6 ms·

You enjoy benefits as a citizen, even if living abroad. You should pay for those.

by brandonmenc 2y ago

dantheman 2y ago
What benefits?
- cm2012 2y ago
  The rights your passport gives you + the legal and embassy protections given to American citizens. Like the American civilians held in Russia that Biden recently traded Russian spies for. You still have access to vote absentee, as well as collect social security benefits. You can use US bank accounts and other institutions. You and your children have the right to return if you ever desire it.
  - latortuga 2y ago
    > You can use US bank accounts and other institutions. Recently found out that this is more and more difficult because most banks are requiring 2FA with a US phone number which is difficult to get if you don't live in the states.
    - bongodongobob 2y ago
      It's not any more difficult than buying a phone and calling a carrier to activate it. They'll take a PO Box for a billing address no problem.
    - SoftTalker 2y ago
      My bank lets me use Google Authenticator as a 2FA.
  - _huayra_ 2y ago
    > You still have access to vote absentee, Most other countries allow their expatriate population to vote without this taxation requirement. Why should the US be different? >as well as collect social security benefits. Absolutely incorrect. The times I've lived abroad have not count towards my SSN contributions; I've had to make up for them after returning, in a sense. I now have to figure out how to collect a smattering of "social security equivalent" payments once I retire from a foreign country as a result. > You can use US bank accounts and other institutions. Actually, you're not supposed to in most cases, and most banks will basically force you out if they find out you're not in the US. Only a few brokerages will actually work with you (ibkr is best iirc, Schwab can also work). Pretending to "exist" at a relatives house for your bank may be living on borrowed time, though in practice it is possible to do for years if one leaves. Newcomers can't open a bank account with US citizenship if they're non residents (again, except for a few brokerages). > You and your children have the right to return if you ever desire it. Why should I pay for the option to do so? Why not do like every other country and pay if I actually exercise the option and return (and pay taxes)? Just like every other country (except Eritrea and North Korea, but do we want to be in the same camp as them?).
  - sidewndr46 2y ago
    As others have pointed out, this is far from correct. If you have a US bank account and they find out your residence has moved to another country they are very likely to close the account immediately.
    - cm2012 2y ago
      I have US citizen contractors right now who live abroad that I pay into their legal US bank accounts for years now.
- dgfitz 2y ago
  [flagged]
SilasX 2y ago
So why does no other country in the world do it then?
- sangnoir 2y ago
  Perhaps because no other country goes to the same lengths to help its citizens abroad in times of trouble. When there's geopolitical trouble brewing, it not uncommon for other nationalities to take advantage of American evacuations. Few countries come close the US in leveraging intelligence and logistics to help citizens; France is probably #2.
  - gopher_space 2y ago
    Let’s suppose I travel for business and am not a teenager working through power fantasies. What’s in it for me if my concerns are not childish?
  - bwb 2y ago
    You know the usa bills people for evacuating them right :)? https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/emergencies/for-evacuated-citizens.html#:~:text=The%20Department%20enforces%20the%20law,for%20evacuation%20to%20different%20destinations https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-tra.... Also, read up on Americans stuck in Gaza with no way out.
    - actionfromafar 2y ago
      "It limits the reimbursement to the cost of a reasonable commercial airfare."
      - bwb 2y ago
        How kind of them :)
        actionfromafar 2y ago
        I just mentioned it because the real cost must be much, much higher in many cases, and I imagined being on the hook for a million dollars.
tway_GdBRwW 2y ago
US citizen and long-time expat calling bullshit on this. That's not the purpose of taxes and that's not how citizenship works in any other country except North Korea. Looking at the list of "benefits" another person posted: > The rights your passport gives you Are no different than the rights an EU passport gives you, except when entering the US-- but then again, an EU passport gives you better rights when entering the EU, so this is not an exclusive. > + the legal and embassy protections given to American citizens. Like the American civilians held in Russia that Biden recently traded Russian spies for. Note that the US doesn't have jurisdiction outside of US territory, so it cannot give legal protection and explicitly embassies do not give legal advice. Yes, there may sometimes be trades like above, but on the other hand, if the US prisoners were not US people, they probably would not have been jailed by the Russians in the first place. > You still have access to vote absentee, Voting is a responsibility, not a benefit. >as well as collect social security benefits. Wrong-o! You only get social security benefits you have paid for. If you are living outside of the US, you are not contributing to soc. security. > You can use US bank accounts and other institutions. So can non-citizens. US bank accounts do not require citizenship. Nor does owning real estate. Nor forming companies. You and your children have the right to return if you ever desire it.
- youngtaff 2y ago
  As a US citizen, the US will send in the seals to rescue you from kidnappers, so you will get some benefits
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - fakedang 2y ago
    As a US citizen, you're more likely to be captured by kidnappers and terrorists too. Real benefits there.
  - lhopki01 2y ago
    Not sure why US citizens believe this. I've been in situations where there was genuine peril and the look of shock the US citizens had when someone from their embassy said the only thing they'd do is organize a convoy of private vehicles if everyone turned up at x time and place. They really expected the US army to turn up to save them. Honestly I don't think I've seen the US do any more than any other western country for their citizens in these situations.

