than the future US tax relief that renouncing would result in. Will be interesting to see which camp he’s thrown in by the media and possibly Chuck Schumer – the Tina Turner (for love), or the Eduardo Savarin (for money) one?
Poor Boris. The media stories that follow will never be as great as your post, Deckard!
The ambitions of the IRS reach to know where no man has gone before: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxU6n4pAnrU
So the moon is a territorial possession of the USA……….?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Yes, I know some of their astronauts landed there, but such a claim!!!!!!!
NOW THAT IS OUTRAGEOUS!!!!!!!
I think you might like this one:
Moon Treaty
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Treaty
I was after Boris Johnson on Twitter during his recent visit to the US. with this link: http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2014/11/20/london-mayor-boris-johnson-politely-gives-irs-the-finger/
I was hoping that in an interview someone might ask him how outraged he was about US taxes. No such luck.
While I would have enjoyed him speaking against CBT as a US person, he may be an even more effective force as a non US person. I look forward to seeing his name on the renunciation list.
As a nonUS person he would be completely free to speak his mind about CBT. Based on what I see here at Brock those who have gone through the renunciation process have become quite bitter about the US laws and what they have subjected them to; and they have become the strongest advocates for changes in the US laws. We may look forward to something similar from Boris Johnson, I hope.
In any case, it is more publicity about the downsides of US citizenship for US persons living overseas.
@EllenDownunder Have you checked this out on the Australian page:
https://isaacbrocksociety.ca/fatca-and-australia/comment-page-1/#comment-5583560
calgary411 says
February 15, 2015 at 2:07 pm
Anne Frank (I miss her input here very much) gave some advice on relinquishment for Boris Johnson: https://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2014/11/20/that-mayoroflondon-is-a-good-man-but-he-still-suffers-from-the-u-s-taint/comment-page-2/#comment-4397916
and Ginny, fellow *Accidental American* also weighed in on advice for Boris:
http://maplesandbox.ca/2014/ginny-writes-to-london-mayor-boris-johnson-help-stop-fatca-with-adcs/
and
http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2014/11/25/londons-boris-johnson-gets-help-in-irs-fight/
Wouldn’t it be great if some others whose names would influence the mass media stepped up to offer their stories — and their donations to http://www.adcs-adsc.ca/. What an easier job, the story of rights lost to US citizenship-based taxation law would be.
Savvy London Mayor Boris Johnson Paid IRS, Is Now Renouncing U.S. Citizenship
http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2015/02/15/savvy-london-mayor-boris-johnson-paid-irs-is-now-renouncing-u-s-citizenship/2/
The moon is a territorial possession of DUHmerica. Do these people know no bounds?
Satire:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satire
Why stop at the Moon, let’s tax the entire universe because there must have been Americans who saw it first.
@JC
“Based on what I see here at Brock those who have gone through the renunciation process have become quite bitter about the US laws and what they have subjected them to; and they have become the strongest advocates for changes in the US laws.”
You are right about that, I think. To be forced into doing something (giving up citizenship) that you would not otherwise ever contemplate, and to give up something (your citizenship) that at least once had real and substantial emotional value to you, in order to be able to save for your retirement and protect your family, is embittering. But Boris has ambitions and his ambitions will likely temper his criticism of the US, at least for now.
@ JC and qm,
My feelings, being a long-ago relinquisher, are a bit different but also similar.
I wasn’t forced into giving up citizenship in 1979 – no pressure from US govt policy to do so in order to live a normal life. So, I felt no bitterness or negativity at all. It just felt like the logical thing to do, given where my life had taken me.
However, fast forward to now – I sure feel resentment towards the US trying for to reclaim me (in the 1970s, they never mentioned CLNs, they told you you’d lose your US citizenship automatically upon naturalising elsewhere.)
Terminating my US citizenship was a neutral experience. And although no longer a USC, I had positive feelings towards the US for decades. Then they tried to reclaim me (not just me, of course, all of us) in recent years. They’ve even tried to dupe people into believing they’re USCs when they’re not, as has been reported at Brock and as I am personally aware.
For decades, the US’ role in my life was “the nice (and interesting/fun to vacation in) country next door.” The US’ role in my life now is an invading troublemaker and my sentiments towards it are consistent with that.
I know there’s some good people in the US, probably lots of them. But from my life experience, I now feel distrust, disdain and resentment towards the US. In 1979 it lost a citizen – no big deal. In 2012, it lost a friend.
Diplomacy will temper Boris`s words about America for now.
@Pacifica Well said.
The articles on Boris Johnson’s renouncing U.S. citizenship keep coming. This one from the Atlantic is entitled “London Mayor Boris Johnson Hates the IRS, Too”:
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/02/boris-Johnson-renounces-us-citizenship-tax-bill-mayor-london/385554/
So is it Charles Rangel or Charlie Wrangle? Look at this new comment by KOslo under the Atlantic’s article about Boris Johnson.
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/02/boris-Johnson-renounces-us-citizenship-tax-bill-mayor-london/385554/#comment-1864360611
This guy (one of three Senate sponsors of FATCA) was pretty good at wrangling up some overseas cash cows for himself but not terribly forthright with the IRS about what he was doing. You just can’t make this stuff up!