1 month ago
I publication Zoe Williams’ portion connected Americans renouncing their citizenship pinch peculiar and individual liking (‘I don’t want to beryllium portion of a dictatorship’: nan Americans queueing up to renounce their citizenship, 28 April). The rot started good earlier Donald Trump was elected successful 2016, though he and his dispute squad and policies person exacerbated that.
Look backmost to George W Bush’s conflict against coercion pursuing 9/11, 1 facet of which progressive search down coercion backing by mounting onerous reporting regulations connected US citizens abroad, and connected world financial institutions successful which US citizens had an interest. Eventually immoderate of those financial institutions extracurricular nan US decided they simply would not licence US citizens to put in, slope with, or take retired their products.
Born successful nan US but joined to a Brit, and having raised a family and lived successful nan UK for complete 50 years, and pinch dual citizenship, I took nan determination to renounce successful outpouring 2012. Yes, it was costly (with a bully migration lawyer), and yes I had to committedness earlier nan emblem arsenic Zoe describes, but, dissimilar today’s renouncers, I didn’t person to hold excessively agelong for nan assignment astatine the US embassy successful London.
I uncertainty I shall ever regret that decision. The management facet of my life is very overmuch simpler, though I person to retrieve to get an Esta (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) if I recreation to spot adjacent relatives successful nan US. But very sadly nan US is nary longer a country to consciousness proud of.
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Although nan thought of Americans queueing up to renounce their citizenship retired of distaste for nan existent authorities undoubtedly appeals to nan Guardian’s halfway demographic, nan truth is apt to beryllium very different.
In my galore years of practising US migration and nationality rule successful London – years which included Donald Trump’s first word – I ne'er erstwhile had a renunciation customer whose rationale was purely aliases moreover chiefly political. In astir cases nan logic was simply convenience, avoiding nan hassle that US citizens surviving extracurricular nan US look successful carrying retired nan normal tasks of big life, specified arsenic opening a existent relationship aliases applying for a mortgage.
The motivating factor, arsenic agelong agone arsenic 2012 (when my workfellow Kathleen Kavanagh and I wrote an article for nan Arizona Attorney Magazine connected nan subject), was nan Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (Fatca), enacted successful 2010, which made US citizens surviving overseas “economic lepers”, successful nan words of nan Wall Street Journal, owed to nan reporting requirements that Fatca imposed connected overseas economical institutions pinch US national customers. It was simply easier for an institution to free itself of its troublesome customers than to comply – and institutions did so.
It is tempting to deliberation that Trump’s odious policies person prompted an exodus of US citizens, but nan existent reply is apt to beryllium overmuch much mundane.
Susan Willis McFadden
London
I’ve lived successful nan UK for astir 30 years and person dual British/American citizenship. I’m joined to an Englishwoman who has nary desire to unrecorded successful nan US and I find nan existent management nan embodiment of evil cruelty. Combining that pinch nan taxation and regulatory burdens connected expat Americans, not to mention our virtual disenfranchisement erstwhile it comes to statesmanlike elections, would each seemingly make maine a premier campaigner for renouncing my American citizenship. Yet I person ne'er erstwhile considered it.
For each its sizeable flaws, nan US, specifically California, is now and will for ever beryllium my home, and I’m not going to move my backmost while it slides into authoritarianism. I might beryllium only 1 sound and 1 vote, but renouncing my citizenship removes moreover those mini levers of influence. I garbage to trim nan last cord and simply wantonness my friends and family, who do not person nan action of surviving abroad, to their fate.
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I person been successful Norway for 20 years now, and renounced my US citizenship successful 2011. I don’t regret a point and haven’t looked back. One of my main motivations was nan ridiculous taxation law; I couldn’t spot really nan Internal Revenue Service had immoderate declare connected knowing thing astir my non-resident non-citizen husband’s income. Fortunately,
I was besides collapsed erstwhile I moved present truthful location was nary request for a lawyer aliases to salary an exit tax. Unfortunately, my boy is simply a dual national and is now 15; he has nary volition of moving to nan US and I’m not judge really nan draught registration will impact him erstwhile nan clip comes. I tin besides use for Canadian citizenship acknowledgment to their caller norm change, which I americium considering arsenic a Plan B, but honestly, I’m surviving my champion life successful a state pinch bid and prosperity, and cleanable aerial and water. What’s to miss?
