An American mother living in the United Kingdom dreads the day her children will start earning money

Dear Congress, 

I moved to the United Kingdom in 2018 and love living here—but the cost and complexity of filing a U.S. tax return from abroad definitely curb my enthusiasm for being American. 

I am New York born and raised. I moved to the U.K. because my husband, who is British, got a job there and wanted to be closer to his family during a crisis. Little did I know that this would mark the beginning of years of U.S. tax and other financial reporting hassles that have cost me thousands of dollars a year.

I am so sick and tired of spending my hard-earned money to hire expat tax accountants to prepare my U.S. tax return—for nothing. I always owe nothing, and this year I paid my accountants – I need two, one for personal taxes and one for my business’s taxes – 2,800 British pounds, about $3,755. That reduces the amount of money I have to spend going back to the United States to see my family every year (which, arguably, reduces the amount of dollars I spend as a “tourist” in my home country). 

I’m also dreading the day when my two boys (both dual U.S. and U.K. citizens) start earning their own income and have to pay accountants to file their U.S. taxes. Could you imagine?! A mother dreading the day her children start earning their own money? 

This dread arises, of course, because of the U.S. policy of taxing people on the basis of their worldwide income regardless whether they live in the United States or not. The only other country with a similar policy is Eritrea, a dictatorship.

It’s horrible that Americans are having to choose between remaining U.S. citizens and having a normal life. Tens of thousands have concluded that the only way to lead a normal life abroad is to renounce their U.S. citizenship. I don’t want to do that – but this terrible policy needs to change, and soon.

Please support Rep. Darin LaHood’s Residence-Based Taxation for Americans Abroad Act, which I hope will be reintroduced soon. 

Sincerely, 

Allison in the United Kingdom