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 ...
And we come to the real reason.
He’s a left-winger. Paying taxes is his patriotic duty.
He was only paying the taxes American entitlement leeches refused to pay.
He looks like NYC.
Wow... The mind boggles at the prospect.
Something is just not right about that.
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.
Boris who? I’ve never heard of the bloke.
He’s the Conservative mayor of London
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.
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)
(i generally discount Eritrea, as its only 6m people)
Great. Now I can scratch Eritrea off my “where to retire” list.
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.
Who is Boris Johnson and why should I give a shit what he does?
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
I’m amazed that people don’t know who Boris Johnson is...
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.
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.”
Who cares?
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