Tax Compliance

United States citizens leaving after presidential elections?

By · November 14, 2016 · Updated June 3, 2026

The popular press has reported that the Canadian immigration service website crashed shortly after the results of the election.  See Fox News, Nov. 9, 2016, Canadian immigration website crashes during election

It will be interesting to see if there will be a surge in United States citizens, not just the accidental American living outside the U.S., who will be inclined to renounce citizenship?   These are not easy or legally simple steps, as various posts in Ted Cruz Canadian No Morethis website explain.  At a minimum, the individual must have citizenship in at least one other country, so as not to be left stateless.

It could be very difficult to mathematically determine whether this comes to pass, simply since the data provided for all names of individuals, does not include where they reside currently and for how long, inside or outside of the United States.

Of course, some may desire to move and live outside United States, without actually remounting their United States citizenship.

Patrick W. Martin

Patrick W. Martin

U.S. International Tax Lawyer · Shareholder, Chamberlain Hrdlicka

Patrick W. Martin is a U.S. tax lawyer licensed in California, Texas, and Washington, D.C., with 32+ years advising on the tax consequences of renouncing U.S. citizenship or abandoning lawful permanent residency. He served as lead counsel in Aroeste v. United States, the landmark federal case on green card holders, tax treaties, and the exit tax. Best Lawyers in America® (Tax Law), 2015–2025.

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