Category Archives: Green Card Expatriation

Permanent residents of the United States abandoning their residence (Green Card) status

How Expatriation Affects U.S. Social Security Benefits – A Podcast With Virginia La Torre Jeker

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Introduction and purpose …

Entitlement to U.S. Social Security (including spousal and survivor benefits) after expatriation has always been a difficult. During the months of January and February 2026 U.S. tax lawyer Virginia La Torre Jeker did a “deep dive” into how expatriation impacts entitlement to Social Security benefits and the way they are taxed. Expatriation (renouncing U.S. citizenship or Green Card abandonment), affects U.S. Social Security in at least two distinct ways:

– the transition from “U.S. Person” to a nonresident alien means that (from a purely U.S. perspective) will be Social Security will be taxed differently. The difference from the U.S. perspective may be modified by tax treaties

– your citizenship after expatriation matters. Citizens of some countries may be required to return to the United States every six months to continue to receive their benefits.

Therefore, the impact of expatriation on the taxation and access to U.S. Social Security must be understood prior to expatriation.

Spoiler alert: Expatriation will NOT impact the capacity to receive Social Security benefits for citizens found on “List 1” (discussed below). This includes citizens of Canada, the U.K., etc. …
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The Proposed S. 899 Penalty Tax On U.S. Source Income And The Decision To Renounce U.S. Citizenship

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Update – June 27, 2025 – The 899 Penalty Tax has been removed from the “Big Beautiful Bill”:

Introduction – It’s The American (A)Way

The United States tax system is designed to impose punitive tax, reporting and penalties on the non-U.S. income and assets of Americans abroad. Nonresident aliens (those who are neither U.S. citizens nor residents) are taxable ONLY on their U.S. source income.

This reality has driven many U.S. citizens (living abroad) to renounce U.S. citizenship. It has also caused many Green Card holders to abandon their green cards. This is the consequence of U.S. citizenship-based taxation – a system that defines tax residency in terms of one’s citizenship (one may not reside in one’s country of citizenship) – regardless of one’s actual residence. (Green Card holders are deemed to be U.S. tax residents regardless of their residence.)

The United States taxes ALL U.S. source income regardless of the recipient of the income. Therefore, the practical impact of citizenship taxation is to impose U.S. taxation on the non-U.S. source income of individuals who do NOT reside in the United States. To put this in visual terms:

A person born in the United States, with no U.S. source income, is subject to U.S. tax, reporting and penalties on income received from the country where that individual lives.

A Summary Of How Different People Are Subject To U.S. Taxation

1. The United States taxes ALL individuals – regardless of citizenship or residence – on U.S. Source income.

2. The United States taxes its RESIDENTS – regardless of citizenship – on worldwide income.

3. The United States taxes U.S. citizens – regardless of residence – on worldwide income. The United States is the only major country that taxes its citizens on their worldwide income when they do not live in the country.

4. The United States taxes nonresident aliens (those who are neither citizens nor residents) on U.S. source income.

The 2025 “Big Beautiful Bill” proposes a new S. 899 of the Internal Revenue Code. This new section would impose a more punitive U.S. tax regime on the U.S. source income, received by some, but not all, nonresident aliens. The more punitive regime would be imposed on nonresident aliens who are tax residents of countries that are described as “offending foreign countries”. “Offending foreign countries” are countries that the U.S. deems to impose unfair taxes on U.S. corporations or persons. To be clear, the tax paid imposed on the individual, would be based on the tax policies of the country where the individual is resident for tax purposes!

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Exit Taxes As A Barrier To Emigration And The Need For An International Treaty To Create Uniformity And Certainty Surrounding Emigration

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Exit Taxes As A Barrier To Emigration And The Need For An International Treaty To Create Uniformity And Certainty Surrounding Emigration

This blog post was written for a presentation at the MigrationConference.net on June 12, 2025. Here are the slides that will be used:

A PDF version is here:

Migration Conference 2

Here is a recording of John’s brief presentation at the conference on June 12, 2025:

A more comprehensive blog post follows.

Outline:

Part A – Introduction
Part B – Emigration historically burdened by “exit taxes” (The Nazis and Soviets)
Part C – Modern Exit Taxes And First World Democracies (Canada, the United States, etc.)
Part D – A Tax Treaty Solution That Protects BOTH The Right Of Emigration And the Desire Of Governments To Tax Individuals On Gains Accruing While Living In The Country

Appendix – Human Rights Documents

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Some IRS Medic Livestream Videos – 2026 to 2023

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Introduction:

Over the years I have been a guest on the IRS Medic Youtube Channel a number of times. The topics have been varied and of relevance to Americans abroad. I thought I would collect “some” of the videos in one post. If you scroll down, I expect that you will some topics of interest to you. Many if not most of the topics have included written presentations in PDF format. I will add those when I have the time and am able to locate them.

