This is a repost from RenounceUSCitizenship.
“U.S. citizenship-based taxation is unique in the world and recent related actions undertaken by the IRS and Congress are literally destroying the community of Americans residing overseas and will consequently do irreparable damage to U.S. competitiveness in world markets.”
The United States is like an ex-wife or ex-husband who hasn’t figured out how to let go. Indeed, the IRS stalks its former citizens by insisting upon a messy divorce process, which aims at dissuading the wealthy from leaving. But like any bad relationship, stalking makes the former lover hate even more the one who can’t let go. Certainly, this stalking behavior will not lead the expatriated person to run back into the arms of his former lover!
See also: Please read this post if your actual expatriation date is before 2004 (Updated)
The blog post on ex post facto stirred up a flurry of e-mails between members of the society. It switched on a light bulb for some that the State Department and the IRS were trying to pull a fast one, and that those who were following rules at the time of their relinquishment were not required to follow the new rules.
The United States of America is creating ex post facto laws by insisting that persons born in the United States who lost their citizenship in the past but failed to inform the State Department are now once again citizens who must file income taxes and FBARs in the United States. The US Constitution clearly forbids Congress and the states from enacting ex post facto laws (Article I, sec. 9-10).
Please Note: The US State Department under John Kerry, who served in Viet Nam, is now charging $2350 to receive any CLN whether one has relinquished or renounced. So if you are coming to this only now, you are SOL when it comes to getting a free CLN.
See also Relinquishing your US citizenship in Germany
Those of us who have participated in the Expat Forum have seen that one of the first things that many many newbies say is, “I am going to renounce my US citizenship as soon as I have my Canadian citizenship.” Now, I want to suggest that one should never renounce their citizenship if they can relinquish it instead. Months ago I wrote a post on this subject, which I provide below.
