[nvarsj]

I think you have a very narrow view of an expats life. If you live in a country for 10+ years, it is impractical to not have a local bank account. You can't even get a rental contract easily without a bank account.

Buying property exposes you to capital gains tax, which is essentially double taxation, because the UK taxes the buyer unlike the US.

GILTI tax is limited to company ownership. Which is what hit me. I realize that won't affect a lot of people, but for those in the IT field it is very common in London to have a one man or small group consultancy. Because of this, I was essentially retroactively taxed on all company revenues despite not having access to that money (since it's in the company, obviously). Truly insane. Then to pay the retroactive tax, you have to withdraw money from your company which obviously incurs local taxes. Massive double taxation.

This is all the tip of the iceberg. There are many ways to get screwed as an American abroad.

[dkarp]

Genuine question, have you considered giving in and going to work in the USA? As an American, working as a software consultant in the UK is swimming against the tide. You could be free of the tax burden and earn more by working practically anywhere in the USA.

I know money isn't everything, but would be curious to know what is keeping you in London (as someone in an analogous situation asking myself the same question).

[nvarsj]

My wife is British, and my kids are thoroughly integrated with the local community. So that's what keeps me here. If I was single I'd definitely go back at this point, it's too much of a headache, and my earning potential would be way higher in the USA like you say.