追稅 550萬海外美國人想棄籍 deVere Survey: 73 Percent of Americans Overseas Consider Dropping Citizenship
Johnson Choi-1008 12/22 32895.0/1
追稅 550萬海外美國人想棄籍 deVere Survey: 73 Percent of Americans Overseas Consider Dropping Citizenship
最新民調顯示，將近四分之三、即逾550萬旅居海外的美國人，有意放棄美國籍。而美國護照不再受到青睞的主因，則在於當局為防堵美國人在國外逃漏稅，而實施的「肥咖條款」。 這項由著名獨立金融諮詢機構deVere Group完成的民調發現，73%居住海外的美國人，有意放棄美國護照。
由於目前估計約760萬名美國人旅居海外，73%的比率即相當於554萬8000人考慮繳回美國護照。 民調指出，如果這些考慮放棄國籍的海外美國人最後都付諸行動，則將是歷來放棄美國籍的最大一股浪潮。
事實上，「聯邦公報」(Federal Register)的資料顯示，國稅局(IRS)在實施俗稱肥咖條款的「外國帳戶稅務遵行法」(FATCA)之後，放棄美國籍的人數即大幅增加39%。 這份民調明白指出，FATCA為海外美國人放棄國籍人數驟增的元兇。
FATCA是出自於備受爭議的稅務規定，因為美國的稅法規定，公民以及持有綠卡的永久居民，不論居住在何處，都必須申報在全球各地的收入。 該民調是向400名旅居海外的美國人進行調查的結果；其中73%受訪者表示，已考慮或正考慮放棄美國籍，僅16%未考慮，另有11%表示不知道。 deVere Group創辦人和執行長格林表示：「將近四分之三海外美國人表示準備或已考慮放棄美國公民身分，是一個警訊。」
(By Dan Weil 10/29/14:Money News) Americans living overseas apparently aren’t too pleased with the July 1 tightening of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) to ensure payment of taxes on income garnered abroad by Americans. And many of them are at least considering renunciation of their U.S. citizenship as a result, according to a new survey provided to Moneynews.
A total of 73 percent of 416 expatriate clients of financial advisory firm deVere Group said in September they have either “actively considered it,” “are thinking about it” or “have explored the options of it.” Extrapolating the data to the estimated 7.6 million Americans living abroad, that means nearly 5.6 million Americans might give up their U.S. passports.
The number of Americans who have renounced their citizenship soared 39 percent in the third quarter from the same quarter last year after the introduction of the tighter rules, according to the Federal Register. The survey results are “alarming,” Nigel Green, CEO of deVere Group, said in a statement. “It is our experience that most Americans are extremely saddened at the prospect of giving up their U.S. citizenship to avoid the harsh implications of a new and utterly flawed tax law. . . . FATCA’s reporting requirements are excessively onerous, burdensome and expensive.” Others share Green’s view. “What is really driving Americans to expatriate is not that they do not want to pay taxes,” David Kuenzi, founder of Thum Financial Advisors, told CNBC. “What is driving them crazy is that now filling out tax returns is much more complicated. It requires tremendous work in terms of tax-record keeping and then it can cost thousands of dollars to get a competent person to fill it out.”
