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Taxes Prompt More Americans to Renounce Citizenship
Reuters/CNBC ^ | 4/16/12

Posted on 04/16/2012 6:43:58 PM PDT by markomalley

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.

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


TOPICS: Breaking News; Extended News; Front Page News; Government
KEYWORDS: 2012election; agitprop; antiamericanism; election2012; expats; kenyanbornmuzzie; loveitorleaveit; mittromney; obaamcitizenofworld; obama; obamarenouncedin2008; obamarenouncedusa; rapingmychildhood; renouncecitizenship; superman
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To: Repeat Offender

I wonder what happens if all the citizens of a state renounce their citizenship or if the state does it for them? I know that did not work out so well the first time but perhaps it is time to try it again!


41 posted on 04/17/2012 8:38:35 AM PDT by Mouton (Voting is an opiate of the electorate. Nothing changes no matter who wins..)
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To: Sequoyah101
Things come in cycles. We had tax rates over 90% some decades ago. Name another country that has a FR.

Singapore is a police state and countries that are usually high on the Heritage freedom index are usually listed simply on taxes and business incentives, and don't take in obvious inherent rights into the index.

Let me know when you can open carry or simply carry in Singapore or Hong Kong. LOL!

42 posted on 04/17/2012 8:40:45 AM PDT by Theoria (Rush Limbaugh: Ron Paul sounds like an Islamic terrorist)
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To: Gay State Conservative

I’d like to know the stats going back a number of years? Not just this year.


43 posted on 04/17/2012 8:49:51 AM PDT by George from New England
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To: ciaocotc
I like you.

By 'popped', of course, I know you mean things like 'convinced to a new viewpoint', or 'fired from position of power'.

Please do not correct me btw.

44 posted on 04/17/2012 8:52:03 AM PDT by Lazamataz (Shut up and drill.)
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To: markomalley
The United States is one of the only countries to tax its citizens on income earned while they're living abroad

False on two levels.

1. Most countries tax their citizens on world wide income.

2. The US allows an exclusion of up to 92,900 for income earned abroad.

The exodus has more to do with our rates on income earned here than overseas.

45 posted on 04/17/2012 8:56:37 AM PDT by Raycpa
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To: urbanpovertylawcenter

I agree. I think taxes are only used for keeping us schlubs in line. The real dough is in inflating the money supply. Takes it right out of our pockets, with us having no say in it whatsoever, and it’s not even done by the government, its done by a private bank that doesn’t have to open its books.


46 posted on 04/17/2012 8:58:09 AM PDT by ichabod1 (Cheney/Rumsfeld 2012)
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To: ciaocotc

Ciaocotc wrote
“A relatively small but professional group that targeted and popped a few hundred of the most egregious leftist media, education, money, union, judicial, and political voices would stop this in its tracks. They would either go to ground or be forced to over play their hand early. Not pretty - but a win win.”

So your solution would be to have another 1917 style “change”

Not so sure that would turn out the way it was intended.


47 posted on 04/17/2012 9:00:51 AM PDT by WildHighlander57 ((WildHighlander57 returning after lurking since 2000))
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To: George from New England
I’d like to know the stats going back a number of years? Not just this year.

Yah,I suppose.But the difficult thing is that in order for the State Department to "accept" your renunciation you first have to prove that you have citizenship in another country.Some US citizens have a second citizenship (mostly Mexicans,I believe) so I doubt that the numbers are large today...or that they've ever been large.I could be wrong,however.

48 posted on 04/17/2012 9:00:56 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Unlike Mrs Obama,I've Been Proud Of This Country My *Entire* Life!)
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To: twister881

Actually, I wouldn’t be that surprised if that man DID renounce one day. I had a vision of, if we’re able to get him out of there, him turning around and writing a book saying “HA HA YOU AMELLICAN LOSERS I NEVER WAS A USSSS CITI-SSS-EN I DID IT ALL TO BRING YOU DOWNNNN! I AM ALSO MU-SSS-LIM, PRAISE ALLAH!”


49 posted on 04/17/2012 9:11:32 AM PDT by ichabod1 (Cheney/Rumsfeld 2012)
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To: FlingWingFlyer

We considered NZ a few years back.

These days, we choose to stay and fight the good fight.

My ancestors fought with “Mad” Anthony Wayne, and I’ll be damned if I’ll just give up.


50 posted on 04/17/2012 9:17:03 AM PDT by LadyBuck (In the immortal words of Jean Paul Sartre, 'Au revoir, gopher')
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To: ciaocotc

Right now we’re suffering from laws aimed at a specific class of people (hate crimes), bills of attainder, usurious taxation, oppression... they’ve got their thumb on us pretty good. It may be the inflation that does them in. Won’t do anybody much good to be on the government teat if the money they get from the government is nothing but worthless scrip. Then they won’t be able to keep up the charade about the “rich”. Everybody will be keeping an eye out for the feds.


