Americans in Canada told not to fear IRS

[alp227]

Source: Canadian Press

Uncle Sam will likely show some leniency for U.S. citizens living in Canada who were not aware they were supposed to file returns south of the border, Washington's ambassador to Canada said Tuesday.

"My message on this one is to sit tight. We are not unreasonable. We are not unsympathetic. We are not irresponsible," David Jacobson said during a speech to the Canadian Club in Ottawa.

The U.S. is one of only a handful of countries that requires citizens to file their worldwide income in the United States regardless of where they live or where they earn their livings.

The rule applies to American citizens living in any other country.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/10/18/taxes-us-citizens-canada.html

[Demeter]

1. Right.

Won't you step into my parlor? said the spider to the fly.

http://www.wussu.com/poems/lctlq.htm

See link for how THAT conversation turned out.

[dflprincess]

2. Then if corporations are people

should those who have "moved" their operations to other countries be paying their U.S. taxes? :shrug:

(Being facetious, I know the answer.)

[DCKit]

4. You sure nailed that one. Never happen. nt

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

3. Stuck on stupid...

While their supposed to be going after major league tax evaders their mostly harassing the children of expatriates with few of no ties to the United States. I have encountered someone here in Calgary who was born in Mississippi, but his parents emigrated to Canada when he was a child and has never returned to the US for much more than Disneyland or short business trips. The IRS came for him after he applied for a Nexus card.

He has never been issued a US passport, he never attended school in the US, he certainly never registered for selective service and not surprisingly has never filed taxes in the US. He was oblivious to the fact he remained a US citizen until US Customs at the Vancouver airport informed him of his status as an adult after he got a Canadian passport when it became required and naturally listed his place of birth as Hattiesburg Mississippi.

[sarcasmo]

5. I need to send my good friend this link. He is married and lives in Canada with his wife who is

Canadian and they have four kids. He played professional hockey in the early 90's and never came back. I would bet that he has never filed U.S. tax returns. This is no longer a country it is an Empire.