American Expats Giving Up Citizenship in Record Numbers

[FrankRep]

American expats are relinquishing their U.S. citizenship in record numbers, and a new report suggests that banking regulations tied to the Patriot Act making it difficult for expats to maintain accounts in both the U.S. and overseas is to blame. by Steven Yates


American Expats Giving Up Citizenship in Record Numbers (http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/usnews/politics/3414-american-expats-giving-up-citizenship-in-record-numbers)


Steven Yates | The New American
Monday, 26 April 2010

[BlackTerrel]

The total figure of renunciations for 2009 was 743.

It might be a record but we aren't exactly talking large numbers of people. I'm always skeptical of media and agenda when it comes to articles like this. You have to wait until the end of the 3rd paragraph to get the numbers. It's like an article that says "death from lupus triple" which causes the reader to think this is an epidemic and then you find out that the number of deaths jumped from 4 to 12 (no idea how many people died from lupus just giving a random example).

I'd also like to see a trend line to see if this is an ongoing thing or a couple years. This article only gives numbers from 2008 and 2009 which is very incomplete information.

[FrankRep]

More American Expatriates Give Up Citizenship (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/26/us/26expat.html?hp)


NY Times
April 25, 2010


Amid mounting frustration over taxation and banking problems, small but growing numbers of overseas Americans are taking the weighty step of renouncing their citizenship.

“What we have seen is a substantial change in mentality among the overseas community in the past two years,” said Jackie Bugnion, director of American Citizens Abroad, an advocacy group based in Geneva. “Before, no one would dare mention to other Americans that they were even thinking of renouncing their U.S. nationality. Now, it is an openly discussed issue.”


SOURCE:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/26/us/26expat.html?hp

[Live_Free_Or_Die]

Who can blame them for completely wanting to exit the jurisdiction of a terrorist corporation such as the United States?

[Brooklyn Red Leg]

If I was rich enough to move to another country, I think I'd renounce my citizenship as well. This place is in the toilet and its only going to get worse.

[ctnjason]

i mentioned to my wife that as we all see the illegal immigration here, who is to say that we (as in me and my wife.... not a term of collectiveism...) wont do the same thing? Whos to say that when we have had enough, we wont just pick up and leave? Also.... history has a way of repeating itself. I can remember being taught in school that americans left england on the mayflower over religious issues although the older i got, i realized it was more taxation, loss of liberties, etc. Im only 30. I have little debt. Whos to say i might just get while the gettin is good :)

[BlackTerrel]

If I was rich enough to move to another country, I think I'd renounce my citizenship as well. This place is in the toilet and its only going to get worse.

Where would you go?

Personally I'd rather live in the US than anywhere else.

[BenjFranklin]

I'm goin' down with the ship.