Hello …

I am a Toronto-based dual-citizen lawyer. I have lived in Canada for almost all of my life. I understand the realities and problems of dual-citizenship and citizenship-based taxation. I am happy to work with “US Persons” (US citizens or Green Card holders)  who reside in any part of the world. (Green card holders are subject to the same tax obligations as US citizens.)

I offer “fee based”  counseling services to help you solve your problems of US citizenship.  I will sit down with you, understand your “fact situation”, and make recommendations that are appropriate to your situation.

We will begin by making a determination of whether you are a “US Person” for the purposes of US tax laws. Sounds crazy, but I have seen people who are no longer US Persons behave as though they are. If you are NOT a U.S person for tax purposes you do NOT need to come into tax compliance. Given the implementation of FATCA, you may wish to explore getting a CLN (“Certificate of Loss of Nationality”).

Assuming you are a U.S. citizen, we will  consider whether relinquishing US Citizenship is a sensible option for you (it will solve your problems prospectively but will not cure past problems). If you wish to relinquish your US citizenship, we will explore when and how to do this. If you wish to remain a U.S. citizen we will explore how to engage in financial planning as a U.S. citizen. The price of U.S. citizenship is that you will NOT have the financial planning opportunities available to non-U.S. citizens.

Whatever course of action you choose,  I will help you decide on “your best road” to  come into tax compliance.  I will help you retain the right professionals to do the actual compliance work. (It is getting more and more difficult to find people who are competent to do U.S. Tax work.)

In other words:

I will help you construct a “plan of attack”, to guide you through what is certainly a traumatic and difficult time in your life.  I will help you get your life back!

Why you should consider “fee based counseling” …

To put it simply: “cross-border professionals” are making a lot of money by using a “one size fits all approach” to compliance. Often this “one size fits all approach” includes the recommendation that people enter the “Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program” or “Streamlined Compliance”. For most people,  OVDP is not appropriate.  Tax professionals can make a lot of money by encouraging entry into OVDP and guiding people through the process.

When it comes to important life decisions, many people will  “second opinion“. I recommend that you seek a “first opinion” from somebody who will:

– understand your specific history and factual situation;

– help you decide how to proceed in solving your difficulties;

– give you objective advice, by identifying a number of options,  and helping you weigh those options;

People use “fee-based” financial counseling because they don’t want the financial planner to have a financial interest in the products they purchase. Here is your opportunity for “fee-based” compliance counseling from somebody who does not have a financial interest in the option you choose.

I encourage you to spend some time exploring the information on this site. Obviously it is not advice (legal or any other kind). But, it will alert you to a number of the issues at stake. As difficult as the problems appear to be, I believe that we can put these problems behind you!

You can schedule an appointment or meet me at one of my “Solving the problems of U.S. citizenship” information sessions.

J. Richardson