How much privacy is actually gained through a coin join? 

 It’s weird that people think the IRS will accept the boating accident excuse. The IRS doesn’t care how you come up with the money. If you have KYC bitcoin they know everything they need to calculate what you owe. If you don’t pay it they lock you up. If you truly did lose access to your Bitcoin, you will be in a world of hurt. 

 I feel the same way. I want non-kyc but also feel like it's gotta just be little bits of it here and there that consolidate into a wallet that has extremely rare incoming transactions that I follow a checklist of privacy so I don't accidentally reveal a connection on-chain to myself. 

On the other hand, spending non-kyc Bitcoin could become very difficult as future regulators may make it illegal to spend Bitcoin that has previously passed through "illegal" services such as coinjoins. I think my goal is to accumulate a decent % of my stack over time as a hedge against potential KYC shenanigans. 

 Slight correction, a US citizen living abroad doesn't have to pay US income taxes (nor exit tax) if you make below a certain amount and pay foreign taxes.  As for bitcoin rising in price, I stopped buying once Japan started KYC.  Plus I lost it in a typhoon.
https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/foreign-earned-income-exclusion 

 Thanks, Matt.