Taxation without Representation...Exit Tax

This was one of our first founding father's statement or mantra that ended the reign and the sell off of England by the pound. Today's title represents just how far we have NOT come in the past 250 years.

The U.S. has always tried to keep the slaves on the "Plantation". Throughout the 1600's, 1700's, even on past the 1860's and emancipation, on through the 1960's, to today the worlds most powerful international families have set a highly orchestrated agenda to keep the facade of freedom while hording the funds. Well, this may well be the icing on the cake.

Some people say that if you don't like what happening here, then leave. Well, it may not be that simple any longer. I came across some interesting information lately as I begin to plan ahead. I have been saying that if McCain wins in Nov. I will be ready to leave...I don't know if I can take it any more...

However...just when they know that I am thinking this, they throw in this one!!

The United States is the only major country on the planet that taxes citizens on their worldwide income, no matter where those citizens happen to live. It's not like that everywhere else. If you were born in England, Ireland, Japan, or almost any other country, all you need to do to avoid the obligation to pay tax on your worldwide income is leave. The money you make outside of your home country can be tax exempt. Why not just move somewhere else. Want to stop paying taxes? Simply pick up and move again. Then after an extended period, sometime around a year or so, you no longer have any obligation to pay taxes on your income outside that country. There may be some taxes such as a gift tax or estate tax.

No longer in the good ole' United State. In order to permanently remove yourself from U.S. tax obligations, one must not only leave the United States, but also take the radical step of giving up U.S. citizenship. This process (from a U.S. standpoint) is called expatriation. The income tax savings from expatriation can be huge. But, of course, this is only for truly wealthy U.S. citizens, and the biggest savings from expatriation come after they die.

In fact, the tax savings makes a wealthy U.S. expat as fortunate as wealthy foreigners when it comes to estate taxes. To dissect this we will look at an Irish citizen died this year after relocating to Italy two years ago. After living outside Ireland at the time of death, the US$1 billion estate pays zero gift and estate tax for all bequests outside of Ireland.

Now, let's say a U.S. person died with a US$1 billion estate this year, after relocating to Hong Kong back in 2000. Even though this wealthy businessman lived and died outside the U.S., his estate would still have to pay a maximum combined gift and estate tax burden exceeding US$450 million.

The arithmetic is nearly as compelling for smaller estates. An entrepreneur with a US$20 million estate could save over US$8 million in estate and gift taxes by giving up U.S. citizenship.

However, the image of wealthy former U.S. citizens living tax-free in tropical paradises is an irresistible populist target. The result has been a series of increasingly stringent laws that penalize U.S. citizens who give up their U.S. citizenship with "tax avoidance" as a principal purpose. Leave the USA, Pay an "Exit Tax"

Congress has amended these "anti-expatriation" provisions once again in a new bill. Both houses approved the bill unanimously, and sent it to President Bush for his signature.

The primary purpose of the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008 is to provide a range of tax breaks for veterans. But the law also imposes the first-ever "exit tax" on even moderately wealthy expatriates. Mark Nestmann, a wealth preservation and tax consultant and President of The Nestmann Group, predicted Congress could pass an exit tax bill like this over a year ago, and now they have.

Once President Bush signs this bill, the law will require future expatriates to pay a tax on all unrealized gains of their worldwide estate, including most offshore trusts. And the tax applies not only to former U.S. citizens, but also to long-term green card holders who have resided in the United States for at least eight of the 15 years before they expatriate. (Fortunately, long-term residents can "opt out" of the exit tax, as I'll explain in a moment.)

How are you supposed to pay the tax without selling your assets? That's your problem, although the bill permits deferral in certain circumstances, but either way, the IRS doesn't care. Needless to say you don't need to be "rich" to pay the "exit tax".

It would be one thing if the exit tax only affected billionaires. But, with only a few exceptions for dual nationals and others with strong ties to another country, the law applies to any expatriate that:

1. Has an average annual net income tax liability that exceeds US$139,000 adjusted annually for inflation for the five preceding years ending before the date you lose your U.S. citizenship or terminate your residency

2. Has a net worth of US$2 million or more on such date

3. Fails to certify under penalty of perjury that he or she has complied with all U.S. federal tax obligations for the preceding five years or fails to submit any proof of compliance the IRS demands

If you qualify under any of these criteria, you may be subject to the exit tax. The good news, if there is any, is that the first US$600,000 of gains is excluded. This exclusion doubles to US$1.2 million for a married couple filing jointly, when both expatriate. This exclusion will increase by a cost of living adjustment factor after 2008.

