Ella Heyder is bracing for a breakup, even though she already moved out decades ago.
She’s contemplating cutting ties altogether with her home country, the United States of America, and President Donald Trump.
“I’m quite disturbed by what’s happening in the U.S. under Trump’s regime. It’s a fascist, imperialist regime,” Heyder said as she and others waved signs outside the American Embassy in Ottawa during what has become a twice-weekly protest against the current U.S. administration.
“It makes me a little bit ashamed. It makes me feel very sad,” she said.
For decades, Heyder has carried two passports. While she grew up in Norfolk, Va., Canada has her loyalty, and she figures a permanent split is inevitable.
In my circle of friends none of the US Americans living abroad file their tax returns and haven’t done so for many years… especially if you’re not planing to move back to the US, I really don’t see the need to continue compliance with the IRS or renounce a citizenship. Keep that passport and keep voting. Throw dog shit over the embassy fence.
You have to really not want to go back, because they could charge you with tax evasion. And at the point you’re avoiding it anyway then there’s no reason to keep the citizenship. On the other hand, if you have assets in the states (401ks and retirement accounts like many of us), they can garnish or seize it for nonpayment of taxes. So sadly the decision is not so simple.
Not trying to be “pro America” here, but whenever I see these stories I read the article and nobody ever mentions how much in taxes they pay as a US Citizen abroad.
Because right now, you pay zero income tax until you make $130k or more. If you make under that, you file and you get the foreign exclusion credit. And that’s for a single individual. If you’re married and you both work, it’s double at $260k.
And if you use a service like FreeTaxUSA, you can file for free federally.
I just did my taxes and it cost me $20.
There is zero reason to renounce your US Citizenship unless you’re making a fuck load of money and have zero plans on ever coming back to the USA.
This! I did not know about the 130k limit but I live in Europe and pay more taxes here tha I would in the states, so my tax bill has always been 0
Fun fact it cost 2.3 fucking thousand dollars to renounce your citizenship
Better fun fact from the article …
The U.S. State Department recently announced that starting in mid-April, it will reduce the fee to renounce U.S. citizenship from $2,350 US to $450.
Good, don’t let the door hit you on the way out. The rest of us real Americans will continue to fight for a democracy. Fascists only win if everyone gives up.
