Posted on 12/17/2006 5:37:02 PM PST by voletti
PARIS: She is a former U.S. Marine, a native Californian and, now, a former American who prefers to remain discreet about abandoning her citizenship. After 10 years of warily considering options, she turned in her U.S. passport last month without ceremony, becoming an alien in the view of her homeland.
"It's a really hard thing to do," said the woman, a 16-year resident of Geneva who had tired of the cost and time of filing yearly U.S. tax returns on top of her Swiss taxes. "I just kept putting this off. But it's my kids and the estate tax. I don't care if I die with only one Swiss franc to my name, but the U.S. shouldn't get money I earned here when I die."
Historically, small numbers of Americans have turned in their passports every year for political and economic reasons, with the numbers reaching a high of about 2,000 during a Vietnam War-era boom in the 1970s.
But with new tax pressures facing American expatriates due to legislation enacted in Washington this year, some international tax lawyers say they detect rising demand from citizens to renounce ties with the United States — the only developed country that taxes it citizens while they are overseas. Americans abroad are also taxed in foreign countries where they reside.
"The administrative costs of being an American and living outside the U.S. have gone up dramatically," said Marnin Michaels, a tax lawyer with Baker & McKenzie in Zurich.
(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...
Obviously their citizenship meant little to them to begin with. Screw the foreigners.
"But with new tax pressures facing American expatriates due to legislation enacted in Washington this year, some international tax lawyers say they detect rising demand from citizens to renounce ties with the United States — the only developed country that taxes it citizens while they are overseas. Americans abroad are also taxed in foreign countries where they reside."
Taxing folks abroad? Why? The IRS and the congress need to do some serious rethinking.
Because they can...
I agree, screw em.
Don't come back now, ya hear.
What good is citizenship when your very own government is screwing you over? Frankly, there's more to this story, but a lot of people are living overseas now. Our tax laws stink, period.
LOL! Sure...perhaps you should join them.
When a fascist organization is oppressing you to a point that you are fleeing your country, these people may have a point.
Join them...flee this fascist organization. I encourage everyone who thinks that way to liberate themselves...quickly.
The "fascist organization" is the I.R.S.
None of this is news. Unless they are in a combat zone American military personnel overseas have been paying federal taxes all along...they don't give up their citizenship in response.
And that makes it right ?
I prefer to call the IRS the "overseers". To the government, we're just slaves to feed their insatiable hunger for funds. Lots of people are happy to be house slaves. But some people are not. When the government stops being a protector of your natural rights, and instead is just your slave master, some people think they have to do something. If you actually believe this is a free country, you've got another thing coming.
It makes it nothing new...and doesn't change the value of U.S. citizenship one bit.
Screw that - screw the IRS!!
These people are leaving for a reason, and that reason is that our government is stealing more than its fair share from them. The government is robbing me blind as well, but as a captive citizen, I can't escape the greedy hand of dot-gov.
Yes, their citizenship doesn't mean much to them. Good riddance.
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