Renounce US Citizenship?

Ok I seen the sticky about when you become a UK citizen,you'll still be able to have your US citizenship. However,when I finally become a UK citizen, is there a way I can renounce my US citizenship? It sounds crazy I know,but after I become a UK citizen, I no longer want anything to do with US, I have nothing there,no ties,no family,no nothing and I won't be back for a visit. Also if I do renounce it,what kind of problems will I occur? Thanks

Yeah, you can definitely renounce it, but i dont have any details on what you have to do to make it official.  I do know that you have to continue submitting US tax returns for 10 years after you renounce... un-be-f*ckin-lievable!

Hopefully someone will come along who's got the scoop on this, but in the meanwhile, prepare yourself for some backlash, as there are some folk on this site who seem to think that being an American citizen is some sort of God-given sacred gift which thou shalt not defile.     

Yeah, you can definitely renounce it, but i dont have any details on what you have to do to make it official.  I do know that you have to continue submitting US tax returns for 10 years after you renounce... un-be-f*ckin-lievable!

10 YEARS??!!?! FFS,thats one of the reasons I wanna renounce it..so I don't have to file! I dont see the point in filing if I'm not working there or living there!

but in the meanwhile, prepare yourself for some backlash, as there are some folk on this site who seem to thing that being an American citizen is some sort of God-given sacred gift which thou shalt not defile. 

lol Well they can bring it on

Somewhere in the thread below is where i was told about that 10-year thing: 

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=18784.0

EnglandsYank - If you still have to file for 10yrs I wouldn't really bother renouncing the citizenship as there's nothing to gain. However it is always nice to have options, I mean being able to live in two of the greatest countries in the world is pretty incredible to say the least.
Good Luck in whatever you decide.

Personally, I would think very long and hard before renouncing your U.S. citizenship.  You never know what might transpire in the future which might be easier to handle if you leave your options open.     Even if you never intend to go back to the U.S. again, don't forget that being a U.S. citizen will also make for easier entry/residence in some other countries, e.g. Canada.

As for continuing to file tax returns for 10 years, well, if you renounce your citizenship and genuinely never intend to ever set foot on U.S. soil again, what exactly is anybody going to do about it?

As for continuing to file tax returns for 10 years, well, if you renounce your citizenship and genuinely never intend to ever set foot on U.S. soil again, what exactly is anybody going to do about it?

I was wondering the same. I mean, if you're not a citizen, how are they going to come after you? If you're not a citizen, you're not living there, and you're not in any way benefiting from US services, why should you pay taxes?

I do remember reading somewhere that you are required to swear to a US consulate offical that you are formally renouncing your citizenship. You can probably do that in one of the consulates in the UK.

As for continuing to file tax returns for 10 years, well, if you renounce your citizenship and genuinely never intend to ever set foot on U.S. soil again, what exactly is anybody going to do about it?

The US can ask the FSA to freeze bank accounts, and the FSA is likely to oblige. 

A tax dodge is one thing.  But worse than that are the implications of renouncing in this age of post 9/11 hysteria.  Which databases are likely to be updated with her details would you think?

And hope to bloody hell your flight isn't waylaid or redirected to a US port...

Thats one thing I was concerned about. I don't want to renounce it if theres going to be red flags waving. I don't see what the big point is where the US would be concerned about it. As for still filing taxes. I'm dumbfounded over that. If I work here why should the US get money?

Well, unless you make a lot of money, the US won't get anything, right? Or am I misunderstanding the tax structure...

If I work here why should the US get money?

Yeah, I'd agree w/you there.

Hrmm...I don't know.  From the points some people brought up, it seems like it might cause more problems than it'd solve, unfortunately.     I hadn't even thought about the red flags it'd raise.  Hrm.  Another thing to maybe consider is...what if your daughter wants to live in the US for some reason some day (job, school, etc)?  Would she lose her right to just live here without hassle if you renounced your citizenship?

I can understand why you'd want to do it though, since you have no ties here at all.  And having to file income taxes in a country you don't even live in has to be a hassle (one thing I am NOT looking forward to).  So many things to consider, though.  As far as I know, you can renounce your citizenship at a US embassy in the UK, like someone else mentioned earlier in the thread.  I'm not sure if they charge you for it.  I think when I was looking through things about getting UK citizenship, I saw a thing that said they charged citizens 80 quid to renounce their citizenship.  The US might do the same.  Good luck with whatever you decide to do. 

Another thing to maybe consider is...what if your daughter wants to live in the US for some reason some day (job, school, etc)?  Would she lose her right to just live here without hassle if you renounced your citizenship?

This is a very good point actually.  Not that she would loose her right to citizenship by virtue of you giving up yours, but if it comes up or is discovered in the process of her applying to come to the US it could cause big problems. 

I'm one of those who think that "being an American citizen is some sort of God-given sacred gift which thou shalt not defile" but I also feel that you certainly have the right to do what you feel is best for you and your life.  I would never trample on that.  But from the posts so far it sounds like you may need to think of a lot of stuff I personally would have never considered.

Good luck to you!  That's a big step indeed!

~Liza

I am a lawyer, and not a particularly jingoistic American one. I go back to the US fairly frequently on business or for visits, but I cannot really imagine going back there to live, at least not anytime soon.  There are many aspects of American politics and life that have grown very foreign to me. Although I enjoy my visits there to visit family and friends, I went there twice in 2005 and realised during the second trip that it was beginning to grate. In future, I will probably not go more than once a year.

I would nevertheless not advise a client to renounce US citizenship unless there was a very good reason for doing so (there could be reasons having to do with criminal law or possibly because of certain kinds of dual citizenship issues). Renouncing your US citizenship would be radical and permanent, and could come back to bite you someday in a way that you cannot now anticipate.

Is this a political gesture, is it because you have bad feelings about things that happened to you there (i.e. is it personal)?

is it because you have bad feelings about things that happened to you there (i.e. is it personal)?

yes a majority of it is
To me being a dual citizen would just be a burdon since I wont be back to even visit
, but I will wait to make the decision until my daughter is old enough to decide whether she wants to be dual or not. I don't want to take the right away from her.