This post appeared on the RenounceUScitizenship blog.
5 strategies for weight reduction and a better life 4 #americansabroad http://t.co/gwxjjB6Zmm – Lose your #coveredexpat status
— U.S. Citizen Abroad (@USCitizenAbroad) July 14, 2013
My recent post discussed the importance of renouncing U.S. citizenship before becoming a covered expat. For those who need a reminder (and this is not a substitute for careful legal advice) a “covered expatriate” is one who meets any of the following tests:
1. The Income Test – Has the composition of income hat has resulted in a U.S. tax bill of approximately 140,000 for each of the last three years (this is a paraphrase, look it up yourself);
2. The Asset Test – Has a net worth of two million dollars or more
3. The Compliance Test – Is unable to certify compliance with U.S. tax laws for each of the five years prior to expatriation. Note that this is intended to include having filed all relevant information returns. (I would argue that since FBAR is a Title 31 requirement it is irrelevant to Title 26 compliance). Interestingly, if you do not meet either the asset test or the income test, you have a huge incentive to ensure that you have five years of tax compliance.
When it comes to U.S. tax compliance:
The only thing worse than the fear of non-compliance is the certainty of compliance. Why?