Shea Sundstøl
Lunde, Norway
Renouncing your US citizenship is not a guarantee that you won’t extremity up being “part of a dictatorship”. The acold correct is connected nan march successful nan UK and crossed Europe, and if you stay apolitical you whitethorn yet beryllium arsenic responsible arsenic nan corporate US electorate for allowing dictatorship to return hold. Many of nan group who Zoe interviewed look to deficiency a consciousness of individual work towards nan communal good. So I would constituent retired to them: don’t conflict it present aliases don’t conflict it location – your choice. Either way, you forfeit your right to complain astir what your state is coming to.
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I person 3 big children who were “accidental Americans” – arsenic successful they person ne'er lived aliases worked successful nan US, and person citizenship because their begetter (we are now divorced) was an American.
I person 1 kid who has now moved to nan US to beryllium pinch his partner whom he met online, 1 kid who has successfully and expensively renounced, and 1 who is successful nan agelong process of renouncing. It tin beryllium arsenic difficult connected those pinch debased incomes arsenic those pinch higher incomes. Understanding really investments (even a mini pension aliases a stocks and shares Isa) should beryllium recorded for US taxation purposes is tricky without accessing costly advice. It is very onerous.
But mostly arsenic a genitor I americium sad that what I imagined arsenic a gift to our children, nan truth that they would person nan state to unrecorded and activity anyplace successful nan EU (until Brexit) and nan US, has turned into a financial and administrative burden. And location is simply a consciousness of nonaccomplishment for nan 2 who person chosen to renounce, arsenic that was portion of who they were.
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As American citizens resident abroad, we are among a mini fraction of nan world organization surviving extracurricular nan US that really has nan correct to ballot to extremity nan worldwide demolition being wrought by nan Trump authorities and its enablers. Please hold to renounce your citizenship until aft you ballot successful nan November elections, aliases see keeping it conscionable for this purpose.
US citizens surviving overseas person provided nan separator of triumph successful captious races. We person a correct to ballot successful each national elections, and often successful authorities and section elections if we opportunity we intend to return immoderate day. Some caller elections person been won by margins of conscionable a fewer 100 votes aliases moreover by a coin toss. With each nan myriad ways nan Republicans are trying to cheat successful nan November elections, we request an overwhelming ballot to extremity nan existent authoritarian takeover successful its tracks. American citizens, nan world desperately needs your vote.
Irisita Azary
Heidelberg, Germany
While I applaud nan condemnation of US citizens going to nan problem of renouncing their citizenship, a portion of maine still cannot thief but wonderment … why?
As a US resident who plans to move overseas, permanently, aft retirement, I excessively americium disappointment and disgusted pinch nan authorities of affairs successful nan US. But renouncing citizenship? I’d beryllium giving up my Social Security income, which will beryllium significant. After a moving life of paying status taxes, I americium not astir to locomotion distant from that benefit. I presume nan group successful nan article either don’t request nan benefit, aliases simply will not beryllium getting a ample capable use to matter. Good for them. Their opinionated attack is admirable, but I can’t do that.
Our scheme is to return our 8 figures of status savings and move it offshore, wherever healthcare is amended and cheaper than what’s successful nan US, moreover pinch Medicare. And past connected apical of that I americium much than happy to fto Uncle Sam nonstop america thousands of dollars each period to walk (and benefit) a overseas economy. Will I still request to salary US taxes? Sure, but I americium already utilized to that.
Like nan group successful nan article, I excessively fearfulness America is simply a mislaid cause, a populist successful sanction only. But I will happily return from it immoderate remaining benefits it offers.
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As a working-class American pinch not nan remotest anticipation of being capable to spend to time off nan US moreover if I wanted to, I person nary respect aliases admiration for whiny rich | group who enactment for illustration they person to fly nan state successful consequence to what they must judge is nan modern balanced of nan Nuremberg laws. I person endured listening to nan changeless lies of my government, being physically abused by police, and listening to some my ain relative and my sister-in-law show maine that Democrats are simultaneously communists and fascists who “deserve to die”. My prime is not to guidelines down aliases beryllium intimidated. I and nan millions for illustration maine present person each correct to make our voices heard successful nan aforesaid sphere arsenic nan changeless drone of manufactured lies that predominate nationalist discourse. If immoderate are excessively privileged aliases triggered to guidelines up and face evil, past I telephone them what they are. Cowards.
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