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Boris Johnson 'intends to renounce US citizenship'
BBC ^ | 15 February 2015 Last updated at 03:26 ET | BBC

Posted on 02/15/2015 1:07:03 AM PST by WhiskeyX

Boris Johnson says he intends to renounce his American citizenship to prove his "commitment to Britain".

He told the Sunday Times that his citizenship was "an accident of birth that has left me with this thing. I've got to find a way of sorting it out".

The Mayor of London, who was born in New York, has in the past been forced to pay US tax because of his American citizenship.

He has just completed a six-day tour of cities in the US.

Mr Johnson said he would approach US ambassador Matthew Barzun to explore what steps he had to take to give up his American nationality.

The Conservative politician - who was born in Manhattan in 1964 and owns a US passport alongside a British one - said that relinquishing his citizenship was a "laborious business, they don't make it easy for you".

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; US: New York; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: borisjohnson; british; citizenship; johnson; london; newyork; us
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1 posted on 02/15/2015 1:07:04 AM PST by WhiskeyX
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To: WhiskeyX; UKrepublican; BillyBoy; fieldmarshaldj
The Mayor of London, who was born in New York, has in the past been forced to pay US tax because of his American citizenship.

And we come to the real reason.

2 posted on 02/15/2015 1:16:13 AM PST by Impy (They pull a knife, you pull a gun. That's the CHICAGO WAY, and that's how you beat the rats!)
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To: Impy

He’s a left-winger. Paying taxes is his patriotic duty.


3 posted on 02/15/2015 1:30:15 AM PST by fieldmarshaldj (Resist We Much)
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To: fieldmarshaldj

He was only paying the taxes American entitlement leeches refused to pay.


4 posted on 02/15/2015 1:44:07 AM PST by Gaffer
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To: WhiskeyX

He looks like NYC.


5 posted on 02/15/2015 1:53:17 AM PST by SWAMPSNIPER (The Second Amendment, a Matter of Fact, Not A Matter of Opinion)
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To: WhiskeyX
"Mr Johnson had faced a demand from the US authorities to pay capital gains tax on profits from the sale of his house in north London."

Wow... The mind boggles at the prospect.

Something is just not right about that.

6 posted on 02/15/2015 1:57:29 AM PST by Mad Dawgg (If you're going to deny my 1st Amendment rights then I must proceed to the 2nd one...)
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To: WhiskeyX
relinquishing his citizenship was a "laborious business, they don't make it easy for you".

It should be made as easy as turning around three times and saying "I renounce my citizenship" each time you turn.

And you can never get it back.

7 posted on 02/15/2015 2:14:58 AM PST by Balding_Eagle (The Gruber Revelations are proof that God is still smiling on America.)
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To: WhiskeyX

Boris who? I’ve never heard of the bloke.


8 posted on 02/15/2015 2:26:02 AM PST by Veggie Todd (The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. TJ)
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To: fieldmarshaldj

He’s the Conservative mayor of London


9 posted on 02/15/2015 2:32:12 AM PST by Kozak ("It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal" Henry Kissinger)
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To: Mad Dawgg

The U.S. is one of only two nations that taxes citizens on their foreign income. The other one is Eritrea. Make of that what you will.


10 posted on 02/15/2015 2:34:59 AM PST by Slings and Arrows ("Ragnarok" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L5nD7-qsEw)
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To: WhiskeyX

they don’t make it easy for him to get rid of his citizenship because they expect him to pay taxes on his income... no matter where in the world he lives (the US is the only country that does this)


11 posted on 02/15/2015 2:51:16 AM PST by sten (fighting tyranny never goes out of style)
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To: Slings and Arrows

(i generally discount Eritrea, as its only 6m people)


12 posted on 02/15/2015 2:53:30 AM PST by sten (fighting tyranny never goes out of style)
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To: Slings and Arrows

Great. Now I can scratch Eritrea off my “where to retire” list.


13 posted on 02/15/2015 2:59:06 AM PST by P.O.E. (Pray for America)
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To: Impy

Being British comes free of charge, although perhaps it out to come with a nominal annual fee to help pay for the consular services they are entitled to plus the navy and air force that will come in to haul you arse out of trouble if things get trick abroad.


14 posted on 02/15/2015 3:35:52 AM PST by sinsofsolarempirefan
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To: WhiskeyX

Who is Boris Johnson and why should I give a shit what he does?


15 posted on 02/15/2015 3:41:24 AM PST by Arm_Bears (Rope. Tree. Politician. Some assembly required.)
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To: Arm_Bears
By law Johnson has already lost his nationality:

A person who is a national of the United States whether by birth or naturalization, shall lose his nationality by voluntarily performing any of the following acts with the intention of relinquishing United States nationality—

(4)(a) accepting, serving in, or performing the duties of any office, post, or employment under the government of a foreign state or a political subdivision thereof, after attaining the age of eighteen years if he has or acquires the nationality of such foreign state;

U.S. Code › Title 8 › Chapter 12 › Subchapter III › Part III › § 1481

16 posted on 02/15/2015 3:52:50 AM PST by DoodleDawg
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To: Arm_Bears

I’m amazed that people don’t know who Boris Johnson is...


17 posted on 02/15/2015 4:14:46 AM PST by miss marmelstein
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To: WhiskeyX

When a nation is over $18 TRILLION in debt and has promised Free Stuff to millions of legal and illegal leeches within its borders in exchange for votes, it has to squeeze the last drops out of its already milked taxpayers wherever they may live.


18 posted on 02/15/2015 4:41:29 AM PST by txrefugee
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To: DoodleDawg

He would only lose US nationality by serving as the mayor of London if (a) London is considered a “political subdivision” of the UK, and (b) he served in that office “with the intention of relinquishing United States nationality.”


19 posted on 02/15/2015 5:09:49 AM PST by Conscience of a Conservative
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To: WhiskeyX

Who cares?


20 posted on 02/15/2015 5:14:20 AM PST by mulligan (I)
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