You enjoy benefits as a citizen, even if living abroad. You should pay for those.

dantheman 2y ago

What benefits?

cm2012 2y ago
The rights your passport gives you + the legal and embassy protections given to American citizens. Like the American civilians held in Russia that Biden recently traded Russian spies for. You still have access to vote absentee, as well as collect social security benefits. You can use US bank accounts and other institutions. You and your children have the right to return if you ever desire it.
- latortuga 2y ago
  > You can use US bank accounts and other institutions. Recently found out that this is more and more difficult because most banks are requiring 2FA with a US phone number which is difficult to get if you don't live in the states.
  - bongodongobob 2y ago
    It's not any more difficult than buying a phone and calling a carrier to activate it. They'll take a PO Box for a billing address no problem.
  - SoftTalker 2y ago
    My bank lets me use Google Authenticator as a 2FA.
- _huayra_ 2y ago
  > You still have access to vote absentee, Most other countries allow their expatriate population to vote without this taxation requirement. Why should the US be different? >as well as collect social security benefits. Absolutely incorrect. The times I've lived abroad have not count towards my SSN contributions; I've had to make up for them after returning, in a sense. I now have to figure out how to collect a smattering of "social security equivalent" payments once I retire from a foreign country as a result. > You can use US bank accounts and other institutions. Actually, you're not supposed to in most cases, and most banks will basically force you out if they find out you're not in the US. Only a few brokerages will actually work with you (ibkr is best iirc, Schwab can also work). Pretending to "exist" at a relatives house for your bank may be living on borrowed time, though in practice it is possible to do for years if one leaves. Newcomers can't open a bank account with US citizenship if they're non residents (again, except for a few brokerages). > You and your children have the right to return if you ever desire it. Why should I pay for the option to do so? Why not do like every other country and pay if I actually exercise the option and return (and pay taxes)? Just like every other country (except Eritrea and North Korea, but do we want to be in the same camp as them?).
- sidewndr46 2y ago
  As others have pointed out, this is far from correct. If you have a US bank account and they find out your residence has moved to another country they are very likely to close the account immediately.
  - cm2012 2y ago
    I have US citizen contractors right now who live abroad that I pay into their legal US bank accounts for years now.
dgfitz 2y ago
[flagged]

SilasX 2y ago

So why does no other country in the world do it then?

sangnoir 2y ago
Perhaps because no other country goes to the same lengths to help its citizens abroad in times of trouble. When there's geopolitical trouble brewing, it not uncommon for other nationalities to take advantage of American evacuations. Few countries come close the US in leveraging intelligence and logistics to help citizens; France is probably #2.
- gopher_space 2y ago
  Let’s suppose I travel for business and am not a teenager working through power fantasies. What’s in it for me if my concerns are not childish?
- bwb 2y ago
  You know the usa bills people for evacuating them right :)? https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/emergencies/for-evacuated-citizens.html#:~:text=The%20Department%20enforces%20the%20law,for%20evacuation%20to%20different%20destinations https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-tra.... Also, read up on Americans stuck in Gaza with no way out.
  - actionfromafar 2y ago
    "It limits the reimbursement to the cost of a reasonable commercial airfare."
    - bwb 2y ago
      How kind of them :)
      - actionfromafar 2y ago
        I just mentioned it because the real cost must be much, much higher in many cases, and I imagined being on the hook for a million dollars.

tway_GdBRwW 2y ago

US citizen and long-time expat calling bullshit on this. That's not the purpose of taxes and that's not how citizenship works in any other country except North Korea. Looking at the list of "benefits" another person posted: > The rights your passport gives you Are no different than the rights an EU passport gives you, except when entering the US-- but then again, an EU passport gives you better rights when entering the EU, so this is not an exclusive. > + the legal and embassy protections given to American citizens. Like the American civilians held in Russia that Biden recently traded Russian spies for. Note that the US doesn't have jurisdiction outside of US territory, so it cannot give legal protection and explicitly embassies do not give legal advice. Yes, there may sometimes be trades like above, but on the other hand, if the US prisoners were not US people, they probably would not have been jailed by the Russians in the first place. > You still have access to vote absentee, Voting is a responsibility, not a benefit. >as well as collect social security benefits. Wrong-o! You only get social security benefits you have paid for. If you are living outside of the US, you are not contributing to soc. security. > You can use US bank accounts and other institutions. So can non-citizens. US bank accounts do not require citizenship. Nor does owning real estate. Nor forming companies. You and your children have the right to return if you ever desire it.

youngtaff 2y ago
As a US citizen, the US will send in the seals to rescue you from kidnappers, so you will get some benefits
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- fakedang 2y ago
  As a US citizen, you're more likely to be captured by kidnappers and terrorists too. Real benefits there.
- lhopki01 2y ago
  Not sure why US citizens believe this. I've been in situations where there was genuine peril and the look of shock the US citizens had when someone from their embassy said the only thing they'd do is organize a convoy of private vehicles if everyone turned up at x time and place. They really expected the US army to turn up to save them. Honestly I don't think I've seen the US do any more than any other western country for their citizens in these situations.