If after watching any of these, if you want to schedule a consultation to discuss your situation:

https://www.calendly.com/renounceUScitizenship

ExpatriationLaw.com

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Biden 2024 Green Book: Message To Non-US Citizens – Time To Retire That “Sailing Permit” Law

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Introduction

Once upon at time (well back in the last century) I knew a person who – along with three other people – shared the rental of a house. The agreement was that they would split the rent equally and that they would split the utilities equally. The agreement also stated that on the last day of each month the group would meet and each contribute their 1/4 share of the utilities owing. The agreement further stated that in the event that any person did not pay his share of the utilities in cash that his property could be used (fair market value assessment) to pay his share. One week prior to the last day of the month one of the four realized that he would not have the money to pay his share of the utilities. As a result, two days before the last day of the month, that individual:

1. Removed all of his belongings; and

2. Moved out of the house.

The legend was that the remaining three had to pay his share of the utilities and his property remained intact. By moving out and removing his property he was able to avoid paying a debt that he owed to the group.

Unsurprisingly the Internal Revenue Code contains provisions to prevent individuals from leaving the United States or removing property from the United States to defeat the payment of tax debts. This is of particular concern to the United States if the individual is an “alien”. The requirement to obtain a “sailing permit” to leave the United States is neither well known nor enforced. That said, the “sailing permit” (even with the existence of “withholding taxes”) remains the law!

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Those Who Renounced US Citizenship Or Abandoned Green Cards NOT Eligible For Biden Pardon

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Synopsis

Introduction

On October 6, 2022 President Biden pardoned certain individuals (prospectively and retrospectively) for the simple possession of marijuana (whatever that means). The full text of the pardon is here.

A Proclamation on Granting Pardon for the Offense of Simple Possession of Marijuana

Acting pursuant to the grant of authority in Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution of the United States, I, Joseph R. Biden Jr., do hereby grant a full, complete, and unconditional pardon to (1) all current United States citizens and lawful permanent residents who committed the offense of simple possession of marijuana in violation of the Controlled Substances Act, as currently codified at 21 U.S.C. 844 and as previously codified elsewhere in the United States Code, or in violation of D.C. Code 48–904.01(d)(1), on or before the date of this proclamation, regardless of whether they have been charged with or prosecuted for this offense on or before the date of this proclamation; and (2) all current United States citizens and lawful permanent residents who have been convicted of the offense of simple possession of marijuana in violation of the Controlled Substances Act, as currently codified at 21 U.S.C. 844 and as previously codified elsewhere in the United States Code, or in violation of D.C. Code 48–904.01(d)(1); which pardon shall restore to them full political, civil, and other rights.

My intent by this proclamation is to pardon only the offense of simple possession of marijuana in violation of Federal law or in violation of D.C. Code 48–904.01(d)(1), and not any other offenses related to marijuana or other controlled substances. No language herein shall be construed to pardon any person for any other offense, including possession of other controlled substances, whether committed prior, subsequent, or contemporaneous to the pardoned offense of simple possession of marijuana. This pardon does not apply to individuals who were non-citizens not lawfully present in the United States at the time of their offense.

Pursuant to this proclamation, the Attorney General, acting through the Pardon Attorney, shall administer and effectuate the issuance of certificates of pardon to eligible applicants who have been charged or convicted for the offense of simple possession of marijuana in violation of the Controlled Substances Act, as currently codified at 21 U.S.C. 844 and as previously codified elsewhere in the United States Code, or in violation of D.C. Code 48–904.01(d)(1). The Attorney General, acting through the Pardon Attorney, is directed to develop and announce application procedures for certificates of pardon and to begin accepting applications in accordance with such procedures as soon as reasonably practicable. The Attorney General, acting through the Pardon Attorney, shall review all properly submitted applications and shall issue certificates of pardon to eligible applicants in due course.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-seventh.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

The Winners

Notably the pardon is available ONLY to those who are “current United States citizens and lawful permanent residents”. Clearly a former US citizen who is not a Green Card holder would NOT be eligible.

