"Margot found herself in the lobby of the consulate in Ghent, Belgium. One wall was covered by a picture of Boston Harbour, where she was born. The other had three portraits: Donald Trump, JD Vance and Marco Rubio, their faces glistening to her mind, with sadistic triumph."
"In the 00s, the numbers of US citizens renouncing were in the hundreds annually; since 2014, they've been in the thousands. This is expected to be a bumper year (matching 2020's 6,000-plus) because the US government's charges... have been reduced from $2,350 to $450."
"Neither figure comes close to the true cost of renouncing if you get a lawyer, which, with no complications at all, will cost $7,000 to $10,000, says Alexander Marino, who heads Moody's, the largest renunciation law practice in the world."
Margot was unable to renounce her US citizenship in the UK due to a 14-month waiting list. She traveled to Ghent, Belgium, where the process felt impersonal. The number of US citizens renouncing their citizenship has increased significantly since 2014, with a projected rise in 2023 due to reduced government fees. The true cost of renouncing, including legal fees, can reach $10,000. Many Americans consider renouncing due to various personal reasons, including dissatisfaction with their home country.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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