I hear what you are saying about "expecting the IRS to change".
I would love to open a joint checking account or modify one of my existing investment accounts to be a joint account. It is not possible. In order to open a new account or modify an existing account, you need to have a US address -- that is the most basic stumbling block. This is not a new problem and the restrictions that expats face even with their existing accounts vary from institution to institution. I had a couple of mutual fund accounts that I had to close out years ago because they decided they would not support investors outside of the US. If you want to understand the scope and history of this problem, take a look at this article:
https://www.aaro.org/issues/banking/630-access-to-banking-and-financial-services
It would have been great if the IRS had sent the payment to the US account that I use to send them tax payments. I have no account on file for refunds because I haven't received a refund in many years.
I would also be fine with using the stimulus payment for my 2020 tax returns.
Thanks,
Dan
