GETTING OUT: 1,000+ Americans ditched their citizenship over taxes

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Conservative Byte

Rather than deal with the complexities of U.S. tax law, Americans living overseas are increasingly renouncing their citizenship in order to avoid paying their income taxes.

According to National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson, approximately 4,000 people gave up their citizenship from fiscal year 2005 to FY 2010. Renunciations increased sharply within the past three years, from 146 in FY 2008 to 1,534 in FY 2010. And during the first two quarters of FY 2011 alone, 1,024 Americans ditched their citizenship.

The advocate’s report cites two reasons for the renunciations. First, many taxpayers abroad say they are confused “by the complex legal and reporting requirements they face and are overwhelmed by the prospect of having to comply with them.”

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  • Larry N

    If Obama wins reelection we may all be trying to get out.

    • Trecia

      The current tax code law is 76,000 pages long! I bet the majority of those pages are filled with earmarks giving specific contributors to political campaigns a tax free holiday!

  • TOM

    THIS COULD BECOME EPIDEMIC IF HUSSEIN IS RE-ELECTED

  • Chris A.

    The Tax code is not simple enough for the average America living in America. When Americans are living in a different country then it's even harder to understand. The American people need to force congress to start using the Fair Tax system.

  • SAM

    Raise the investment tax from 15% to 30% and there will be more people with money leaving and the welfare state will have fewer and fewer dollars to redistribute. When will the left wake up.

    • Gary

      What do you mean "wake up", that's what they want us to do, so they can declare Marshal Law and seize everything we have.

      • REDTOES1946

        They’ll declare marshall law and seize a lot of lead. I’m a veteran and I’m not going quitely. I will fight the enemy with in that I was sworn to do. That oath does not go away. SEMPER FI left wing progressive liberals.

    • Barbara Monroney

      They are too greedy to understand the ramifications of their policy. Anybody with

      the capability will move their money out of the Country. They don’t understand

      that Government does NOT creat jobs. Everything the Government is involved in

      loses money: the Post Office etc. The only thing the Gov does right is the Military

      and that needs more financial scrutiny for waste.

  • Pancho

    The Government is getting into every corner of your life. You must declare any ownership in property overseas so when you sell they get Capital Gains. Also no more Swiss Bank Accounts without US Gov full knowledge. And don't buy gold bullion as the govt has the right to confiscate at will. America is still the greatest country in the world, even though our liberties are being trampled.
    Pancho

    • Trecia

      Since they confiscated the gold in 1933 & require gold dealers to report buyers I think you are spot on! I think the only safe tangible gold investments are foriegn gold coins, (they have the right to take US gold coins at face value), jewelry, (if it looks costume), & your dental work. But I don’t put it past them to take all of those forms when they get desperate enough. & yes I said when! If they took the entire gdp it would not be enough to pay this years deficit! & I’m not talking about the debt. The entire gdp would be every penny earned by every corporation, business, institution, man, woman & child. They are doubling the number of IRS employees & will be taking everything in sight. They wouldn’t want you to spend your illegaly withheld tax money defending yourself would they? Another store in town was shut down for not paying taxes & they were loading up a semi with the store- lock stock & barrel this week!

      • Lucky 1

        You are right on everything. Look how much the people directly under thier control, including the IRS personnel who owe millions in back taxes and after this filling period for last year (2011) there will be many more in those ranks who will not pile their taxes. But for those not directly connected to the governmental operation, we will be made to pay plus if they want more they will take it…

      • REDTOES1946

        They have to double them because they will be loosing some.

  • Freedom Eagle

    This says two things to me one these people are American material and two how screwed up our tax system truely is.

  • PAW PAW

    Maybe thay know something we don't.

  • PAW PAW

    May be these people know something we don't and are taking full advantage of it.maybe we should follow suit.

  • PAW PAW J J

    MAYBE WE SHOULD FOLLOW BY EXAMPLE!

  • U812

    If the FRAUD-IN-CHIEF is re-elected we will all with we had did that…demand he be impaeached!!!!

