Which countries have a reasonable path to citizenship?

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by gjordan

I have two questions. When did the law change that allowed US citizens to work outside of the country for 18 monthes and not pay taxes? You could only be back in this country for 30 days during that period, and you still had to file, but paid no taxes. When I got out of the navy in the late 60s I was offered a job like that (legitimate company), but turned it down. I knew a few people that took jobs like that and made good money, and paid no taxes. The next question is about Scotland. Does ancestory there make it easier to get an EU passport? An EU passport would make much of the world easier to travel in, and if it could be obtained without giving up the US passport would give the best of both worlds._____Grant.

I dont know when the law changed but I went overseas in 1984 and hove been out here since. Funding all that US debt with my taxes and only deriving limited embassy services in return - LOL

There are two "tests" to claim foreign earned income exclusion (i.e. the 90k referenced). Bona fide residence test whereby you prove residency somewhere overseas and physical presence test which is a certain number of days residing overseas, I forget the exact number but its like 200+ days. A calendar submission is part of my tax filing as if you exceed a certain number of days working in the us you can lose the exclusion.

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

I dont know when the law changed but I went overseas in 1984 and hove been out here since. Funding all that US debt with my taxes and only deriving limited embassy services in return - LOL

There are two "tests" to claim foreign earned income exclusion (i.e. the 90k referenced). Bona fide residence test whereby you prove residency somewhere overseas and physical presence test which is a certain number of days residing overseas, I forget the exact number but its like 200+ days. A calendar submission is part of my tax filing as if you exceed a certain number of days working in the us you can lose the exclusion.

It's 330 full days for the physical presence test.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Doodles

It's 330 full days for the physical presence test.

Bingo. Thanks Doodles. Its hell getting old. New information just kicks old information right out of short term storage these days...

[avb3]

Originally Posted by Therapy

On the EU passport thing.

I have German grandparents.

Can I get a EU passport?

No is the short answer. I was born there, and I had to jump through a lot of hoops to get my passport. The most difficult part was proving as birth there. As you can imagine, record keeping, although Germans are famous for it, was not what it is now back in the early '50s. I believe if you have Irish grandparents you may be able to obtain Irish citizenship.

[decktapper]

Originally Posted by SVTatia

Is there any particular reason you want to become a citizen? You don't have to be a citizen if you just want to retire there. You can apply for permanent residency for most countries.

I believe the reason to have dual citizenship is to have more freedom to leave the USA whenever you want to for whatever duration you want to be gone.

Organizations tend to do whatever it takes to survive and continue to grow. As we are on the right side of the maximum revenue on the laffer curve it is no longer possible to collect more in income tax by raising the rate.

How this applies to the forum is that sailors are likely to be portrayed as the evil rich. Some people would like to escape with some of there wealth if it comes to that, and others just want to be certain they can escape with there lives. This all sounds like paranoid crazy talk, but there were times in history that it would have sounded like crazy talk in Germany, Russia, or Cuba.

Having dual citizenship is just one way some people maintain more options. And living in the country with the highest incarceration rate in the world options are good.

There are few things I would enjoy more than seeing the USA return to being a place of liberty and justice

[Sam Plan B]

Let's suppose you live in country X. And let's suppose you have a sizable sum in personal wealth and you have a boat with lots of cruising range. And let's also suppose you hear, over a long period of time, a steady drum beat of anit-you (being in the 1%)propaganda coming from folks who have a lot of power over you. Would it not be wise to see what your options are for moving your wealth and yourself off shore? Just hypothetically, of course.

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by Captivy

You need to prove one grandparent was born there! Gets you anywhere in the EU (while it lasts).

While the EU lasts or the option??????? LMAO

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Sam Plan B

Let's suppose you live in country X. And let's suppose you have a sizable sum in personal wealth and you have a boat with lots of cruising range. And let's also suppose you hear, over a long period of time, a steady drum beat of anit-you (being in the 1%)propaganda coming from folks who have a lot of power over you. Would it not be wise to see what your options are for moving your wealth and yourself off shore? Just hypothetically, of course.

Coming from a place where folks make money facilitating just that I would of course say it was a very sensible approach .

and entirely legal......the illegality comes from not declaring to own tax authorities (if you have any and are required to do so). The moral outrage from doing so coming usually from those who lack any understanding of how things can be and often enough lacking the money to do the same.

Having said that, for 99% of people makes no sense at all or is even counterproductive. Unless going for the MK1 tax planning approach (don't tell anyone!) and are willing to accept the potential downsides - but that approach not so easy as it used to be (damned computers ) - then as a (very) broad guide not really cost effective unless having 7 digits in net assets or are earning good money away from home country (whether from simply working somewhere else or from business interests being international in activity) or permanently moving countries (in simplistic terms you leave with your assets and drop then off offshore before arriving somewhere else - doesn't work (legally) everywhere of course, but often enough) - in practice I would say that if you don't already have a tax lawyer or accountant (or both!) and not simply a mom & pop style accountant (no matter the size of the firm ) then probably anything offshore not appropriate (but, as always, exceptions apply).

Of course lots of folks in Germany did the same thing into Switzerland with their wealth - not all of them got to spend it later. Depending on where you are based in the world, stuff does happen (but of course the target market ain't folks living in Kansas - it is a big world out there, always changing). And leaving aside the more extreme events, what a Govt (or anyone else) can't get hands easily on gives you at least time to consider options for self (laying hands on stuff cross-border is expensive and time consuming even with a genuine (fair?!) case), including the option of a run for the border with only needing to take a spare pair of underpants - if that .

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by decktapper

I believe the reason to have dual citizenship is to have more freedom to leave the USA whenever you want to for whatever duration you want to be gone.

You don't need dual citizenship to leave the US for a duration, all you need is a visa(s) for where you want to go. Retirement visas are very straight forward in a lot of countries and a much simpler route. That's what we've done anyway.

[decktapper]

Originally Posted by Doodles

You don't need dual citizenship to leave the US for a duration, all you need is a visa(s) for where you want to go. Retirement visas are very straight forward in a lot of countries and a much simpler route. That's what we've done anyway.

And that is what can change at any time. Having dual citizenship would increase your chances of being allowed to leave if these rules change.

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by decktapper

And that is what can change at any time. Having dual citizenship would increase your chances of being allowed to leave if these rules change.

Or it could be like Hotel California .... "You can check out, but you can never leave."

[TexasPhil]

It's my understanding that Amy us territories pay no income tax. Try Saipan, US Samoa, Palau, etc.

Even puerto Rico.

[Lagoon4us]

Are you thinking the US may prevent their citizens from leaving?

[capttman]

Hmmmm you can leave the USA and denounce your citizenship but the law ( believe its called the Dingman law) says if you do and assets >250K you will pay a hefty tax penalty..

[hummingway]

The temptation is obviously there in a thread like this to get in the political soapbox. If your comment isn't directly related to cruising it will be deleted, as one has been already, and in short order the thread closed.

Thanks for your cooperation. Carry on.