UPDATE Our Stories
It’s Cruel how we Have had to Give up our Right to Return
A Dual who Managed to Relinquish!
I Renounced – for Human Rights, for Privacy Rights, & for Showing Respect for my Husband’s Privacy
I Lost Hope
I did not Leave America, the U.S. Government Left me
I Feel Cheated by my ex-Country who Treats its Citizens in This Way
How I Became Canadian and Ended up Renouncing US Citizenship
Last Generation American
Why won’t the USA Graciously let its People go?
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I would like to create a section on the Citizenship Taxation website that is devoted to the stories of those who have renounced/relinquised. The primary purpose is to demonstrate a different focus than that of trying to keep it, hoping for change in the political process, etc. Hopefully it would include what it felt like during the period of deciding (the OMG moment + any particular stresses that pointed you in that direction), could include the actual appointment(s) at the Consulate, the aftermath, family reactions, etc. Whatever you feel would be meaningful to communicate…….
Real names are not required. All requests for privacy concerning email, name etc will be strictly respected/followed.
Please email to:
information at citizenshiptaxation at dot ca
Thanks!
Although I’m not familiar with the Citizenship Taxation website, I’ll likely participate with my renunciation story. I’ve long lost hope with the US political process and have found hope with being 100% Canadian, free from US tax bondage. It may be a healing process for some to write their stories complete with OMG moments and stresses which led us to renounce/relinquish.
I wrote a whole series of posts on my blog as I went through the process. You’re welcome to refer people to it: https://rachelsruminations.com/series/us-citizenship/
@PatCanadian
CitizenshipTaxation website for ADCT. I look forward to your story!
Thanks Rachel.
Haven’t renounced but interested in hearing more stories. I understand, but still can’t congratulate people for having done so. It’s a terrible waste of perfectly good citizens.
Perhaps somewhat off-topic but I’m sure this situation is common. When I first heard about FATCA and what I consider taxtortion, I checked out what it would take for me to become compliant and then renounce. After explaining my situation to an IRS approved tax agent, he said that I obviously would owe no back US taxes due to my income over the past 10 years. He said that it would be a “Plain paper envelope” return. All so good so far until I asked what it would cost me for his services. The reply was between $10 -$12 thousand dollars for the paperwork preparation! Nothing was said about additional fines and the cost of renouncing and possible exit tax later on. Now all this presents a problem. As an aged pensioner with no superannuation savings, I do not have that sort of money and having the taint of US citizenship means that I cannot borrow it from any bank. So I’m sort of stuck in a Twilight Zone. If I get that OMG letter it seems my only option is to ignore it or send it back with a “Sorry Guys-no money” note. I get the feeling from much of the writing and advice about renouncing US citizenship that it is simply a matter of throwing lots of money at it. Surprise! but some of us expats don’t have the savings to do so. Perhaps we are like the unfortunate passengers on the Titanic who couldn’t get on a life boat and can only wave as the boats depart…!
“Haven’t renounced but interested in hearing more stories. I understand, but still can’t congratulate people for having done so. It’s a terrible waste of perfectly good citizens.”
That seems an oddly unhelpful way to look at another person’s decision about their nationality.
I don’t see my liberation from America as a waste of a perfectly good citizen. I don’t measure my value in terms of how useful I have or haven’t been for America.
@PatCanadian. Every day I get denials from banks and brokerages who don’t want to deal with US citizens, I get frustrated and I have set up appointments several times for renunciation only to cancel it after a few days as I loved USA but I don’t like CBT. It is making my life a nightmare to live in. You are not the only one that US govt let down on its extra territorial injustice on expats.
This selection of quotes seems to give the impression that renouncing US citizenship is an act of despair.
For me, it was liberation. As I left the consulate, free of America at last, my fist shot into the air and I shouted “Yes!!!!”
I soon found out it’s not entirely “Yes!!!”, but the remaining nuisances, such as having to keep producing the CLN to prove that I’m not a US citizen, are very minor compared to the liberation of having shaken free of that other country.
Yessss!!!!!!
@plaxy
I don’t think there is any “seems” here – for these people, it was an act of desperation. Everyone is different and entitled to how they feel. The last thing I would want to see on this post, is comments that would make those who contributed feel worse than they already do. Besides for the research, the first function of Brock was support for every individual who reached out.
I am glad it worked so well for you.
Stories are a great idea – the ones on our website are the most visited pages. Feel free to link to http://fixthetaxtreaty.org/about/our-stories/ or any of the individual stories.
