I'm not. Haven't in over a decade, have no plans to ever do so again, currently pursuing a career path that AFAIK is not easily portable between countries and especially not portable to the United States. If I *were* living there I wouldn't be tempted by this: having U.S. citizenship wouldn't be a problem if I also had U.S. *residency*, because then I would have easy access to American forms of investment, and wouldn't have to be careful not to run afoul of laws restricting foreign investments.
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>>I'm sure you've considered the legalities to a far greater extent than I have.<<
I haven't previously let myself consider the legalities because I thought I couldn't afford it (the price is *much* higher if you have a net worth of $2mil or more or made an average of >$160k/year for the last five years, and since renunciation tends to be a Rich People Thing the stuff I'd previously heard about renunciation was aimed at them and didn't clarify that most people would have an easier time), but I probably *could* manage $2,300. This post is me wondering if maybe I *should* think it through in detail, and how to even go about thinking it through in detail when things like "what if future-me's life takes an unexpected turn such that it becomes a good idea to move back to the United States" seem very hard to quantify. I'm still fairly young, after all: there are many opportunities left for unexpected turns to occur.
(also one of the more likely unexpected turns is that I end up becoming a U.S. tax preparer specialising in [U.S. citizens living in Canada], which probably *would* be a pretty portable-to-the-US job, plus maybe Form 8621s are less terrifying if you already fill them out for a living, and come to think of it I wouldn't be surprised if the process of becoming one involves spending some time in the United States)
(The trouble with RRSPs, upon reflection, is that once you *withdraw* money from them you can never put that money back (with a couple exceptions for certain kinds of home and school purchases). I'm not financially stable enough to really be able to tie up money for decades: I need a liquid investment, even if it means getting 2.3% instead of 4%.)
no subject
I'm not. Haven't in over a decade, have no plans to ever do so again, currently pursuing a career path that AFAIK is not easily portable between countries and especially not portable to the United States. If I *were* living there I wouldn't be tempted by this: having U.S. citizenship wouldn't be a problem if I also had U.S. *residency*, because then I would have easy access to American forms of investment, and wouldn't have to be careful not to run afoul of laws restricting foreign investments.
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>>I'm sure you've considered the legalities to a far greater extent than I have.<<
I haven't previously let myself consider the legalities because I thought I couldn't afford it (the price is *much* higher if you have a net worth of $2mil or more or made an average of >$160k/year for the last five years, and since renunciation tends to be a Rich People Thing the stuff I'd previously heard about renunciation was aimed at them and didn't clarify that most people would have an easier time), but I probably *could* manage $2,300. This post is me wondering if maybe I *should* think it through in detail, and how to even go about thinking it through in detail when things like "what if future-me's life takes an unexpected turn such that it becomes a good idea to move back to the United States" seem very hard to quantify. I'm still fairly young, after all: there are many opportunities left for unexpected turns to occur.
(also one of the more likely unexpected turns is that I end up becoming a U.S. tax preparer specialising in [U.S. citizens living in Canada], which probably *would* be a pretty portable-to-the-US job, plus maybe Form 8621s are less terrifying if you already fill them out for a living, and come to think of it I wouldn't be surprised if the process of becoming one involves spending some time in the United States)
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P.S. See this post for more on me struggling not to end up on the IRS's shitlist.
(The trouble with RRSPs, upon reflection, is that once you *withdraw* money from them you can never put that money back (with a couple exceptions for certain kinds of home and school purchases). I'm not financially stable enough to really be able to tie up money for decades: I need a liquid investment, even if it means getting 2.3% instead of 4%.)