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Comment by C4K3 | Hacker News Reader

A surprising number of Americans seem to think it's reasonable to tax non-residents, so such legislation may be hard to get passed.

If you support such legislation, consider supporting lobbying groups such as American Citizens Abroad https://www.americansabroad.org/

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> A surprising number of Americans seem to think it's reasonable to tax non-residents, so such legislation may be hard to get passed.

So let's get this straight. On one side you have Americans who think it's reasonable to tax people who don't live in the country and thus don't use any of the services that tax pays for and then on the other side you have Americans who believe that all tax is theft under the threat of violence?

Talk about extremists at both ends.

It's not true to say they necessarily don't use any of the services. The US still defend its citizens abroad, and might evacuate you in case some disaster happens, do hostage rescue using the full power of its military and intelligence agencies, and will generally provide consular help and speak on your behalf should you get into trouble.

Odd then that no other country (except Eritrea) follows the US footsteps. The UK and many other countries have the ability to defend its citizens abroad, evacuate them, engage in hostage negotiations, etc.

(As I recall, in the UK that cost is paid via part of your passport fees. Not via world-wide taxation and monetary oversight.)

That should be "most of its citizens abroad." As we know from Anwar al-Awlaki, the US may decide to remove due-process rights of its citizens and use its military power to kill them.

Speaking from personal experience - not really. My employer rescued me. The US did nothing. Maybe you are thinking of France?

I don't buy it. We're talking here about people who have literally never lived in America since they were too young to even remember. They have lived in another country, paid taxes in that other country, and probably have a passport for that other country. If anything happens to them there would likely be an expectation that their adopted country would look after them, not the US.

If wonder if all those same Americans would think it reasonable the non-resident tax payers finally got something for their tax returns/hoop-jumping, in the shape of coronavirus support cheques. Thanks to that I think I've almost broken even. Apart from all the wasted time, of course.

If your total lifetime costs to date of compliance as an American abroad amount to the coronavirus support cheque value, you should be running a popular YouTube channel teaching others. For most people in this situation that I know, the costs are $4-6k per year, minimum. Heaven forbid they try to make use of their local country retirement schemes, or have anything but the basic banking services and do not participate in partnerships or other “complicated” legal entities.

I've kept my financial situation very simple, I've likely sacrificed some (potential investment) income from doing so. I used an accountant the first few times who taught me what I needed to know and then I waste part of my life each year remembering how it works and researching the changes. Perhaps I also don't earn as much as the people you know, no idea. Due to exclusion and the credit I thankfully (and IMO, fairly) pay very little US tax each year, my major costs have been those initial accoutant fees. That wasn't worth a youtube channel (the income from which would only complicate my future returns, no thanks).

But I would like to hold some investments and that's an area I have no US tax knowledge of. So that'd be another accountant hit. Maybe renouncing is the better investment, once it becomes available again.

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