An “accidental” Polish-American rues his U.S. birthright

Rafał finds himself locked out of opportunities in Poland just because he was born in the United States (AI-generated image).

Dear Members of Congress,

My name is Rafał Piechociński, and although I was born in the United States, I have lived my entire life in Poland. I left the U.S. as an infant, never returned, and have no property, income, or family ties there. Yet, to this day, my life continues to be shadowed by an obligation to a country that, for all practical purposes, has never been mine.

I discovered this the hard way—when, as a self-employed professional in Poland, I was told I could not open a bank account without disclosing my American Social Security Number. Had I not possessed one, I would have been forced to apply for it through the U.S. embassy during the pandemic, when everything was paralyzed. Without it, I simply could not work or receive payments in my own country.

That moment opened my eyes to something I could hardly believe: the reach of a foreign tax system extending across oceans to demand my private financial data and impose taxes on income earned entirely abroad. I found myself trapped in a bureaucratic maze—forced to file detailed financial reports to the IRS, threatened by complex and punitive rules, and constantly reminded that even a minor technical mistake could result in crushing penalties.

And for what? I have never lived in the United States as an adult. I have no vote, no representation, no benefits, no connection other than the accident of my birth. Yet the United States continues to claim me as a taxpayer, one of millions of Americans abroad subjected to a system that only one other country in the world—Eritrea—still enforces.

For many like me, the only escape from this web of unwanted obligations is to renounce citizenship. But even that is turned into a punishment: a process burdened with bureaucracy and an exorbitant fee that, for modest earners, feels like an official ransom.

This is not freedom. It is not justice. And it certainly does not reflect the values America claims to stand for. It feels instead like a system designed to alienate its own people, to push them into impossible dilemmas—choosing between their peace of mind and a nationality that has become a source of fear and frustration.

There is, however, a path toward fairness and dignity. The Residence-Based Taxation for Americans Abroad Act, introduced by Representative Darin LaHood, offers a solution that aligns with the global norm and restores the promise of common sense. It would finally ensure that Americans living overseas are taxed based on where they live and earn, not where they were born.

More than five million Americans around the world are waiting for your leadership. We ask you to recognize that our lives, our families, and our livelihoods are being harmed by a policy that no longer makes moral or economic sense.

I urge you to support this reform—not as a political gesture, but as an act of conscience. End the injustice of Citizenship-Based Taxation, and allow those of us living abroad to live freely, responsibly, and without fear.

Respectfully,

Rafał Piechociński

Warsaw, Poland