Sick of Jesusland? Life in the People’s Republic of Obamastan got you down? Maybe you’re just tired of dual taxation? Well, if you’re planning to renounce your US citizenship, you’d better do it quick or face a $450 “processing fee” to do it later:
With no announcement and little warning, the US State Department will, effective July 13, charge US citizens a whopping $450 “processing fee” to renounce citizenship. This change was hidden in the new consular fees issued the other week, which basically slightly raised visa processing and passport fees, and substantially raised processing services related to judicial matters. The citizenship renouncement fee is the only new fee (together with getting new passport pages—I’m glad I got that a few months back!).
Why the sudden fee to renounce US citizenship? I chalk it up to American spite—many Americans seem incensed at the very idea that a US citizen would give up his or her passport. And the US is one of the very modern few states where there is incentive to give up citizenship, because of the taxation of overseas Americans. With this latest move, there’s yet another tax—a citizen’s departure tax.
Fortunately, Curzon points out that a way out of the fee may be on the way.
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Of course there’s a way to do it without a fee. Merely destoy your passport in front of an immigration official – precedent has already been set by the American al Qaeda Adam-whats-his-face to do it via video. You can also fight in another country’s military. Both clearly outlined on your passport as possible reasons to have your citizenship revoked.
You may be onto something Robert … check out this sad news from your home:
http://www.jonesbeach.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=43:events-2010&id=136:july-4-fireworks-spectacular
I heard that Vietnam also charges a couple of grand to renounce their citizenship.
Don’t see what the big deal is. Between the foreign income exclusion and the numerous deductions easily available for people living/working/earning overseas, a person would have to be looking at an annual income well into the six figures before renouncing citizenship for financial reasons becomes a logical option. Are people in this income bracket really bitching about a one-time fee of a few hundred bucks for something as life-altering as a change in nationality?
Something was missing in your intro, Robert.
Sick of Jesusland?
There. Fixed it for you.
But how could anybody get sick of that? It’s a beautiful song.
#5,
I’m not a religious person, but the concept of the song is quite interesting. Imagine how Jesus would feel if he was walking down the street in any American town, noticing how people use his name to their own commercial means, and yet nobody would recognizes him. He’d probably be arrested for throwing bricks through windows.
“Town to town, broadcast to each house, they drop your name, but no one knows your face.”
…There’s more irony in the song. Why are there people begging on street corners? Aren’t churches supposed to help these people? After all, churches have no shortage of money.
Buddhist, Islamic and Jewish temples also do not have a shortage of money.
There are more than plenty of Christian sponsored shelters and organizations worldwide for people to seek refuge in if they are in need. It is not the duty of the “church” to go collect people off the streets, it is the duty of the person to go and seek sanctuary if needed. Not to blindly defend Christianity, however to be unbiased and truthfull, there are more than enough non-secular humanitarian groups out there sponsored by that said religion including the original Catholic form of it. When I start to see more Salvation Army shelters built by other religions, then I could probably criticize Christianity for its lack of human relief aid.
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