Gains will be calculated "mark-to-market," or the difference between the market value on the expatriation date and the market value at acquisition. Expatriates who were not born in the United States may elect to value their property at its fair market value on the date they first became a U.S.resident, rather than when they first acquired it.

This phantom gain will presumably be taxed as ordinary income (at rates as high as 35%) or capital gains (at either a 15%, 25%, or 28% rate), as provided under current law. When you actually sell the assets, you won't have to pay any additional taxes. However, your adopted country might tax the gain a second time, leading to double taxation on the same income.

Now for the really bad news. Once you expatriate, you'll pay up to a 51% tax on distributions from retirement plans. The same goes for most other forms of deferred payments. If there's a silver lining, it's that the tax isn't due until you actually receive payments from the plan.

Plans covered by this provision include:

* Qualified pension, profit sharing and stock bonus plans
* Qualified annuity plans
* Federal pension plans
* Simplified employee pension plans
* Simplified retirement accounts

The IRS imposes this extra 51% tax on these plans in two steps. First of all, the entity that makes the payment (like your pension fund) must withhold a 30% tax from any distributions to a "covered expatriate." That entity must also withhold a second 30% tax for payments to a "non-resident alien individual." Applying these two taxes sequentially equals a 51% net tax.

Similar rules (but with some added complexities) apply for distributions from non-grantor trusts. These are trusts where the expatriate isn't even treated as the trust's owner under the grantor trust rules.

Your individual retirement account is NOT eligible for this treatment. If you're a "covered expatriate," you must pay income tax on the entire value of the plan, as if you received it in a lump sum. (Fortunately, no "early distribution" tax applies if you're under age 59 1/2.)

You'd think the United States would encourage wealthy foreigners to make payments to persons in the United States. After all, any beneficiaries in the U.S. would presumably spend that money on U.S. goods and services.

But if you're a covered expatriate, and you make a gift or bequest to a U.S. person 10, 15, or even 50 years after your expatriation, the recipient must withhold tax at the highest marginal gift or estate tax rate that applies. Exactly how much tax you pay depends on the amount of gift or estate tax paid to a foreign country with respect to that gift or bequest.

Can you avoid the tax? Perhaps...If your net worth is only a little over US$2 million (US$4 million for a married couple expatriating at the same time), the most obvious way to avoid the exit tax is to spend enough money to get your net worth under these thresholds. This could actually be fun, too. Take a trip around the world. Blow some money in Las Vegas. Throw a really big party.

You can also contribute your excess funds to a qualified charity, or give away up to US$1 million over your lifetime to anyone else without triggering a gift tax liability.

If you've paid more than an average of US$139,000 annually for the previous five years, however, this strategy won't work. And if you don't have sufficient cash to pay the exit tax, your best option may be to elect to defer payment. You'll pay interest for the period tax is deferred, and you may be required to post a bond with the Treasury Department.

Fortunately, you can make this election (which is irrevocable) on a property-by-property basis. For instance, it appears as if you could pay the exit tax on all assets outside your IRA, and defer it for the assets in the IRA.

If you weren't born in the United States, you have a couple of additional options.

* If you were born with citizenship both in the United States and another country, you may not be subject to the exit tax. To qualify for this exemption, when you expatriate, you must also be a citizen of another country (and taxed by another country), and not been a U.S. resident for more than 10 years during the 15-year period prior to your expatriation.
* If you're a green card holder, you can opt out of the exit tax. To do so, you must become resident for tax purposes in a foreign country that has a tax treaty with the United States. You must also inform the IRS of your intention not to waive the benefits of the tax treaty applicable to that country.

The bottom line: with the exit tax, Congress has made the most significant change to the anti-expatriation rules since their inception in 1966. In doing so, the IRS has sent wealthy U.S. citizens and long-term residents a clear message: You're slaves on our plantation. And if you want to exercise your right to leave, you'll pay dearly for the privilege.

Is expatriation for you? The decision to give up U.S. citizenship is a serious one. It requires that you obtain a passport from another country, leave the United States permanently, and set up residence in a suitable jurisdiction. It's a step you should take only after consulting with your family and professional advisors. But it's the only way that U.S. citizens and long-term residents can eliminate U.S. tax liability on their non-U.S. income, wherever they live. And it's a tax avoidance option that Congress has now made much more difficult.

What is next on the agenda?


This entry is heavily drawn with information and context from Mark Nestmann, a wealth preservation and tax consultant and President of The Nestmann Group, for the Sovereign Society.