51 posted on 04/17/2012 9:17:39 AM PDT by ichabod1 (Cheney/Rumsfeld 2012)
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To: Theoria

“Let me know when you can open carry or simply carry in Singapore or Hong Kong.

Lots of people in Singapore don’t even lock their doors.

I believe the excess government regulation, excess invasion of privacy, usurpation of property rights and usurpation of liberty, the rise of freeloaders, debasement of our money, etc. is all conspiring to lead to the twilight of our country. In the meantime, Asia is on the rise. Asia now has more initial public offerings in the stock markets than the USA and the UK combined.

Unfortunately, I don’t see Romney as a solution to any of that.

Many are moving to secure second passports, now that the US is passing legislation to take away your right to a passport if you owe child support or back taxes. They are just as interested in freedom (and freedom of movement) as in paying lower taxes. Eventually, it is likely that capital controls are put into place to prevent you from moving your money to a better place. Eventually, they may restrict your ability to keep your options open.

I believe all that above is why people are making these choices. In terms of relinquishing citizenship here, I believe the Blue passport is the most expensive in the world.

Ultimately, it appears the only freedom from government excess is the age old multi-flag plan:

Citizenship in a low or no tax country
A$$ a different country, where you are a “tourist”
Source of income generated in a different country
Investments stored in another country.

As the saying goes, countries love tourists, but penalize citizens.


52 posted on 04/17/2012 9:17:53 AM PDT by aMorePerfectUnion ("Of two evils, choose neither." -- Charles Spurgeon)
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To: ciaocotc
There are many ways this could turn around. Elections. Political education programs. If necessary - direct action.

When the majority of the undocumented voters vote themselves more Obama dollars, voting does not work. The judges declare morjority votes moot and One UAV can kill your whole militia,,, what do you do?

if the building is full of rats and fully engulfed in fire, it's best to let it burn and come back to rebuild.

Please advise what advantage I have for being a American citizen. (unless black/Mex unemployed female with bastards)

53 posted on 04/17/2012 9:38:51 AM PDT by MrPiper
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To: markomalley

Who is John Galt?


54 posted on 04/17/2012 9:39:54 AM PDT by COBOL2Java (FUMR)
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To: Repeat Offender

I was referring to the fact that in those times, the revolutionary leaders did identify with their respective pre-state colonies more than with the Crown. They were a minority, but better citizens and leaders than their Loyalist opponents.


55 posted on 04/17/2012 9:56:39 AM PDT by ngat
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To: Sequoyah101

You missed Chile, worth considering.


56 posted on 04/17/2012 9:58:16 AM PDT by George from New England
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To: Secret Agent Man
You could still vote too.

Because that's worked so well in the past?

57 posted on 04/17/2012 10:07:30 AM PDT by unixfox (Abolish Slavery, Repeal The 16th Amendment!)
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To: markomalley

Is this really a relevant posting? 1800 people out of millions and millions of us? What’s worse is I’m reponding to it in this post. This is nonsense.


58 posted on 04/17/2012 10:12:03 AM PDT by nikos1121
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.
.

STEP #1 :

A - Give a gift of $24,000 to each of your children

B - Now deduct $24,000 from your taxable for each of your children

STEP #2 :

A - Set up part of your home as a business office

B - Deduct part of your home utility expenses, phone bill, internet expenses, mortgage payments, and property taxes

STEP #3 :

A - Get serious about bartering for new and used items and services

STEP #4 :

A - THE BUFFET RULE: Alternate (deductible) business lunches (and other meals) with other friendly business peeps

B - Investigate the mucho El Cheapo vehicle full replacement insurance coverage for your garaged Classic Car (or PU or SUV) from Hagarty and the other Classic Car insurance company (I forget the company name - Try GOOGLE!) that advertises on the SPEED Channel

C - Deduct all or part the expenses, maintenance, insurance, and gasoline for for some or all your motor vehicles

D - Investigate leasing business use vehicles from your brother or another close relative

STEP #4 :

A - By now you should made great friends with a great CPA and bartered their services for some of your new or used items or services

STEP #5 :

A - By now the IRS and State Revenue Department will find you are a nearly or actually non-profit tax-exempt entity

STEP #6 :

A - Apply for any and all government bailouts and/or subsides and/or rebates

STEP #7 :

A - Improvise, etc.

B - Get a job with the GSA

.
.


59 posted on 04/17/2012 10:13:27 AM PDT by devolve (---- --------insanity_is_alive_and_mucho_malignant----------)
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To: Theoria

Good point but you probably don’t need a gun in Singapore at least not the times I’ve been there.

Storms usually never last do they? I wonder what wind will blow this one out and what will be left when it leaves?


60 posted on 04/17/2012 10:18:47 AM PDT by Sequoyah101
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