Only US persons (citizens, Green Card holders, and those who spend more than a prescribed number of days in the US) have the obligations of US citizenship. Hence, the first step is to determine whether you are in fact a US citizen.

Many of you are frightened (with good reason) because the IRS works with the assumption that: if you were born in the U.S., that you are a U.S. citizen.

That is the the start of the inquiry, but it is not determinative. There are many U.S. citizens who by becoming citizens of other countries have lost their U.S. citizenship.

If you have become a citizen of another country, you must determine whether you are still a US citizen. This is the FIRST thing you do.  There are two things that you DON’T do:

1. Apply for a U.S. passport; and

2. Attempt to vote in a U.S. election.

The law of citizenship is complicated. You first determine your citizenship status. Then, if you are satisfied that you are a US citizen,  you move to the next stop.

Attention “Green Card Holders”

If you have a Green Card, you are a “U.S. person” for tax purposes. This comes as a great surprise to people who moved to the U.S., received a “Green Card” and then moved away. As long as you remain a “Green Card” holder you will have these U.S. tax and information reporting requirements.

Assuming that you no longer live in the U.S., it is likely that you will want to get rid of that “Green Card”.

There is a specific process for how to get rid of that “Green Card”.