their fortune, but not when you have to pay taxes? Greedy ass traitorous bastads.

Many leave because they like the way of life better elsewhere, and their very middle-class/working-class levels of wealth allow them to live much, MUCH better than if they chose to live in the U.S.

And some don't want to finance the U.S. via their taxes for moral reasons.

Now, greedy multi-millionaires that make their fortune in America, and then want to up and move to Monaco or some other low/no taxation entity while also not wanting to pay U.S. taxes are another matter entirely. But, they are not even close to being the majority of ex-pats. These individuals seem to just offshore most of their wealth anyways to avoid taxation anywhere.

I know many seniors who are living up northern Canada who barely enough live on that came up decades ago. Some became citizens and some are just permanent residents.


one plus for seniors here in Ontario...We pay $100 for our presciption meds and that is it after that all prescriptions are free, Just pay a $1 or 2 for dispensary and some pharmacies don't even charge that.

I'd love to permanently move to B.C./Vancouver/Vancouver Island area. It seems that it's become much more difficult to do so over the past decade though.

It really is beautiful, and I love the way of life there.

Don't know if I could handle northern Canada or not!! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!

so it is not as cold feeling..

My late son's best friend moved to the Northwest Territories. He told me he has since moved to the Yukon, where it is a little bit warmer.


Northern Ontario is cold but we have our hot days. and rainy and snowy. I love the fall and the change of colours.
Not as much maple the further you go.

I love the sound of the loon on the lake. and the Norther Lights are awesome. You have to watch for them and don't always get to see them if one is on their computer.

"enough" often doesn't enter into the minds of billionaires

You leave the country and have another citizenship. Say, Venezuela. Or France.

You work in the other country, live in the other country, earn money in the other country. Pay taxes in the other country.

Then the US comes along and says you need to pay US taxes. For what services? You're already paying income tax. And, in most countries, VAT.

And if you haven't paid US taxes, then they seize your assets. In the other country.


I've known lots of people with two and three citizenships, US being one of them. Mostly because I met them in school when they were studying here. Most were looking forward to going home. Nicaragua, Argentina, Colombia, Britain, Israel, Egypt. I assume that if they live abroad they're seriously considering disposing of the US citizenship unless there's a reason for it.

Why you think they have to be wealthy I can't imagine--some were, to be sure, but their family money was made abroad (one reason they wanted to go home). Most weren't. Some wanted to stay here. Most still wanted to go home.

Oh--and if they had made their fortunes here, they'd have paid income taxes on it when they made it. We don't have a wealth tax, at least not at the federal level.

Why you think they made whatever they did in the US I also can't imagine.

are rich like the Romneys or celebrities

Tina Turner renounced. So did the Mayor of Zurich.
many many people ..

Some are born in their resident country to American parent/s.
Some are born in USA while parents worked under Green card and were moved back when they were infants.
Some moved for romance or work and stayed in their new country and have been here for decades
some are citizens of their new country and some are permanent residents.
Snowbirds will be effected as well as green card holders and ex green card holders.

This has come as a big surprise for many because it was believed like every other country in the world, they did not have to file US income taxes, because they filed only income taxes for where they lived. 90 percent never have earned the taxable amount where they would have to pay for US income taxes. Some have complied and filed but stopped once they became citizens.
This new FATCA popped up in 2010.

The simple fact is that the U.S. government has been on a path of confiscation of lawfully acquired assets. They are not the first government to do this and they will probably not be the last. The conduct of the U.S. government stands alone – and is what it is – without comparison to any other government(s). This is true in relation to both Homelanders (subject of this post) and Americans Abroad (where would we begin).

Examples include:

- FBAR
- PFIC
- OVDI

and a penalty structure which is both punitive and for the purpose of asset confiscation.

The confiscation of assets is the result of a long history of governments including:

Nixon – FBAR
Reagan himself – PFIC
Clinton – Exit Tax 1
Bush – Exit Tax 2
Obama – FATCA

and I am sure more.

Interestingly, President Carter has commented that the U.S. is in violation of a number of its obligations under the UN Declaration of Rights.

This is just a FYI for you all.

I know of many ex Americans, one is 82 years old who came up here in 1963 with her husband and 4 kids..He liked the bear hunting.. they had very little money..very little. They had 3 more kids. He left her in the 80s and went back to their state. She stayed because she was happy here, living in a no electricity, no furnace, no running water farm.. She took care of her kids well. THree moved back to the USA and one of them lives in a home her mother once owned, another in different state and one died in the USA in an accident while working after finishing up school here. and the other 4 are here. This lady has a tiny house and lives on her Canadian CPP and her husbands US Army survivor benefits.not much at all. . The kids born here are considered as much American as their siblings born in the USA by the US government and FATCA is after them too.
She missed be eligible for US social security. She did not work long enough.
She never became a Canadian citizen...many up here I know can't afford it they say. so they are just permanent residents..Who am I to judge.

So when this FATCA kicks in , she will probably lose her USA home and her late husband's army benefits. Her bank may kick her of her bank account for being an American person.
They never filed US taxes because they thought they didn't have to as they made so little. They were advised by US officials they called incorrectly. Many are under this belief.

So Du'rs ..What do you think? Is she a greedy ex American? does she deserve to lose everything because the US is the only government in the world that uses citizen based taxes instead of resident based taxes.

So the tax is going to minimally or not impact middle income people.