It’s the selection (selecting only quotes that express despair rather than including quotes that express relief/jubilation/joy) that gives the impression that renouncing US citizenship is inherently an act of desperation.
“I am glad it worked so well for you.”
Thanks! Feel free to add a quote from my post to the selection! 🙂
& all the stories of the past such as the “monumental” submission by ADCS to The Senate Finance Committee? I suppose these are now a few years old before FATCA implementation.
Desperation among US expats everywhere. Everyone wants to renounce now if they have dual nationality.
A chronological assembly of all kinds of stories, from the start of America’s current campaign against its non-resident citizens (from around 2000?) to the present, would be amazing.
“Everyone wants to renounce now if they have dual nationality.”
Not everyone.
I think many people feel they need to renounce but few actually want to do it. How many people wanted to renounce US citizenship before the US started its global jihad against US citizens abroad? A couple of hundred a year, and back then it was free to renounce.
Almost nobody wants to renounce their citizenship, but US government property are given little choice if they wish to leave the plantation and live a full and normal life without looking over their shoulder all the time.
On another forum I made a post regarding the situation US citizens find themselves in if they wish to leave the plantation and met multiple accusations of being a liar. A few post later and you get the “they’re free to simply renounce” bit.
You then explain that as renouncing is rarely simple and never free, then how can they deny my claim that US citizens are not free to leave?
Its tiring.
This is an invite for Steve, a US bean counter who says there is no problem, no need to renounce at all. Keep your records straight and a max of $500 makes it all OK. I’ve invited him to come along and chat to people who have renounced over a $500 cost. max.
“Assuming that someone has the proper documentation, and has their finances in good order. Their return will only take 2–3 hours.
The average tax return is not charged by the hour, and usually costs 200–500 dollars depending on it’s complexity.”
@plaxy. Many want to renounce but don’t have second passport or not a good passport like EU, UK and Canada. I did set up many appointments to renounce and cancelled at the last moment. US will never end its CBT imposition and the banks and brokerages would continue to deny us. It’s getting more tougher these days to open an account and you are treated as crap by local banks stating sorry no US passport. Too much problems with your govt regulations. Everything getting denied to US expats nowadays . Even some jobs and partnerships are becoming a major headache as a friend wanting to open up a business with few partners was taken out due to US wanting to know about details of each partner and their bank accounts and of course they don’t want IRS poking in their affairs as they are not US persons. Some marriages are crumbling too or divorces happened as a result of joint accounts with non US spouses as shown in a TV program years ago and it stands true to this day. My non US friend had to take his US wife out of his joint accounts and it resulted in a divorce for them.
“Many want to renounce but don’t have second passport or not a good passport like EU, UK and Canada. “
Yes, some want to renounce but can’t, while others don’t want to renounce, or are planning to renounce later.
Don Maisch I don’t know where you live. If in Canada, the banks are easily dealt with.
On opening a new account, they ask if you,are a ‘tax resident’ or some such of any other country. Just say no.
@ Patricia Moon… I would love to submit my story and an update post renouncing. @ Portland… As the author of “I am Canada, Hear Me Roar Mr. President”, the banks may be easily dealt with only sometimes. My problem as outlined in the article was the signing authority issue. The letters began coming 1 month after I renounced asking my employer if any of his partners, associates or anyone in his firm with the ability to direct funds was an US citizen for taxes purposes. Thank God, he could answer truthfully no.
@Harrison
“Desperation among US expats everywhere. Everyone wants to renounce now if they have dual nationality.”
Hardly. I’m completely non-compliant, untouched by FATCA, and have no need to spend money renouncing.
Life has not in fact changed one little bit since I learned of this situation in 2011, and for me it may well never change. If I needed to, I’d renounce, and would feel no emotion whatsoever beyond mild annoyance at the cost. It’s not my country, I was only born there.
My husband was happy to read congratulations from Brockers after the deed was done. I’ll just cut and paste the short description I wrote back then (2014). Renunciation can bring relief, grief and even regret — it all depends on the person and all emotions are valid, including feeling quite devoid of emotion.
I think the last sentence hints at our feelings at the time but I know we both feel that it was unfair that he had to get a CLN in order to live more free here in Canada.
Ditto. When I walked out of the consulate I felt like a ginormous weigh had been lifted off my shoulders. I went home and had a celebratory Cuban cigar and glass of port.
The next time I had a cigar and port was when my CLN arrived.
Glad to be out of the mess that is CBT. And, my sympathies to those who want, but are unable, to extricate themselves from US citizenship.