The Losers

The pardon is NOT AVAILABLE to:

– former US citizens who relinquished their US citizenship

– possibly (depending on interpretation) former lawful permanent residents who abandoned their Green Card

– US Nationals who are NOT US citizens

– non-citizens currently lawfully present in the United Staes under a visa who are NOT current Green Card holders

– current US citizens or lawful permanent residents who were NOT “lawfully present in the United States at the time of their offense” (think undocumented aliens)

And to be very clear

Regardless of current status, if one was not legally present in the United States at the time of offense then one is NOT eligible for the pardon. (Think undocumented aliens at the time of the offense.)

Why should the “status” of the person matter when offering this pardon?

An excellent twitter thread from David Bier discusses this issue …

It’s very clear that in 2022 no person should be convicted of a criminal offense for the mere possession of marijuana. The pardon is offered in recognition of that sentiment. Possession of marijuana is simply not conduct which should be deemed to be a criminal offense. Since the conduct should NOT be deemed a criminal offense, why should the pardon be restricted to those who are:

current United States citizens and lawful permanent residents

The ONLY possible explanation is that ONLY “current United States citizens and lawful permanent residents” are deserving of fair treatment. Who cares about the rest of them?

Let’s put it this way:

Assuming possession of marijuana should not be a crime, it’s still okay to punish those who are NOT “current United States citizens and lawful permanent residents”.

The pardon should apply prospectively and retrospectively to ANY individual who violates this unreasonable law. Why condition the pardon on status?

John Richardson – Follow me on Twitter @Expatriationlaw

Considering renouncing US citizenship? Interesting discussion with Buffalo lawyer @JoeGrasmick

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In 2018 I had a discussion with Buffalo Immigration Lawyer Joe Grasmick about a number of issues including renouncing US citizenship. The discussion was videoed as part of my “Retain Or Renounce” series. It was a very interesting and balanced discussion. (We also discussed some of the dos and don’ts of Green Card abandonment.)

I wanted to share Joe’s LinkedIn post today (December 31, 2021). His post reinforces the reality that (although Americans abroad are clearly suffering from the tax and regulatory regime) US citizenship does have value.

I completely agree with Joe that the consequences of renouncing US citizenship (notwithstanding the problems) should be fully understood and appreciated.

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Renunciation is a process of transitioning from US citizen to nonresident alien. How does this affect your tax situation?

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On June 25, 2020 Dr. Karen Alpert and I did a series of podcasts where we discussed how renunciation will affect your interaction with the US tax system. The key point is that you will still be taxable by the United States on US source income. What does that mean? Under what circumstances could renunciation of US citizenship actually increase your US tax liability?

John Richardson – Follow me on Twitter @ExpatriationLaw

Recent economic upheaval creates expatriation opportunities for “US Persons” living abroad

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This post was motivated by a thread on Reddit …

At the end of this post, I have included the Reddit thread. (Note that I am trying to develop a “RenounceUSCitizenship” thread on Reddit – you will find it here.)

As you know the US Section 877A Expatriation Tax applies to U.S. citizens and “Long Term Residents”. A “Long Term Resident” is an individual who has had a Green Card (as defined by the rules in Internal Revenue Code Section 7701(b)(6) for at least eight of the fifteen years prior to expatriation). This has become a serious problem for Green Card holders who simply move from the United States and and don’t take formal steps to sever their U.S. tax residency. (They must either file the I-407 or use a tax treaty tie breaker election to expatriate. Otherwise they may be in a situation where they have no right to live in the United States (having lost the immigration status) but are taxable on their worldwide income (still being tax citizens).

That said, whether you are a U.S. citizen wishing to renounce U.S. citizenship or a Long Term Resident wishing to sever U.S. tax residency, you do NOT want to be a “covered expatriate“. Generally, (unless one is subject to two exceptions – dual citizen from birth or expatriation between 18 and 181/2 – that are beyond the scope of this post), one is treated as a “covered expatriate” if one meets any one of these three tests:

1. Net worth of 2 million USD or more (which this post will focus on)

2. Average U.S. tax liability of more than approximately $165,000 USD over the five years prior to expatriation

3. Failure to certify U.S. tax compliance for the five years prior to expatriation.

The COVID-19 Panic – Falling asset values – more favourable exchange rates -2 million USD net worth test

The last couple of weeks have changed and continue to change our world. We are experiencing human misery on an unprecedented and global scale. This includes physical illness, fear of illness and social distancing. I live in a large city and I am beginning to see less variety in the food available. Self-employed people are seeing disruptions to their revenue streams, etc. I don’t want to keep listing examples. But it is very bad. On the economic front, we are seeing unprecedented and incalculable damage to the world economy. This includes (but is not limited to) falling asset values – how is your stock portfolio doing? We see currencies that are weakening relative to the U.S. dollar. (This means that a higher Canadian or Australian dollar net worth would equal 2 million USD.) As I write this post I just received a message, from someone advising me that the shares in a certain cruise ship stock, have fallen from $136 to $22. (My advice would be: Don’t spend money on the cruise. Instead buy the shares in the company.)

