Australia and the US have a special double tax agreement, but there are ways to avoid these things. Still, it's absurd. https://fixthetaxtreaty.org/

A lawsuit contesting the denouncement fee is underway. Friends who have never lived in the country don't bother filing taxes, but every citizen must obtain a US passport if they plan to visit. This new regulation forces people to spend the day at the US consulate/embassy to apply for and pay for a US passport, even if they'll only use it once in their lifetime. What fun!

Congrats on your Dutch citizenship/permanent residence. What a relief to receive those forms specifying you can't be deported. Ha. I have visited and stayed in the Hague countless times. Aside from the numbing winters and icy falls on my bike that sent me shooting down the sidewalk on my butt, I love the Netherlands.

PS - your wife should ask if there's a bridging visa or extension. Sometimes, these visas are automatically assigned because immigration departments often encounter delays.

Enjoy all the cheese and stroepwaffles (I cannot spell that for the life of me).

Doei!