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Roger Ver Denied US Entry to Attend Bitcoin Conference

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Evander Smart
Last Updated

St. KittsKnown to many as “Bitcoin Jesus,” Bitcoin super-investor and activist Roger Ver has run into major problems recently. Ver famously renounced his United States citizenship in 2014 and was denied a traveling visa this week  by U.S. consulate officials. This being his latest attempt to visit Miami to attend an upcoming Bitcoin conference.

Roger Ver has taken to social networking site Twitter to vent his frustrations at these new traveling restrictions. Ever since the Christmas holiday, Ver has been turned down three different times in the span of eight days.

Roger Ver @rogerkver@tom_sharkey the most recent rejection was this morning. It was my third attempt in 8 days. They claim I secretly intend to live in the USA. 4:22 PM – 6 Jan 2015 Barbados, Barbados

Also read: Roger Ver aka “Bitcoin Jesus” Donates $1,000,000 in BTC to the Foundation For Economic Education

Roger Ver Denied US Visa

Roger Ver has been seen wearing a shirt that reads “Borders are Imaginary Lines” to highlight his philosophy when it comes to the freedom to live and travel abroad. Ver is now a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis, a Caribbean island nation, for the past year.

St. Kitts has been a destination for many expats looking for more freedom and less taxation through a citizenship program called “Citizenship by Investment.” The program, according to the government’s website, requires either:

“……an investment in designated real estate with a value of at least USD $400,000 plus payment of various registration and other fees (the Real Estate Option. Or a contribution to the Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (a public charity) to the amount of between US $250,000 and US $450,000. Depending on the number of dependents included in the application (known as the SIDF Contribution Option)”

For those who may not know this, the United States is the only government that requires ALL citizens, regardless of if they live within the country or abroad, to pay federal income taxes to the United States. Seemingly, the primary reason, they do extend this hand of tax slavery, is because they have the means in which to do so.

It would be difficult for anyone to blame Roger Ver, or any person of any wealth to move to greener pastures in search of a more favorable tax situation long-term. Toyota Motor Sales recently left Torrance CA for Texas to take advantage of their superior tax structure, or more pointedly, to escape California’s notoriously onerous tax implications. Mercedes-Benz is in a similar situation, moving from New Jersey to Atlanta, GA. Corporations do it all the time in the United States. And as mentioned earlier, regardless of where you move, you owe the U.S. Government regardless. So these issues are, at best, petty games being played against a man who is not interested in global tax slavery.

Last year, after gaining his St. Kitts passport, Roger Ver started PassportsForBitcoin.com , in an attempt to turn overseas Passport ownership into an online business. This was thwarted by local government officials shortly thereafter, and the domain now redirects users to a law firm website that assists with “residence and citizenship planning.” Last summer, Ver also donated $150,000 to the legal defense fund of Ross Ulbricht, a fellow libertarian who is accused of founding and operating the Silk Road.

Photo courtesy of Commons Wikimedia; other images from Shutterstock.