When I was born (1976) they did not automatically assign SSNs to kids (according to my mother). I guess that's not the case now. I only lived there for a few years and I gather I am a US citizen by birth. I don't wish to renounce that fact, in case it is some advantage down the road.
I have i...
You need to determine if you are officially recorded as a US Citizen. Citizen ≠ having a SSN. If you are a citizen and have your birth certificate, you can take it to a social security office in the states (maybe an embassy if you are in Canada) and get a card.
@jferr: "You need to determine if you are officially recorded as a US Citizen." There is no such thing as being "officially recorded as a U.S. citizen". There is no official register of U.S. citizens. And some U.S. citizens are not known to the U.S. government. It makes no legal difference whether they are or not.
@Rocky well, I don't know what happens if my profile "expires". It is telling me I have to update it by the 8th. No idea what happens if I don't.
@littleadv You're wrong. I wouldn't owe any taxes or penalties. There are treaties in place. Yes, it appears I was supposed to be filing every year (but seriously... how is someone that left when they were FIVE supposed to know that?) but the sum owed would have always been zero since I paid my taxes in Canada. I've read a lot tonight and it seems that a lot of people have been in my shoes that wanted to move back to the US, and they "simply" (yeah right) have to file a return for the previous X years... pay nothing and they're good to go. Difference is, I'm not planning on moving.
@bcsteeve I'm not wrong. You'll owe penalties for not filing, you'll owe taxes on your RRSP because you didn't file exemption forms. Good luck. Many people haven't been caught, but some have. Wait till your banks start refusing service to you and you assets become frozen all of a sudden, don't start crying then.
Re "fake" SSN: that article complains about many companies wanting/using SSN when they have no legal need for it, and (justifiably) suggests giving those a fake. But financial accounts and investments that are even potentially US taxable do have a legal requirement for SSN (or applicable other TIN) and if you give them a fake it will get caught in about a year and the IRS will impose "backup" withholding on you -- as well as probably recording you as a suspected nonreporter/nonfiler, making them more likely to investigate you. ...
... @littleadv with FEI exclusion (and foreign tax credit) OP likely should owe no or very little US income tax, so FTF and FTP penalties could well be zero. But agree about RRSP, plus other assets under FATCA. IRS has now run several Overseas Voluntary Disclosure programs which reduce the penalties if you begin reporting "missing" accounts, and I think I remember seeing provision there for RRSP. If you (OP) try OVDP and have trouble, ask for referral to the Taxpayer Advocate Service; this has recently been an area of emphasis for them. ...
... and last, while renouncing your US citizenship may or not be a good idea for other reasons offtopic here, it is not a good way to "escape" existing tax liability. There is actually additional reporting and tax specifically to prevent or discourage that; see irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Expatriation-Tax . Sorry for your difficulty and good luck.
@dave_thompson_085 sometimes ignorance is not a bliss. Penalty for not filing an FBAR, for example, can be $10K per accountper year. When the avoidance is willful (like in the case of the OP) it can be even higher. Just an example of a form he has likely not filed but was required to.
@littleadv you ARE wrong. The information isn't that hard to look up. I would not owe anything. And nothing is "willful" - you're just being antagonistic. RRSP, for example, is specifically excluded in FATCA. I had no idea I was supposed to be filing anything all these years. Why would I? Were you born with an imprint on your arm that told you what your tax obligations to your birth country was? Do I also belong in a military prison for not subjecting myself to a potential draft? I was a kid for Pete's sake.
bcsteeve, you're on the right track. You should ignore the inflammatory comments here. It's not an uncommon situation and the example the IRS gives for compliance (born in US, moved away when 5 years old) describes your situation perfectly. You won't owe anything, just have to deal with the paperwork.
@bcsteeve I'm not wrong. RRSP is excluded in FATCA, but not excluded in IRC. You must pay taxes on gains in RRSP unless you explicitly ask to exempt it by filing a form. Which you didn't. So its taxable in the US for you. Why would you? Because that's the law. You can complain all you want, but not knowing the law of the country you're a citizen of is never an excuse for breaking laws.
@Roky you're plain wrong and you're misleading the OP. There are numerous cases of people in the exact same situation who ended up paying a lot of money in fines because they thought like you did - ignoring the problem would make it go away.
@littleadv I have no idea if its OK to make this request, but here goes: please stop posting. It is obvious you're just trying to provoke. You're making sweeping judgements and assumptions and it really is no help at all. It is also clear you don't understand the situation. Claiming I "must pay taxes on gains in RRSP" shows this. Gains in an RRSP are taxed... in Canada, where I would pay the tax and 100% offset any tax "owed" in your foreign nation. Again, only the US (and some little African nation) claim to tax foreign nationals based on where they happened to be born.
@bcsteeve I'm trying to warn you. I didn't make any assumptions, all I said is based on facts. You chose to ignore them - your problem. But I know, from first hand experience, what I'm talking about. You can continue to listen to people telling you to close your eyes and hope the problem will disappear - but guess what: it will not.
As to your rants about the US - you're the citizen of that country and as such are obliged to follow the laws. You don't like it - take a trip to the nearest consulate and renounce your citizenship.
Oh come on... "facts"? Of course it was assumptions. YOU brought up RRSP, not me. Do I have an RRSP? You assumed I did. YOU said I'd owe money. Nope, only if I made over the threshold. More assumptions. You assumed "wilful" acts on my part. Up until now I had no idea I had any "obligations" at all to this foreign nation. And about these obligations... says who? If Syria passed a law stating anyone posting on the Internet with the word "little" in their name would be a citizen and told you that you owed money, would YOU feel obligated? ONLY TWO nations in the WORLD operate like this
Discussion on question by bcsteeve: I…
Discussion on question by bcsteeve: I…