No more 'Get of of Jail Free'............
Posted on 04/17/2012 8:33:04 AM PDT by Red Badger
A year ago, in Action Comics, Superman declared plans to renounce his U.S. citizenship.
"'Truth, justice, and the American way' - it's not enough anymore," the comic book superhero said, after both the Iranian and American governments criticized him for joining a peaceful anti-government protest in Tehran.
Last year, almost 1,800 people followed Superman's lead, renouncing their U.S. citizenship or handing in their Green Cards. That's a record number since the Internal Revenue Service began publishing a list of those who renounced in 1998. It's also almost eight times more than the number of citizens who renounced in 2008, and more than the total for 2007, 2008 and 2009 combined.
But not everyone's motivations are as lofty as Superman's. Many say they parted ways with America for tax reasons.
The United States is one of the only countries to tax its citizens on income earned while they're living abroad. And just as Americans stateside must file tax returns each April - this year, the deadline is Tuesday - an estimated 6.3 million U.S. citizens living abroad brace for what they describe as an even tougher process of reporting their income and foreign accounts to the IRS. For them, the deadline is June.
The National Taxpayer Advocate's Office, part of the IRS, released a report in December that details the difficulties of filing taxes from overseas. It cites heavy paperwork, a lack of online filing options and a dearth of local and foreign-language resources.
For those wishing to legally escape the filing requirements, the only way is to formally renounce their U.S. citizenship. Last year, IRS records show that at least 1,788 people did, and that's likely an underestimate.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
I wonder how much longer I can support a country that I no longer recognize. There are many ways to create ‘wealth’ that do not require one to participate in supporting the looters and moochers.
If it wasn’t such a hassle to take my dogs I’d be an expatriot. The question is: If you renounce your American citizenship do you have to become a citizen of the country in which you live? Or are you a “man without a country”?
No need to renounce US Citizenship as the country is no longer the United STATES of America. It is a socialist/Marxist hodgepodge of parasitic human debris and has completely divorced itself from our Constitutional foundation.
If I could find another country that has not been infested by Marxist/Communists hiding behind the liberal or Progressive label I would move there but I think the cancer has spread too far and wide to escape it.
In reality I feel I am living in pre-WWII Germany and Adolf has a tan.
You are a ‘Citizen of the World’............
We are the 53%. 47% of Americans pay no taxes; end the free ride...
It has become the United STATE of America............
Starting this year they are going to start charging you a large fee to renounce. How convenient!
No more 'Get of of Jail Free'............
If it wasn’t such a hassle to take my guns, I’d be an expatriate. Problem is, most countries are even worse than this one.
Bringing pets here are not a problem. You do need to get in contact with a local lawyer to ask questions about pets, etc.
Panama allows guns, but you need to get in touch with a local lawyer who can adivise you:
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.