Update May 15, 2020 …
No renunciations …
The COVDI-19 pandemic has meant the cancellation and unavailability of appointments to renounce US citizenship. At least London UK, Australia and Canada have temporarily ceased processing renunciations of citizenship. pic.twitter.com/pxVTplYnyA
— U.S. Citizen Abroad (@USCitizenAbroad) March 20, 2020
Too bad, net worths are falling daily meaning that fewer renunciants would be covered expatriates and subject to the Exit Tax.
It’s unclear whether renunciations are being processed in any countries.
No passports …
https://t.co/KC5CtlYqPW pic.twitter.com/X2DG9JINOr
— U.S. Citizen Abroad (@USCitizenAbroad) March 20, 2020
OMG …but I guess we should have expected this. Interesting side effect of the new coronavirus. So glad I renounced years ago. I empathize with those still trying to do so. Stay well everyone.
Most of those renunciants wouldn’t have bothered paying exit tax even if they owed it. So no great loss.
Hmmmm. Looks like the US government has finally figured out a way to do an end run around that pesky “right to expatriate” law that’s been on their books since 1868. Something like renunciations could easily be handled online if they wanted to. (They could have and should have started doing that years ago for a 100 bucks a pop if they weren’t such dicks.)
Without agreeing or disagreeing, I am curious how you would know this? “So no great loss” to whom? Do you mean “So no great loss” to the USG?
I can’t speak for RH, but I suspect what he means is that many who renounce these days, are not coming into compliance first, just renouncing so they don’t have banking issues. So, if not complying, they wouldn’t then go and pay the exit tax.
Just in from Montreal …
In order to maintain the health and safety of those who work at and visit our embassy and consulate facilities and in line with the Canadian government’s call to increase social distancing, the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa and all U.S. Consulates General in Canada will suspend routine consular services starting March 23, 2020, and until further notice. See below for more details.
American Citizen Services: Routine passport (including consular reports of birth abroad) and notarial services will be suspended starting March 23, 2020. Individuals with appointments on or after March 23 will be asked to reschedule their appointments for a later date. U.S. citizens in need of emergency assistance should contact our nearest office listed below. Click here https://ca.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information-Canada/ to learn about the latest COVID-19 developments in Canada along with precautions to take to protect your health and safety.
Visa Services: Routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa services were suspended as of March 18, 2020 until further notice. This includes visa interviews at the embassy and consulates. Applicants with appointments received cancellation notices by e-mail. For case-specific inquiries for non-immigrant visas, please visit https://ca.usembassy.gov/visas/contact-information/ and email the office where you applied. For immigrant visa inquiries, please contact Montreal-IV-DV@state.gov.
We regret any inconvenience caused by the suspension of routine consular services and appreciate your support for our efforts to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 in Canada. Please monitor our website for future updates: https://ca.usembassy.gov.
For assistance:
U.S. Embassy Ottawa
490 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
613-688-5335
OttawaACS@state.gov
https://ca.usembassy.gov/
State Department – Consular Affairs
888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444
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@Jack – Precisely. I don’t “know” anything, in terms of statistics, but anyone without US assets or ties who renounced and paid an exit tax was likely a victim of the compliance industry, and hopefully it didn’t happen very often.
Here’s my take on the rest of the news:
1. Renunciation has stopped, indefinitely.
2. If you can find anyone working at a European bank who has time to answer the phone, they’d probably tell you that FATCA enforcement is no longer a priority.
3. US tax deadlines have been moved forward, and may move forward again.
4. US tax enforcement against non-residents without US assets didn’t need to stop, because it never started.
Not much else to say. We can still come here and chatter away all we want just to pass the time. There will still be people with legitimate and pressing concerns, like Barbara on the other thread, who will need expert help. But regular old CBT and FATCA worries are shrinking in the rear view mirror at a high rate of speed.
@All,
I’m posting on this thread, as it is our top thread today, a general comment on the topic of COVID-19:
” …regular old CBT and FATCA worries are shrinking in the rear view mirror at a high rate of speed”.
Yes, a smallish, good side effect of the current global crisis.
Indeed. Clarification/apology made for the hashtag. Black humour is necessary but tricky in a public forum.
Honestly though, if anyone deserves a moist cough, it’s the ass who wrote an article this week suggesting that foreigners trapped in the US – possibly without adequate health coverage – now need to count days so they can send paperwork to the IRS next year. I can’t decide if that is criminally evil or blindingly obtuse. It’s infuriating.
“Honestly though, if anyone deserves a moist cough, it’s the ass who wrote an article this week suggesting that foreigners trapped in the US – possibly without adequate health coverage – now need to count days so they can send paperwork to the IRS next year. I can’t decide if that is criminally evil or blindingly obtuse. It’s infuriating.”
It’s pretty low for people to use the corona virus crisis to frighten more people into the US tax system, that is for sure.
maz57: “Something like renunciations could easily be handled online if they wanted to. (They could have and should have started doing that years ago for a 100 bucks a pop if they weren’t such dicks.)”
Amen!
ALL: Please, be safe and stay well!
Update May 15, 2020 …
Representatives of the State Department have announced that there will be no appointments for routine citizen services (which includes appointments to relinquish/renounce US citizenship) in Canada until after June 30, 2020. I do NOT interpret this to mean that that things will revert to normal on July 1, 2020.