Blogs + News
Kim G C Moody is quoted in the Investment Executive on the “misleading” June 30 press release regarding Bill C-208: Investment Executive, July 20, 2021
Bill C-208 has caused some confusion for business owners wanting to sell. Kim G C Moody joined Dave and Faisal on More Than Money (July 17, 2021), to break down what this bill is and its tax implications. Listen to the episode.
“I tend to think this is going to be a huge spend budget…” Kim G C Moody is quoted in an article in the Globe and Mail on what to watch for in the federal budget, April 15, 2021. (Subscription Required)
Kim G C Moody is quoted in an article in the Edmonton Journal about his keynote remarks at the Alberta Chamber of Commerce, March 24, 2021
“We need a budget. We need a plan.”
Kim G C Moody is quoted in an article, “Warn on 1.83T Debt Ceiling,” March 18, 2021, on Blacklock’s Reporter (Subscription Required).
Are you an “Accidental American”? Why now may be a good time to renounce your US citizenship.
An alarming number of people living abroad don’t realize they’re US citizens who are subject to annual taxation and filing obligations to the IRS. They are commonly referred to as “Accidental Americans” and often discover they’re US citizens later in life through other family members, or when their non-US banks reach out asking them to provide US ITINs (individual taxpayer identification numbers), fill out W-9s, or even look to close the account due to suspected US status.
The US is one of the few countries in the world (Eritrea is the other) that taxes one’s worldwide assets and income based on citizenship – regardless of where that person lives in the world. This means that if you’re a US citizen living in a country outside the United States, you are taxed on your worldwide income, have annual IRS reporting and filing obligations, and may even owe US tax to boot!
Are you an “Accidental American”? Complete this quiz* to find out.
Questions:
1. Were you born in the United States or any of its territories? (Yes/No)
2. Were both of your parents US citizens at the time of your birth? (Yes/No)
3. Was only one of your parents a US citizen at the time of your birth, but that parent had lived in the US before your birth for at least five years commutatively (not solely consecutively)? (Yes/No)
4. Were your grandparents US citizens at the time of birth for one of your parents born abroad? And did that parent then move to and live in the US for at least one year? (Yes/No)
If you answered “Yes” to any of the questions above, there is a strong possibility that you are a US citizen and, with such, are taxed on your worldwide income/assets, are needing to file US tax returns.
*This quiz is only intended to serve as a preliminary information tool and cannot be constituted as or substituted for legal advice issued by Moodys Tax. For a detailed personal evaluation, please book your consultation with Moodys Tax.
What does this mean for me?
US citizens have yearly IRS reporting and filing obligations, with their income being subject to taxation no matter where they live in the world, or how they acquired US citizenship. This applies even if the American has never set foot in the United States.
What should I do next?
The first step would be to seek legal advice to confirm your citizenship status. Once it is confirmed that you are a US citizen, you may wish to keep your US citizenship, which means you must become tax compliant with the IRS. There are amnesty programs that work very well for this situation and the requirement to back file US tax returns. If you do not wish to keep your US citizenship, you have the option to renounce your US citizenship, while again, needing to back file into an amnesty program to become US tax compliant.
Renunciation provides a safe and legal way out of your double taxation dilemma. Being taxed by your country of residency and the US can result in expensive annual tax filing legal fees, double taxation owed to the IRS, and issues in death via the US estate tax regime. Common situations where US expats living abroad may owe tax to the US, even when living in high-tax countries with tax treaties with the US (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, certain countries within Europe, etc.) include, but are not limited to, selling your principal residence with high gain, having an interest in a non-US privately held company, holding non-US mutual funds or ETFs, divorce settlements, the US estate tax (death tax), interests in non-US trusts/partnerships, gift tax, lottery winnings, and more. Being taxed by one country is always better than being taxed by two!
These stressful double-tax risks can be eliminated if one successfully renounces their US citizenship. The US has a gauntlet of tricks and traps to avoid when renouncing properly (exit tax, inheritance tax, disbarment from the US for life, travel issues, keeping social security, etc.). Our firm handles more renunciation clients than any firm in the world and ensures that none of these potential problems happen. We specialize in making sure you renounce the right way to avoid all the potential land mines while still being able to enjoy the US using your fallback passport.
To learn more, we encourage you to visit our dedicated US Citizenship Renunciation webpage for more information. This page contains links to register for our upcoming renunciation webinars. You can find one tailored to your geographic location in our events listings.
These webinars thoroughly review everything you need to know about the US citizenship renunciation process and available options should you decide to take the next steps.
Click here to view our upcoming Renunciation Webinars and register
If you would like to get the process started on addressing your US issues immediately (with legal fees in mind), please schedule a one-hour call or video conference consultation with me by:
Signing up on our virtual calendar or
Contacting Katherine Bradish at kbradish@moodystax.com or 403-693-5122.