Compared to the amount they save on taxes, it's pocket change.

Its more the principle of the thing that puts a bad taste in my mouth... even though I personally dont ever intend to renounce my citizenship, it just goes against my concept of what a free society is all about

If youre going to take notes on my opinions please dont let me know... it was bad enough finding out the NSA does it

They are claiming that the actual work involved costs $2350, and that the government has been subsidizing it. There is no valid reason for taxpayers to subsidize people who are leaving the system by their own choice.

You might have a point if the government were charging $10,000 or $50,000 for the purpose of punishing or profiting from those who are leaving, but $2,350 sounds reasonable for the amount of work involved. "Free society" doesn't mean "free ride".

I cant disagree with your point... other than to gripe about the inefficiency of the system... in a digital age where passports can be revoked with a few mouse clicks, cant they just do the same with citizenship?

I have mixed feelings about the raise in fees for renouncing US citizenship. On the one hand, I can see why some people, especially those folks married to foreigners and living abroad, might choose to formally renounce their US citizenship after formally changing their allegiance to their new country. On the other, I have seen far too many articles in places like Forbes and other magazines touting the tax advantages of renouncing their US citizenship for multi-millionaires and billionaires.

Despite the financial pain for people of modest means, I have no qualms about soaking tax-evading billionaires who choose to renounce their ties to the country that gave them birth.

I agree with you for the most part. The only thing I would add is that the tax evading billionaires wont feel any pain by paying the new increase fee at all. Also, they find effective ways to avoid taxes even with their citizenship. Really its no harm to them at all

citizenship in favor of taking another. There is no nation which allows a citizen to simply 'swap out' citizenship. It is not the same as limiting ability to exit the country, as you claim. To renounce, you must already have qualified for citizenship elsewhere. That is, you don't want your passport revoked, you want to surrender it in exchange for another passport. It is hard to convince me that persons with financial or other ties to a new country strong enough to cause a desire to for total repatriation would be hindered by a small fee as part of what is a complex and expensive process no matter what. It's impossible to convince me that charging a fee for changing one's permanent citizenship is the same as preventing people from traveling abroad or even living abroad.

The berlin wall wasnt high enough for some people too... lets make it bigger!

Good point

edit: oops, wrong reply.. you have no point