$450 to renounce US citizenship? (taxes, costs, bill)

[yankinscotland]

US passport fees going up next week.

Passport fees going up next week - CNN.com

This is the paragraph that baffled me though....

There's even a new fee if you'd like formally to renounce your U.S. citizenship -- it costs nothing now, but the price tag will be $450 starting Tuesday.

[brubaker]

If you want to claim citizenship in another country you may have to forfeit US citizenship.
I'm sure their a bunch of forms to file and red tape to go through so they're now charging you for it.



What's so baffling about that?

[yankinscotland]

Only for certain countries do you have to give up citizenship. I also have UK. Many expats are sick of double taxation. Theyshould not have to pay to renounce.

[brubaker]

Why not?

Surely you'll be keeping more than $450 a year in money that would be going to taxes.. right?
Who else should pay for the administrative fees of canceling your citizenship...if not you?

[yankinscotland]

Originally Posted by brubaker

Why not?

Surely you'll be keeping more than $450 a year in money that would be going to taxes.. right?
Who else should pay for the administrative fees of canceling your citizenship...if not you?

It can't possibly cost that much to process a form and stick it in a database. It looks bad to have Americans do that so they are trying to discourage

[brubaker]

Personally, I think they want your taxes.
I doubt very much if they care that a few people slip away when so many are dying to get in.

And who notices those numbers anyway?
At any rate, I see no reason we the taxpayers should be picking up your bill just so you can flake off on paying your taxes
and bail out on your countrymen in their time of need.