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?
*******
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!
@plaxy
My opinion is as valid as anyone else’s whether it’s before or after renunciation. I’m happy you are ecstatic about your decision, whether others find it encouraging or not is up to the individual.
Why don’t you just move on, like so many others have managed to do?
“My opinion is as valid as anyone else’s whether it’s before or after renunciation. ”
Your opinion about your own decisions, yes indeed.
I felt elation and also a great sense of relief to rid myself of a naturalized citizenship that I had never been completely comfortable with.
We opened a bottle of champagne.
FATCA, the loss of bank accounts and the impossibility of living a normal retirement back in my chosen home made renunciation inevitable.
Happy to receive stories from all of you-I was thinking in terms of something longer than a comment here-would really be appreciated.
If there are enough of these stories–say, 50 or so–I’d like to propose compiling them into an e-book, “Why I Renounced my US Citizenship”. Put on a provocative cover (an American flag torn in half or a US passport stamped “CANCELLED”). Give them away or sell them at a nominal fee (donating proceeds to any of the ongoing lawsuits). It’s these heartbreaking human stories which are more likely to touch the hearts (or the raw nerves) of Homelanders and politicians than a whole stack of rational arguments. Perhaps some of those people are more likely to skim through a book on their Kindle, than to scroll through a long web page.
I volunteer my services to design and format the book–I have such experience. What y’all think?
‘(an American flag torn in half’
That would not get sympathy.
‘or a US passport stamped “CANCELLED”)’
I’m not sure if that would get sympathy.
An extract of a FATCA letter might.
An extract of Dewees’s court ruling might, if prefaced by wording something like “This man’s crime: Keeping US citizenship while living in Canada. This man’s punishment:” and then an image of the ruling.
Minor aside: Dewees’s mistake wasn’t keeping US citizenship, it was failing to acquire Canadian citizenship. Had he done so he could not have been penalized.
I wonder, of those across the world who have renounced US citizenship in recent years, what percentage would wish to rejoin, if there was a shift by America away from the current taxation policies.
Unanswerable, maybe. There is a major divide there, though.
@Barbara
I like your idea and it would be fun to work together on this project for ADCT citizenship taxation site. Thanks for offering!
@Plaxy
“I wonder, of those across the world who have renounced US citizenship in recent years, what percentage would wish to rejoin, if there was a shift by America away from the current taxation policies. ”
Yes, unanswerable mainly because I think even those who had a hard decision to renounce would find it difficult to trust any future administration not to bring a form of cbt back again if it suited them.
I question whether trust is a major factor. People want the passport. If they can keep it or buy it back with less onerous conditions attached, an unknown number will take that option. Lots, perhaps.
No me and not quite a few others on here so I have heard expressed.
Trust is always a very important factor.
“Trust is always a very important factor.”
To some, no doubt.
If the Republicans come up with a offer that eases the tax/reporting burdens – maybe even including a path for renouncers to de-renounce – it will surely lead to a fall in renunciations – maybe back to pre-OVDI/P levels.
And FATCA will be here to stay.
@Barbara
The book is a great idea!
@Patricia Moon
I just submitted my story. Collecting stories of people who have renounced and putting them out there is also a great idea.
“To some, no doubt.”
There is no partnership in the world worth keeping including business and marriage that is not built on trust.
You think citizenship is a patnership? Citizenship is based on law, not trust. Especially US citizenship.
Speculating.
The US can do without the punitive tax/reporting obligations, as long as they hang on to the “all USCs who don’t live in a US state live in DC” fantasy. CBT can’t be enforced anyway, so all they would need to do is ease the reporting requirements and stop trying to take away people’s pensions. “Comfy” CBT, as suggested by I think badger.
Doing without FATCA would be more difficult. FATCA is very convenient for Delaware, Nevada, etc. And for explaining why the US doesn’t need to sign up to CRS.
” “Comfy” CBT, as suggested by I think badger.”
Suggested as a description of what Rettig might aim for, that is. Not in the sense of suggesting it would be desirable.
Yes, in a way , remember Kennedy said,
” ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”
yet it is really the governments job to serve it’s people, so yes, it is a partnership.
You elect them on trust that they will do as they have pledged. Do you really think that anyone who has been through this would want to take that risk, is a US passport worth so much?!
I would never trust the US government again.
@ Plaxy
I trust Swiss citizenship.I know the parameters do not change except by referendum.
“yet it is really the governments job to serve it’s people, so yes, it is a partnership.
You elect them on trust that they will do as they have pledged. ”
Unfortunately, that’s not the way citizenship works. Most of us get it willy-nilly when we get born. You don’t get a chance to say “no thanks I don’t think I’ll sign up for this.” There is no trust involved. You don’t get a chance to vote for the politicians that offer you the best citizenship terms.
You do get to decide whether to naturalize. You might make that decision on the basis of whether or not you trust the government whose citizenship you are gaining. But that doesn’t make it a partnership. You may think it’s a partnership but it isn’t. It’s a legal status.
“I trust Swiss citizenship.”
Fine.
“FATCA is very convenient for Delaware, Nevada, etc. And for explaining why the US doesn’t need to sign up to CRS.”
And for finding US-resident taxpayers with foreign accounts, of course.
Plaxy
It’s like a marriage, you don’t have to stay. You can break the bonds, go elsewhere join a new partnership that works for you. It may be legal for a while but all that brainwashing doesn’t have to be permanent. citizenship is changeable/ adaptable.