IRS Rules Push Overseas Americans To Renounce Citizenship

Intrusive red tape is a huge barrier to banking and business

In 2005, Richard Morrison made a major life change. He moved from the sunny climate of San Diego to the chillier environs of London. It was a good move for his career and allowed him to climb the corporate ladder to where he is today, a legal counsel for an energy investment firm.

But now he's ready to make another life change: Morrison plans to ditch his American passport and become a British citizen. It's not because Morrison, 37, loves the London fog, but because his Yankee credentials will soon bring the Internal Revenue Service's gaze where it's unwanted: his workplace.