Renouncing US citizenship, left long ago

[sriracha]

I acquired US citizenship back in the 90s, as a dual citizen of Germany, but have since left (15 years now), never was there again, and I don’t plan on traveling there again.

Currently:

- I don’t own anything in the US in any form (bank accounts, real estate…)
- when in the States, I was a regular employee, making average wages, and I regularly filed my taxes, also I don’t own any back taxes
- in Europe, I am a regular employee making average wages
- I never filed from Germany to be FATCA compliant, too much of a pain in the a*s and I didn’t see the point since I don’t want to go back

I want to renounce my US citizenship now. I suppose that I should do a final tax filing or something like that, but not having been FATCA compliant could become a large annoyance (collecting 15 years of tax filings, I don’t even know where I put them), finding an American accountant…
I also read somewhere that the act of renouncing citizenship is separate from the final tax filing, and the consulate will let you renounce independently from filing.
Should I not simply renounce and not do the filing?

 

[wellington]

You could be indicted… probably best to just die as an American that hasn’t filed and hope they don’t target you… otherwise David Lesperance is the guy to speak to

 

[jafo]

I acquired US citizenship back in the 90s, as a dual citizen of Germany, but have since left (15 years now), never was there again, and I don’t plan on traveling there again.

Currently:

- I don’t own anything in the US in any form (bank accounts, real estate…)
- when in the States, I was a regular employee, making average wages, and I regularly filed my taxes, also I don’t own any back taxes
- in Europe, I am a regular employee making average wages
- I never filed from Germany to be FATCA compliant, too much of a pain in the a*s and I didn’t see the point since I don’t want to go back

I want to renounce my US citizenship now. I suppose that I should do a final tax filing or something like that, but not having been FATCA compliant could become a large annoyance (collecting 15 years of tax filings, I don’t even know where I put them), finding an American accountant…
I also read somewhere that the act of renouncing citizenship is separate from the final tax filing, and the consulate will let you renounce independently from filing.
Should I not simply renounce and not do the filing?

Let sleeping dogs lie.

 

[peter taradash]

IMO, "let sleeping dogs lie" is excellent advice. From what you say, you are a very small fish. Nobody is going to be chasing you for simple incomplete or non-filing. As you owe no taxes; Renouncing might just put you on the radar. As long as you are not going back and won't be using the passport, you have already disappeared ... You might as well continue to be invisible and forgotten. A low profile is what you already have. Don't renounce. Peter Taradash.