American Lady Explains Why She is Thinking About Giving Up Her US Citizenship, Mentions 3 Reasons
- An American woman who left the US in 1996 revealed she is considering renouncing her citizenship despite holding three other passports
- The woman, who holds Canadian, Taiwanese, and Dutch citizenship, said she has not used her American passport since becoming Canadian
- She cited the US government's global tax obligations as a major concern, pointing to the country's $39 trillion national debt
An American woman who has spent most of her adult life in Europe has gone public with her plans to potentially give up her US citizenship, citing taxation rules, multiple foreign passports, and concerns about America's growing national debt.
In a TikTok video shared under the handle @gracepacifica, the woman explained that she departed the United States in 1996 and has not returned to live there since. Despite nearly three decades abroad, she said the US government continues to require her to file annual tax returns, a situation she finds increasingly difficult to justify.
Source: Getty Images
Three Passports, no US ties
One of her central arguments is straightforward: she simply no longer needs an American passport. Since leaving the US, she has acquired citizenship in Canada, Taiwan, and the Netherlands, and her everyday life is rooted in Europe. As she put it:
"I haven't lived in the US since the '90s and haven't used my American passport since I became Canadian."
With three alternative travel documents already at her disposal, she described the American passport as functionally redundant in her life.
US tax rules, $39 trillion debt
Her second concern centres on taxation. The United States is one of very few countries in the world that taxes its citizens based on nationality rather than residency, meaning Americans living abroad are generally still required to file returns with the Internal Revenue Service regardless of where they earn their income or pay local taxes.
"I don't have to pay…yet because I don't make enough, but I might one day,"
She said in the TikTok video, acknowledging that the current obligation is more administrative than financial for now.
Her third reason touches on longer-term anxieties. She pointed to the United States carrying approximately $39 trillion in national debt and questioned what measures the government might resort to in the future if that burden becomes unsustainable.
"If they already chase their citizens around the world for taxes, who knows what else they'll do if their debt holders come to collect,"
@gracepacifica summarised her position plainly:
"I left the US in 1996 and still get chased around the world for taxes. I also have three other passports, so I'm thinking about renouncing my American citizenship."
Watch the video of the lady explaining her situation below.
Lady renounces US citizenship, explains why
Meanwhile, Legit.ng recently reported that a Nigerian lady celebrated after officially becoming a British citizen following about five years of living in the UK.
She shared a video of the moment she received her British citizenship, describing it as a huge relief after years of dealing with UK immigration rules. Her achievement drew congratulatory messages from many social media users.
Source: Legit.ng
