First of all, I hope you are all enjoying the holidays and I wish you a good slide into the New Year!
I know this topic has been addressed many times, and I have googled, read postings here, etc. I get it that I have to report my income to the IRS even though I am a permanent resident of Germany. What I'm wondering is if any of you know WHY? What blinking business is it of theirs what I make when not one penny is in any way connected to the US? I get a small salary from a German company and I am self employed as a Dozentin (teacher) at the local VHS and a private language school. I will not be returning to the US to live and only visit briefly when I must. I realize the amount I make falls under the "foreign earned income exclusion", so I probably shouldn't get my knickers in a knot about it. Still, I would like to know _why_. Any clue?
I read today that the US is one of only a handful of countries (one source said only 2 countries, the other being Eritrea) in the world who tax their citizens regardless of where they live.