So much for wanting to give up our US passport!

[dpdw]

Headline on abcnews.com: Senators to Unveil the ‘Ex-Patriot Act’ to Respond to Facebook’s Saverin’s Tax ‘Scheme

abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/05/senators-to-unveil-the-ex-patriot-act-to-respond-to-facebooks-saverins-tax-scheme/?fb_ref=.T7UTgUdCgFk.like&fb_source=home_multiline


Un flipping believable.

[crimsonandclover]

What??? I mean, I don't really want to give up my citizenship, but seriously? They're going to bar you from ever coming to the US again?? I really, really hope someone from the DoS talks some sense into Congress. I'm off to write an e-mail to my senators and rep right now. Ridiculous.

[pseudoagain]

Well, mark this down as one of the reasons I still don't want to be naturalised here. Holy cow.

[crimsonandclover]

May 17, 2012 12:47:42 GMT -5 neeps said:

From the comments.

Hey I have a great idea: let’s build a wall manned with machine gun toting guards to prevent our people from leaving…. Oh… wait… that’s been tried before ?

ha! Sigh... The email comments form on my senator's page is broken. I'm waiting impatiently for it to work again.

[elenetxu]

Good lord. Wonder if/how this is going to screw over "the little guy."

[americaninoz]

OMFG that is crazy

[clogged]

Wait, are they banning all ex-Americans or just those who didn't pay taxes on their way out. The "plan would bar individuals like Saverin from ever reentering the United States again" statement is throwing me off. Like Saverin as in tax dodging, or like Saverin as in renouncing? Damn you unclear media!

On a side note, the current thingie at the state dept says you still have to pay taxes and do military service for x number of years after you renounce. So his Sept 11 date still means he owes taxes. Wouldn't it make more sense to let him into the country and arrest him than ban him from the country? More likely to get the tax money off him, no?

Side side note... I wish I had just what he owes in taxes.

[wise_rita]

1) I get the cutsey acronym but it's spelled expATRIATE.

2) That is fucking Communist and evil.

[clickerish]

sigh.

[mrsukyankee]

I swear the US gov't seems more and more money grubbing every single frickin' year - and it makes them sound ridiculous to the rest of the world. Frickin' hell!

[clogged]

May 17, 2012 18:23:36 GMT -5 @publius said:

Severin paid the exit tax and according to him, complied with all US laws on the matter.

Thanks for the info. The article above pushed the idea he didn't pay what he owed and is dodging taxes. Love meda bias. So, we can pay an exit tax and all the other tax obligations go away? I wonder what that cost him. Bet it was a mint!

I learn something new all the time! Not that I ever plan on renouncing but I think the whole thing is fascinating. Like what can they (USA) really do to a citizen of another country? Make their new country garnish wages? Extradite them?

[mrsukyankee]

I forgot to fill in my taxes for three years here...and as my school has an American bit to it, they did actually take taxes out of my wages for one year...so I had to fill out the four years of taxes and then I got them all back, but it was a pain to have both US and UK taxes taken out...made me poor that year!

[clogged]

Thanks. No sarcasm here: you are better than google-tax-info.

[ExpatFamily06]

Well, I think barring them from coming back to the US is a bit extreme. But, I dunno, if he made money in the US, then proceeded to never pay his taxes on that money, the proceeded to renounce his citizenship so that he could keep all of the American earned money, then I kinda could kiiiiiiinda see not allowing him back in the US.

Once you renounce citizenship ship, can you ever get it back? I would think not, but if you can, then I would think it more practical for him to never be allowed to be an American again.

[ExpatFamily06]

I should have read the replies before posting. Clogged said pretty much what I was thinking but failed to type out properly.

[GilliC]

WARNING - This post is NSFTN (Not safe for TN, because it would be censored like hell)

I think this is ridiculous all around. Almost no other countries tax your worldwide income, and most people I talk to can't even understand why I would owe taxes in the US.

If you're willing to renounce your citizenship for tax reasons, I think you should be able to. Most countries don't even get to tax their ex-pats who still are citizens, so the US Gov is already better off on the tax revenue front.

To bar someone from re-entering the US after renouncing? I'm very curious to know what circumstances warrant this scenario, because that is total bullshit IMO. In Norway, you must renounce your existing citizenship to become a Norwegian citizen, and there are plenty of people who marry Norwegians and start families here and want to become citizens for completely non-tax reasons! After all, who the hell moves to friggin' Norway to avoid taxes! Haha!

I think this is a ridiculous reactionary proposal, and I hope that no one else goes along with it just to play to the American populace's sense of outrage at someone getting away with making a tax-free fortune. I'm sick of ex-pats getting shit on because they will always be a minority in every voting district.

Uncle Sam says, "Hey missy. At least we still let you vote. We could always try taking that away."