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In reply to the discussion: Bernie Sanders: Here is What Could Be Fixed by the Taxes on Apple's Offshored Profits [View all]KansDem
(28,498 posts)...because the IRS wanted him to pay taxes on money earned while working and living in a foreign country.
He traveled to Switzerland in 1979 as a street musician and stayed, attending school and eventually teaching music and ESL. He met a woman and they lived together. Then several years ago they wanted to buy a house and applied for a loan. During the loan process, the IRS was notified about his living and working in Switzerland and he was contacted to pay taxes during the years he lived and worked there. The amount was around $100,000. He managed to pay it as a "pre-inheritance" from his parents.
As he explained it to me, the USA is the only country that taxes its citizens living and working abroad. If he had to pay US taxes, how can these US companies make billions and not pay a cent to the IRS?
He underwent the long process of obtaining Swiss citizenship and renounced his American citizen at the US embassy in Bern last year. He was very happy.