Absurdity Part I

 IF ALL COUNTRIES ACTED LIKE THE U.S.

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Sven Carlson was born in Sweden but when he was 12 he moved to the US because his father had a professorship at Harvard. He went to Harvard and graduated from Harvard medical school. He decided to stay in the U.S. and set up a medical practice in Lincoln, MA with three other gynecologists.

Regina Schmitz grew up in Germany and studied anthropology at Tübingen University. She did a junior year abroad going to Boston University. Because of her interests and a special program she continued there thru her doctorate.

Friends introduced her to Sven Carlson. They married and had a son whom they named Thomas because the name worked in all three countries. thomas was American by birth and Swedish and German thru his parents.

The couple took American nationality. The family seldom went back to their home countries. Their families were either in the U.S. or died and they had put down new roots.

However, Germany and Sweden decided to drop the Residence Based Tax System (RBTS) and go to a Citizen Based Tax System (CBTS). Thus every cent the couple earned was taxed in all three countries although neither received any services from either Sweden or Germany, never went there, never intended to go there, but it was declared their patriotic duty

Their son had never been to either Sweden or Germany. He had not been registered as either German or Swedish, but like the U.S. both countries declared Sven a citizen of their respective countries. Thus for his entire life Sven must pay taxes on every cent he earns in all three countries because he was the child of citizens of those countries.

Jason and Angie MacKenzie lived in Japan for a year. He worked for a Japanese electronics company and they wanted him to spent time in Japan to better understand the corporate culture. While they were there, their daughter Tiffany was born. When the family returned to the U.S. the company kept their visa open. Japan at one time had RBTS but decided like the U.S. to tax anyone who had a visa even if they were no longer in Japan.


The Carlsons and the MacKenzies are not real people. And Japan, Sweden and Germany practice a RBTS. Sweden and German do not automatically troll for additional citizens whose connection to their country is tenuous.

Does this sound absurd to anyone but me?

Now read Absurdity Part II what happened to Thomas and Tiffany.