  • Karen

    I know what they are going through. I just got my 2012 National Agricultural Classification Survey in the mail. My response is required by law by Feb. 3, less than a month later. I can choose to say NO to the four questions, and do nothing but pay property taxes, or say yes to the second question and open myself up to the Federal Gov.'s right to come on my property and decide I owe tax money for whatever they can make up. I own another business, and let me tell you, the IRS can make you pay money to them, until you prove you are innocent.
    I have a small eleven acre farm. I am growing pecan, peach, nectarine, lemon, and orange trees. I have ponds with fish in them. I raise Bantam chickens and miniature Jersey cows (1 cow so far), and my horses on pastureland. I cut hay on a maintained two and a half acres, and I have a 1/4 acre raised garden. I did all of this to make sure I could pay my taxes on the property and feed my horses. Looking at the paperwork, I would have to claim all three roosters I ate last year, just for starters. I'm afraid to sell any of it. The story about the family that was attacked by the Feds because they sold pets that could have been food. was enough for me. You wouldn't believe the paperwork and government involvement it would take just sell my little Banty hens. I wanted to expand my barn to rent stalls out, but that would mean I would have to hire someone. The point being, every farm could hire, if the government wasn't adding laws and additional regulations. We have to stop gripping about finding jobs to work under another person's responsibility, and being dissatisfied, and start making your own jobs.
    Why should we have to open ourselves up to being tax collectors, child support, medicare, Social Security collectors and even border guards for the citizens? That is the Fed's job, what are they doing? How come you can't go out and make a job for yourself, doing what you love to do? It's the Feds. We need to re bind that monster, and put it back to work for us protecting our boundaries and out of our lives, so we can get back to work. America is the home of the brave, and the land of the free. We can be that again if we stop voting for Progressives. It's all we have left, unless…

  • Bob Marshall

    When Obama or congress create another program, it is like raising our taxes. The taxpayers still pay for these programs. inflation is a tax. How many hidden taxes are there do we not know about? The tax code reads like a New York City telephone book. Most citizens agree we need a simplified tax code.

    • Wapitiman

      When I, as a college graduate need to go to have my tax form filled out because I can't understand it, something very basic is wrong! We were promised simplification years ago…and it has grown into a multi-thousand page monster where the IRS people themselves don't understand it!

  • Moose

    This reminds me of the 1960's when the Beatles owed 104% of their income to Great Brition for taxes. It's not that bad in the USA today but if Obummer had his way every millionaire except his friends and campaign donors would be taxed to death.

  • Andrea B

    And yet, when Ron Paul mentioned that a border wall may be built NOT to keep illegals out, but to keep us IN, he was laughed at.

    Ron Paul 2012

  • jim28threg.

    Maybe this the reason so many congressmen/woman & White House occupants don't pay income tax. THEY'RE NOT AMERICAN !!!

  • grossyi

    and my name will join them soon. Not JUST because of taxes, but the increasing power of the federal government, onerous regulations, an irrational business environment and the loss of freedom in general. I would rather be a free dish washer than a bound professional. I'll vote with my feet.

  • Basia

    If Obama is re-elected, he may not allow taxpayers to leave as he desperately needs the productive to pay for the unproductive. He will have less and less to redistribute all in his lofty goal of "fairness". We soon may be digging tunnels to get into Canada to get out of the United Socialist States of America with the imperial King Obama on the throne.

    • Trecia

      If you want to take your US money with you – you’ll have to give 30% to the USA when you expatriate yourself unless you can find a foriegn bank that is willing to deal with the US regulations on foriegn accounts held by US citizens.

  • Gordon

    As a US Navy veteran seeing thousands of Americans walk away from their American citizenship over the way this country is run is a complete cop-out. Good riddance to each and every last one of them. If you’re not going do anything to make it better and you think the grass is greener overseas, bon voyage! See you never.

    • Dannyboy

      I also am a Navy veteran. I am considering moving to Costa Rica. I do my part but the country as a whole will not do theirs. If we do not vote out ALL incumbents EVERY election, we will not change Washington. The citizenry at large is not willing to do that. What else would you have me do, Gordon, take up arms? If the U.S. will murder “suspected” terrorists in other countries, people just wanting to be left alone in Waco, and innocent family members of a loser on Ruby Ridge (the FBI lost the Civil Suit case and all charges against the family were dropped), what do you think they will do to me! The only reason I’m not gone is because of my children and grandchildren. But when I do go, I will gladly return when “the people” are finally ready to clean up D.C.

  • Bill

    Make the "FairTax" the law of the United States.