[danielmryan]

Her conclusion has echoes of left-wing rot, but I'd cut her some slack. Look at what FATCA is doing.

One of those accidental Americans is Globe and Mail columnist Margaret Wente. If the name rings a bell, it's because her opinions often dovetail with the regular fare here. "Help! I’m on the IRS hit list" explains why the IRS has sized her up as a FATCA 'fatcat': she was born in America, and came to Canada at thirteen. That's right: as a girl. She estimates that up to a million Canadians might be affected. Some came to Canada so young, they don't even know they're formally Americans. As Dr. McElroy pointed out, the IRS is picking on a girl because she was born in the States.

There are two reasons why I asked you to cut her some slack: first of all, this is a classic liberal policy. It deserves the name (w/ h/t to Jonah Goldberg) "liberal imperialism." Not American imperialism, liberal imperialism.

The second reason is, Dr. McElroy is right about this measure inflaming anti-Americanism. More specifically, and more worrisomely, it'll wedge anti-Americanism into groups who are inclined to be pro-American.

Nothing good can come of this measure. Obama's apology tours will become even more scoffed at - and not in a good way, either. His successor will have to deal with the reluctance that will come in the IRS's wake: once burned, twice shy. Real anti-Americans will be galvanized; I'm sure they'll say "I told you so." The inherent meanness of the IRS is going to become a huge diplomatic liability. Consequently, the War of Terror will be harder to fight.

Words fail me. The libs go soft when they should be firm, and they lash out when it's counterproductive. Do they even know what they're doing?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

You can probably get an exemption if you are one of Eric Holder’s people.

[decimon]

...Dr. McElroy...

Did she get a PhD?

[cuban leaf]

I seem to remember that the US does not allow dual citizenship. That is, to be an American citizen you must be a citizen of the US ONLY.

Was I wrong?

[dangus]

WAIT A SECOND!!!

THIS IS THE SOLUTION TO THE OBAMA ELIGIBILITY QUESTION!!!!

Did Obama’s parents pay income taxes while he was in Indonesia? If not, then either they are tax cheats, or they renounced their citizenship.

[urbanpovertylawcenter]

Is Obama an accidental president?

[sinanju]

This is purest predaton. No doubt whoever slipped this into the porkulus bill did not spend five minutes considering possible unanticipated consequences. But this is so much more than finding new was to prey on the little guy. Forcing every bank in the whole dam world to spend jillions on new software and specialists to rat out people who are in many cases their own citizens AND make it that much harder to do business with America is a nightmare come to life. The consequences promise to be huge. In fact, it’s clearly not going to work. This monster is going to collapse but only after causing much bad blood for us everywhere. Deservedly so, this time.

Conservatives don’t use the term “imperialist” often but this qualifies in spades. And this is liberal imperialism all the way.

[Vide]

Taxation on worldwide income is evil. Americans should be able to “vote with their feet” like Brits.

[teenyelliott]

Americans have allowed the IRS to become what it is; a giant monster that can and will take whatever it wants FROM YOU and anyone else it deems to have not done exactly what they think you should have done. If you do not follow the ever-changing, thousands of pages long tax code, which is impossible (Hi Timmy Geithner!!!), they can take what you own, threaten you with prison and sometimes make that happen, and generally make your life hell.

And Americans have let that happen. As long as it doesn't happen to you it's okee dokee, right?

At what point will freedom loving Americans stand up to this legitimized Godfather and remove their power to intimidate, steal from, threaten and bankrupt people?

We fought the King of England for less egregious offenses. And won, I might add.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.
Thomas Jefferson

We have failed the Founding Fathers in countless ways. And we continue to slowly boil, while shaking our tiny fists at the beast.

[muawiyah]

Still, none of these people are eligible for in-state tuition in Texas ~ but they gots’ta’ pay the IRS more than they’ve ever earned!

[wintertime]

I am reminded of the three Chinese curses. It seems these unfortunate expats have been cursed with the first and second of the curses.

May you live in interesting times.
May you come to the attention of powerful people.
May you find what you are looking for.

[Josephat]

Words fail me. The libs go soft when they should be firm, and they lash out when it’s counterproductive. Do they even know what they’re doing?

Yes, they know full well what they are doing and they celebrate the destruction of America.

[tumblindice]

“she went to the nearest U.S. embassy to renounce her citizenship”

Hey, don’ let the door hit you in the *** as you leave.
Hoser.

[Lazamataz]

The IRS is making a worldwide push to squeeze money from Americans living abroad and from anyone who holds dual citizenship, whether they know it or not. It doesn’t matter if the “duals” want U.S. status, have never set foot on U.S. soil or never conducted business with an American. It doesn’t matter if those targeted owe a single cent to the IRS. Unlike almost every other nation in the world, the United States requires citizens living abroad to file tax forms on the money they do not owe as well as to report foreign bank accounts or holdings such as stocks or RSSPs. The possible penalty for not reporting is $10,000 per “disclosed asset” per year.

You know, this would be my response if I was not ever intending on going to America, etcetera.

I would mail them this picture with their requested response:

[heiss]

US and North Korea are the only countries who tax on worldwide basis.

Time to end it. It is morally wrong and unethical. If you earn money in (say) Canada, and pay local taxes, why the heck you should pay anything to Uncle Sam? No country works this way.

Taxes are evil.

[familyop]

There's a whole lot of BS going around here.

"Hence the fact that some non-U.S. asset managers and banking groups are debating whether they could simply ignore FATCA by creating subsidiaries that never touch U.S. assets at all. ‘This is complete madness for the U.S. — America needs global investors to buy its bonds,’ fumes one bank manager. ‘But not holding U.S. assets might turn out to be the easiest thing for us to do.’"

But they won't follow through on that promise, because they're involved in their currency wars against us. And anyone with a clue in our USA will prepare for globalism to collapse after its citizen of the world tantrum.

As for citizens of the world being immune to laws and taxes, well, lah tee dah. Such laws and taxes are for us peasants. Pass the popcorn. Or maybe I'll take their side for the sake of speeding the default/cleansing process. It's going to take out all of the trash.

[chris_bdba]

Renouncing citizenship will not help now IIRC because you still have to pay for an additional 10 years after doing so to the IRS.

[ColoCdn]

Thanks. Read for later.

[SaraJohnson]

Liberalism are totally up-side-down. What is good is bad; what is oppression is freedom; what is just is unjust...

It is a mental illness and it is woven into our country like a cancerous tumor.