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Here's a counterpoint: How I get harassed by the IRS because Americans hate rich people. I'm earning a below-average Bay Area income, but as foreigner I have a

Here's a counterpoint: How I get harassed by the IRS because Americans hate rich people. I'm earning a below-average Bay Area income, but as foreigner I have a bank account and an IRA abroad, so I get to file a 30-page paper return that costs > $1K to prepare, in which I pay taxes on foreign income I did not actually earn, and get audited every year. So remember that every $1 spent on the IRS also generates an $X amount in time and money wasted for taxpayers.

tacostakohashi 11y ago
This situation is voluntary / self-inflicted - I'd suggest either getting rid of your bank account abroad, or not be a foreigner any more (i.e., leave the US).
- KKKKkkkk1 11y ago
  Sure it's self inflicted. What if the IRS did this to all US citizens? Then it would still be self inflicted since they can renounce their citizenship. That's not the point.
  - tacostakohashi 11y ago
    The IRS does in fact do this to all US citizens with overseas bank accounts too.
ptaipale 11y ago
For me this is a major deterrent for considering to work in the US. What I hear about NSA surveillance does not bother me that much. What I hear about IRS makes me want to stay away.
- kmonsen 11y ago
  I am a European citizen living in the Bay Area and although I like to whine about it, paying taxes is not a big deal. It is also getting simpler as I now have almost only US assets. I used to have some stocks vested that was awarded when I worked for the same company in the UK. The tax authorities of the two countries decided to split my earnings leaving me with more or less nothing. Another thing most people say is that US tax gives a lot less back even though we pay about the same as in Europe. This is true, but to some degree this is instead given to you by your employer (like health care).
  - ptaipale 11y ago
    Yes, but that getting simpler then means having to get rid of property, bank accounts etc outside of US. Things like the puny family estate which I hold dear - high emotional but little financial value, yet large bureaucracy burden.
- ArtDev 11y ago
  The worst thing in America is healthcare. Low quality coupled with the highest costs in the world. Its enough to make me move away.

tacostakohashi 11y ago

This situation is voluntary / self-inflicted - I'd suggest either getting rid of your bank account abroad, or not be a foreigner any more (i.e., leave the US).

KKKKkkkk1 11y ago
Sure it's self inflicted. What if the IRS did this to all US citizens? Then it would still be self inflicted since they can renounce their citizenship. That's not the point.
- tacostakohashi 11y ago
  The IRS does in fact do this to all US citizens with overseas bank accounts too.

ptaipale 11y ago

For me this is a major deterrent for considering to work in the US. What I hear about NSA surveillance does not bother me that much. What I hear about IRS makes me want to stay away.

kmonsen 11y ago
I am a European citizen living in the Bay Area and although I like to whine about it, paying taxes is not a big deal. It is also getting simpler as I now have almost only US assets. I used to have some stocks vested that was awarded when I worked for the same company in the UK. The tax authorities of the two countries decided to split my earnings leaving me with more or less nothing. Another thing most people say is that US tax gives a lot less back even though we pay about the same as in Europe. This is true, but to some degree this is instead given to you by your employer (like health care).
- ptaipale 11y ago
  Yes, but that getting simpler then means having to get rid of property, bank accounts etc outside of US. Things like the puny family estate which I hold dear - high emotional but little financial value, yet large bureaucracy burden.
ArtDev 11y ago
The worst thing in America is healthcare. Low quality coupled with the highest costs in the world. Its enough to make me move away.