Americans Increasingly Refusing Their Citizenship

Americans are increasingly choosing to renounce their citizenship, reports the Washington Post, citing human rights advocates. According to the publication, approximately 5,000 to 6,000 Americans living abroad renounce their U.S. citizenship each year.

Lawyers interviewed by the newspaper state that tax and logistical issues are the most common reasons, but in recent times, political factors are becoming increasingly significant.

The article notes that the United States is one of only two countries in the world (along with Eritrea) that taxes its citizens based on citizenship rather than residence, meaning that Americans living abroad are required to file annual reports to the Internal Revenue Service, in addition to meeting their home country’s reporting requirements.

Due to this burden, many expatriates are beginning to seriously consider giving up their “eagle-emblazoned passport.” Furthermore, the newspaper highlights that there is particularly high demand for renunciation among Americans living in the United Kingdom.