Tina Turner found the peace she was looking for when she decided to renounce her US citizenship.
Following the news of Tina Turner's death at the age of 83, people in the affluent town of Küsnacht, near Zurich, showed their sympathies by laying flowers and candles before the couple's lakeside villa rental, called "Chateau Algonquin".
She was first drawn to Switzerland because of its reputation for discretion, reflected in this modest homage. Essentially, the ability to live a normal life. Tina Turner was able to live a fairly regular life in Switzerland, free from the demands of the public eye. She found peace and pride among the Swiss, in contrast to her turbulent existence in her own United States, which included an abusive marriage to her late ex-husband, Ike Turner, to whom she was losing all her assets. All she kept was his name and she did well with it .
In 1986 she met a German music producer called Erwin Bach. Tina Turner and Erwin Bach married in July 2013, and shortly after, the singer renounced her American citizenship and became a Swiss citizen.
Celebrities who want privacy for their personal lives have found refuge in Switzerland for many years. Tina Turner was not the only one to have found a normal life there. Notable residents include Freddie Mercury and Charlie Chaplin. Switzerland's advantageous tax rates and confidentiality surrounding financial matters have also drawn in business executives and financial magnates.
The most well-known inhabitant in recent years was Tina Turner, who relocated to Switzerland in the middle of the 1990s and became a citizen there in 2013. There the music legends found ways to have private lives respected by all. Her strong ties to Switzerland may have played a role in her decision to renounce her US citizenship voluntarily, as did her wish to stay out of the complicated legal system that comes with US tax laws.
According to the US Embassy in Bern's 2013 activity report , Tina Turner said she had no plans to live in the United States in the future and that her only strong ties to her home country were her family. She acquired Swiss nationality and a Swiss passport, with the intent of giving up her US citizenship, which under US law is described as a relinquishment, and then the US authorities only have to acknowledge the fait accompli.
She is not renouncing her US citizenship, though, The Washington Post clarifies. The "Relinquishment" statement means she received the "Swiss citizenship with the intent to lose her U.S. citizenship."
She discovered more than simply a calm setting in her adopted nation. She retained her public character in a private environment thanks to Switzerland's discretion and peace of mind. Tina Turner enjoyed her life as a Swiss national and valued the normalcy it provided; thus, the sentiment was reciprocated.
There are several reasons for her to wanting to renounce her US citizenship. It seemed, at first glance, to be motivated by love. She had lived in Switzerland since 1995, and in July of that same year, she tied the knot with Erwin Bach, her lifelong partner.
Nevertheless, some have theorized that she chose partly because she wanted to dodge the complicated legal implications of US tax laws.
We don’t think that taxes were the main reason for her to give up US citizenship. With that said, the US is the exception among developed countries in that it taxes its citizens on their worldwide income regardless of where they live. It’s not even the tax liability that usually pushes people to renounce; rather the compliance cost of having to pay tax professionals to submit various forms is the deciding factor.
If you are a US citizen and have any questions or need personalized advice about your tax situation, there are specialized companies such as 1040 Abroad that can help. They offer free tax advice to US expats and can help in the case someone wishes to renounce their US citizenship.