If it stopped at taxing as-yet unrealised capital gains, I don't think anyone would label it "egregious". That would sort-of match what some other countries do. However, the US had to far exceed this.So whereas you say the tax is egregious, LSE academics say to not have one "incentivises successful businesspeople to emigrate to save tax".
Where it gains that label is by immediately taxing retirement savings, things that will be taxed by the other country a second time on withdrawals (so double-tax), and its flat 40% tax on gifts and bequests made to any US persons after exiting, which captures money made both before and perhaps decades after leaving the US tax net (so double or triple-tax).
The US exit tax incentivises green card holders to leave the US before reaching the "in eight years" exit tax test. It dissuades successful nonresident aliens from moving to the US in the first place. And its gift tax provision incentivises whole families to expatriate together, so that family money can pass to (now, non-US) children without facing 40% US tax on receipt.
Statistics: Posted by TedSwippet — Sat Nov 23, 2024 2:49 am — Replies 41 — Views 3795