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Individuals, Treasury, The State Department And IRC 6039G: Who has to report what when an individual renounces U.S. citizenship?

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Updated on June 29, 2024

The confusion over this topic continues on. With respect to U.S. citizenship relinquishment IRC 6039G imposes the following three specific requirements:

1. The State Department is required to report to U.S. Treasury the names of ALL people who have been issued a Certificate of Loss of Nationality.

2. U.S. Treasury is required to publish in the Federal Register the names of all people who the State Department has reported were issued CLNs in that quarter.

3. Individual relinquishers: 1. 6039G requires that all “Covered Expatriates” file a Form 8854.2. The “Secretary” requires individuals to file Form 8854 in order to order to certify that because they have met their tax compliance obligations they are NOT “covered expatriates”.

Explanation – tracking the relevant provisions in the Internal Revenue Code:

1. IRC 7701(a)(50) – provides statutory test for when an individual ceases to be a U.S. citizen:

“(50) Termination of United States citizenship
(A) In general

An individual shall not cease to be treated as a United States citizen before the date on which the individual’s citizenship is treated as relinquished under section 877A(g)(4).”

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/7701

2. IRC 877A(g)(4) – provides the date of relinquishment of U.S. citizenship under the IRC:

“(4) Relinquishment of citizenship A citizen shall be treated as relinquishing his United States citizenship on the earliest of—
(A) the date the individual renounces his United States nationality before a diplomatic or consular officer of the United States pursuant to paragraph (5) of section 349(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1481(a)(5)),
(B) the date the individual furnishes to the United States Department of State a signed statement of voluntary relinquishment of United States nationality confirming the performance of an act of expatriation specified in paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4) of section 349(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1481(a)(1)–(4)),
(C) the date the United States Department of State issues to the individual a certificate of loss of nationality, or
(D) the date a court of the United States cancels a naturalized citizen’s certificate of naturalization.
Subparagraph (A) or (B) shall not apply to any individual unless the renunciation or voluntary relinquishment is subsequently approved by the issuance to the individual of a certificate of loss of nationality by the United States Department of State.”

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/877A

3. State Department: IRC 6039G – imposes obligation on State Department to notify the Secretary of all CLNs issued under INA 358:

“(2) the Secretary of State shall provide to the Secretary a copy of each certificate as to the loss of American nationality under section 358 of the Immigration and Nationality Act which is approved by the Secretary of State,”

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/6039G

4. Treasury Secretary: IRC 6039G -Imposes obligation on Secretary to report names of ALL relinquishers in Federal Register:

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, not later than 30 days after the close of each calendar quarter, the Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register the name of each individual losing United States citizenship (within the meaning of section 877(a) or 877A) with respect to whom the Secretary receives information under the preceding sentence during such quarter.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/6039G

Renunciation of U.S. Citizenship triggers a “Reporting Frenzy”!

It’s simply unbelievable. The renunciation of U.S. citizenship triggers more reporting obligations on the part of individuals and government agencies than anything else. More than birth. More than death. More than marriage. More than bankruptcy. More than conviction of a crime (probably). It’s unbelievable.

The purpose of this post is to “slice and dice” what those reporting obligations are.

Let’s Go On A Magical Reporting Tour

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/6039G

The rules governing information reporting when one relinquishes U.S. citizenship are found in Internal Revenue Code 6039G. They impose reporting obligations on “some” individual relinquishers (“covered expatriates”), the State Department whenever a Certificate of Loss Of Nationality has been issued and on U.S. Treasury. (I will comment separately on the situation of Green Card holders at the end of this post.) Most of this is summarized in the following two tweets. But, because this is so confused, I am going to take the time to parse the statute.

It’s all in Internal Revenue Code – 6039G Note that Section 6039G is found in Subtitle F which is the – “Procedure and Administration” – part of the Internal Revenue Code. In other words, it deals only with information reporting. It does NOT impose taxation. Interestingly, Section 6039G imposes reporting requirements on individuals, the State Department, U.S. Treasury (and in the case of Green Card holders) the Immigration authorities.

That pretty much sums it up. For those who want to understand the analysis …

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