Tax Season: A Harsh Reminder for Americans Abroad – and a Call to Support Tax Fairness for Americans Abroad

Every spring, Americans across the globe are reminded of a painful reality: their country taxes them no matter where they live.

For the 5.5+ million Americans living abroad, tax season is not just about filing forms—it’s about navigating a system designed for people who live on U.S. soil. It’s about spending thousands on accountants to prepare returns that often show zero tax due. It’s about fear of penalties for simple mistakes. And it’s about being treated differently than every other group of U.S. citizens—just because they live outside the country.

The United States is the only country in the world (besides Eritrea) that taxes its citizens based on citizenship rather than residence. Even Americans who haven’t lived in the U.S. for decades—or ever—must comply with a complex web of IRS obligations. Yes, even Accidental Americans—people who were born in the U.S. by chance and left as infants—are swept up in this absurd system.

This tax season, Americans abroad are once again required to file FBARs, Form 8938, and other burdensome disclosures. They risk steep fines for innocent errors. They face banking restrictions, lost financial opportunities, and endless paperwork—all for the simple fact of being American.

Why support Tax Fairness for Americans Abroad now?

Because this injustice won’t fix itself.

Tax Fairness for Americans Abroad (TFFAA) is the only international organization focused solely on ending Citizenship-Based Taxation through direct lobbying in Washington. Its mission: to ensure Americans abroad are taxed based on where they live—not simply because of their passport.

In December, a bill was introduced in Congress that would establish an optional Residence-Based Taxation system, allowing Americans abroad to elect to be taxed like nonresident aliens—on their U.S.-source income only—while maintaining full citizenship.

TFFAA worked closely with Representative Darin LaHood and his team to draft this legislation, bringing the voices and experiences of Americans abroad directly into the legislative process.

To advance this bill and build lasting bipartisan support, TFFAA is working with Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, one of Washington’s premier government relations firms. This partnership ensures a permanent presence in the halls of Congress, where decisions are made that impact Americans around the world.

We need your help!

This fight takes time, strategy, and resources. Your support will help TFFAA keep up the pressure in Washington, amplify your voice, and make sure Congress does not forget that Americans abroad are Americans too.

Every donation matters. Every story shared matters. Every voice raised matters.

This tax season, ask yourself: Why am I being punished for living abroad?

If the answer leaves you frustrated, now is the time to act.

Support TFFAA and join the movement for change.

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TFFAA Team