Tag Archives: William Smith

The S. 877A "Dual Citizen" exemption: The 1947 Canada Citizenship Act and being "born Canadian"

Introduction:
This is the 5th of seven posts analyzing the “dual citizen exemption” to the S. 877A Exit Tax which is found in S. 877A(g)(1)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code. Please remember that the “dual citizen exemption” is available ONLY to those who meet the “five year tax compliance test”.
1. What is the S. 877A(g)(1)(B) “dual citizen exemption” and why does it encourage those “born dual citizens” to not renounce U.S. citizenship?
2. The history of Canada’s citizenship laws: Did the 1947 Canada Citizenship Act affirm citizenship or “strip” citizenship and create @LostCanadians?
3. The S. 877A “dual citizen” exemption – I was born before the first ever Canada Citizenship Act? Could I have been “born a Canadian citizen”?
4. The S. 877A “Dual Citizen” exemption: The 1947 Canada Citizenship Act – Am I still a Canadian or did I lose Canadian citizenship? (The “Sins Of The Father”)
5. The S. 877A “Dual Citizen” exemption: The 1947 Canada Citizenship Act and the requirements to be “born Canadian
6. “The S. 877A “Dual Citizen” exemption: I was born a dual citizen! Am I still “taxed as a resident” of Canada?
7. The S. 877A “Dual Citizen” exemption: “MUST certify tax compliance for the five years prior to relinquishment
 
Bubblebustin, comments at the Isaac Brock Society:

Being a non-resident US citizen is never about making good decisions for one self – it’s about making the least-worst ones. The fact that I will never be subjected to the US exit tax as long as I remain US tax compliant may reduce the urgency to renounce, but also gives me one other thing to consider when making those least-worst decisions.
Interesting that Canada amended its Citizenship Act in 2009 to allow more people to claim Canadian citizenship partially in response to the Canadian border baby passport crisis in 2007:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/border-babies-face-fight-for-canadian-citizenship-1.656376
…and the same year the HEART Act became effective.
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