This article is paywalled for me, but it’s very important to understand that these people who are leaving are still citizens. It is very difficult (and expensive) to renounce US citizenship.
So, they are moving abroad, while still retaining their US citizenship. Which includes their right to vote, which can be exercised in the last district they resided in within the US. But Trump sees mail-in voting as a threat, so expect his illegal Executive Ordersto not even recognize that ex-pats have a right to vote at all.
I think you are also on the hook to pay American taxes, too. So I guess Pedonald would be taking the “unitary executive theory” all the way to King George territory and we have taxation w/o representation for the expats, too…
You already have taxation without representation. Felons pay taxes but don’t get to vote. The citizens of American territories also pay taxes but do not get representatives.
Expats have to file their taxes but foreign income tax paid is generally deducted from US taxes owed. I think that depends on what agreement is made with the country they reside in though.
Yep, US citizenship is one of the most expensive in the world, due to their uniquely harsh taxation of expats.
I also heard US citizens will always have to pay income tax even if they are working abroad and had to pay that country’s income tax already.
Sort of. US citizens owe US taxes on their worldwide income, no matter the source. US citizens working abroad also owe taxes to the country they work in. However, the US has tax treaties with many countries that cover how each countries’ citizens are taxed.
If a US citizen earns income in these countries, they may be able to deduct any taxes paid out to the other country against their US tax bill. (And since US tax rates are low compared to many of these other countries, this often results in zero US taxes owed.)
Trump can raise all the executive orders he wants. He just doesn’t have jurisdiction on how states run their elections.
This doesn’t mean he can’t cause trouble, though. For instance, maybe he can just order the USPS to not deliver ballot mail. Or worse, open it an substitute the ballot inside to one that’s much more favourable to him.
Obviously, if he does that the US can kiss goodbye to being a representative democracy.
As a person mid-emigration, I have no concern how the US votes. The moment I enter my destination country, I’m never returning and never thinking about the US again. Y’all are in your own.
What country are you emigrating to? How long was the process?
In progress. Not telling. And ultimately like an estimated 8 months total, and that’s with me and my spouse both being in fast-track careers. So basically if you’re not half way you’re gonna be locked in the country by martial law in October. I suggest you buy a gun, or a Time Machine.
Are you aware that other countries have immigration laws as well? You won’t just get a permanent visa or citizenship immediately (takes years for most countries) and until then you might have to return to or get deported to the US if things don’t work out.
You’re talking to me like I’m just theorizing. I know exactly what I’m doing. The process will be complete FOR ME in about 8 total months from the start—which was months ago.
When I said mid process l, I wasn’t talking about mid thought process
I thought the process was to get a temporary working visum. I wasn’t aware you can directly get permanent visa. Good for you.
Every country is wildly different and the process is confusing, expensive, and very stressful. I’m gonna need therapy. I’m only able to speed the process up because of careers.
Normally I wouldn’t recommend Reddit, but if you’re considering leaving, there is SS sub for pretty much any country. I got lots of good info about things I could do to work the system.
I suspect this is one of the reasons he’s against mail-in voting
Well, that, and mail-in voting is very hard to disrupt by having people stand around in long lines during a workday or by stationing cops/ICE or whatever outside of voting locations.
I moved in 2025. Moved to the Netherlands. No downsides besides having to file (but not pay) US taxes, and how FATCA discourages European banks from taking US citizen customers.
Don’t forget your FBAR as well if you have basically any non-us bank accounts, securities, etc.
You’ll never regret that decision.
Netherlands is high on my bugout list.
Better go while you can. In a few years American refugees will be about as welcome as the ones from sub-saharan Africa.
I left before Trump was elected the first time, but I never thought he would be elected. That was certainly an interesting time in my life when everyone started asking me what was going on. Zero chance I move back now (and I will be dropping citizenship once I no longer need to have access to take care of aging family). I have to file taxes (don’t make enough to pay), can’t touch certain retirement investments, and you’d better believe I vote (not that it matters in my illegally and heavily-gerrymandered, sadly).
I moved my American wife and our US-born daughters back to my home country in November 2015. Ultimately the decision turned out to be financially devastating for us, but I haven’t had an ounce of regret since November 2024, I’d rather live in poverty here than any kind of life in the US, especially with teenage daughters. My wife says she’ll never set foot in the US again and would also happily remounce her citizenship.
Yeah, I could be making triple what I do in Japan had I stayed in the US. It’s not always about the money. Retirement is certainly a harder thing with all the idiotic IRS rules (PFICs, specifically). I don’t regret moving at all. If I had it to do again, I may have picked somewhere else instead, but this is home now.
We’re in Australia. The idea of home ownership is completely off the table, and the prospect of retirement is laughable, but we have some really bloody nice beaches!
Unfortunately for me I do not have the savings to do this yet.
Paywall 😡
