The Cost of Being an American Citizen

There is a small but growing trend among U.S. citizens that live and work abroad to turn their passports in and become citizens of the country they live in. The reason, as with most things American, is economic: it's too expensive to remain a U.S. citizen, because of the tax laws that their homeland chooses to impose on them and the fact that Americans insist that their banking laws apply to their citizens that live in another country. As a result, there are financial institutions that won't do business with these foreigners, to avoid the hassle of complying with all those laws, rules and regulations that follow Americans wherever they go.

These people have found out or will, in due course, that it is possible to lead a normal and productive life having another passport. That the whole world is not "dying" to be American citizens. That there are wonderful countries besides their own, where people live perfectly happy being citizens of their homeland.

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