Comments on: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell – US Dual Citizenship

By: alex sagen

alex sagen — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 05:09:24 +0000

Hi Greg:
I’m a naturalized french citizen with 2 passports and I agree with you, it is n’t that difficult to get what you need in France as far as admin is concerned, people who have not been there for extended periods of time cannot believe this or imagine it. I spent 22 years there and now live in Asia.
Best wishes to you.
By the way, I have a vacation home in Nice and I know the town where you have property, a very quaint place to retire to!! Bravo!
LMF

By: alex sagen

alex sagen — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 05:06:30 +0000

I have been a naturaized French citizen for 22 years and after living in France for 17 years, and never declaring any income taxes in the US (I never even made a declaration of any kind), I went back to the US and immediatley got a full-time job and went into the work force as if I had never left the country. I went back to France after 7 years and immediately picked up where I left off then, with no problems whatsoever.
I use my French passport at all times when traveling for security reasons, whether I go to the US or anywhere else, i just speak French and have never had a problem. I was told that I must use my american passport for traveling to and from the US, but I just told them I will not abide by that rule for security reasons. They never said anything back to me…
I now live in Asia and after such a logn time overseas, I don’t even consider myself an ex pat, I never want to live in America again, so the “pat” part of ex pat does not apply to me, I am not a patriot of that country anymore since Bush. I consider myself a citizen of Asia and I try to involve my nationality (ies) as little as possible with people on a daily basis. I find it quite irrelevent.
Cheers to all.
I have a myriad of experience and background concerning France, Europe and Asia, please don’t hesitate to contact me by email for any information that you might need.
Peace and Love

By: Bryan

Bryan — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:19:47 +0000

Mostly. Some taxes are creditable, some taxes are not. E.g. income taxes are creditable, asset taxes are not creditable. The determination of how much taxable income you have will be different between the US and the non-US country. Foreign currency gains and losses will not likely be the same. Investment income will be taxed differently. Non-US taxes on US “source” income will not be creditable. etc. As usual, the devil is in the details.

By: Greg

Greg — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:47:25 +0000

I own a second home in Aveyron, where I plan to retire. Perhaps it is that very fact–that I own real property–but I have had no problems opening bank accounts, securing insurance, registering a car, acquiring credit cards, or initiating various services (including cellular, satellite television, and Internet). Still, I would like to read more about the “lengthy, unwieldy process” of obtaining “la carte de séjour,” as my stays in France to date have not exceeded two months, and I plan to move more or less permanently next spring.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:39:28 +0000

The assertion that foreign income by American citizens is subject to double taxation is not correct. The IRS code provides that the taxes paid to a foreign country on income in that country is allowed as a credit on the tax that the US imposes.