Green Card Exit Tax 8-Years & Long Term Residents & Expatriation: Permanent Residents & US Exit Tax

Green Card Exit Tax 8 Years & Tax Implications at Surrender: The Green Card Exit Tax 8 Years rules are complex. The IRS rules involving U.S. exit tax for green card holders is complex. The general proposition is that when a U.S. citizen renounces citizenship and relinquishes their U.S. status, they are subject to the expatriation and exit tax rules. But, the rules are not limited to U.S. citizens. If a Green Card Holder has been a permanent resident for at least 8 of the past 15 years, they become subject to expatriation tax laws as well. Moreover, it does not require that the green card holder was a permanent resident for the full 8-years, or residence within the U.S.

Green Card Exit Tax 8 Years

The Green Card Exit Tax 8 Years analysis is comprehensive. Oftentimes, it comes as a surprise and shock to Green Card Holders that they too may be subject to covered expatriate and U.S. exit tax rules.

Let’s review the basics:

Green Card Status 

If a person is not a U.S. citizen, they may still be subject to the expatriation tax laws if they:

Are a Permanent Resident; and
Are considered a Long-Term Permanent Resident (aka Long-Term Resident)

Conversely, if the person is not a citizen or permanent resident, they are not subject to U.S. exit tax. For example, even if the expatriate resided in the U.S. for 25-years but was neither a U.S. citizen nor Legal Permanent Resident, then that person would not qualify as a Long-Term Resident merely because they resided in the U.S.

What is a Long-Term Resident?

A Long-Term resident is a permanent resident (not a mere visa holder) who qualifies as a permanent resident for 8 of the last 15 years. That does not mean the permanent resident had to reside in the U.S. during that time – they do not. Rather, if the person merely has the status of a legal permanent resident, that is all that is required.

As provided by the IRS:

You are an LTR if you were a lawful permanent resident of the United States in at least 8 of the last 15 tax years ending with the year your status as an LTR ends.

In determining if you meet the 8-year requirement, don't count any year that you were treated as a resident of a foreign country under a tax treaty and didn't waive treaty benefits applicable to residents of the country.

You are a lawful permanent resident of the United States if you have been given the privilege, according to U.S. immigration laws, of residing permanently in the United States as an immigrant.

You generally have this status if you have been issued an alien registration card, also known as a “green card,” and your green card hasn't been revoked or judicially or administratively determined to have been abandoned, and you haven't commenced to be treated as a resident of a foreign country under a tax treaty between the United States and such foreign country.

You aren’t treated as a lawful permanent resident if you commenced to be treated as a resident of a foreign country under a tax treaty, didn’t waive the benefits of such treaty applicable to foreign residents, and notified the IRS of such a position on a Form 8833 attached to a timely filed income tax return.

If you were already an LTR at the time you commence to be treated as a resident of such foreign treaty country, then you will be treated as having expatriated as of that date.

When Does Legal Permanent Residency Expire?

As further provided by the IRS:

If you were a U.S. long-term resident (LTR), you terminated your lawful permanent residency on the earliest of the following dates.

1. The date you voluntarily abandoned your lawful permanent resident status by filing Department of Homeland Security Form I-407 with a U.S. consular or immigration officer.

2. The date you became subject to a final administrative order that you abandoned your lawful permanent resident status (or, if such order has been appealed, the date of a final judicial order issued in connection with such administrative order).

3. The date you became subject to a final administrative or judicial order for your removal from the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

4. If you were a dual resident of the United States and a country with which the United States has an income tax treaty, the date you commenced to be treated as a resident of that country and you determined that, for purposes of the treaty, you are a resident of the treaty country and gave notice to the Secretary of such treatment on a Form 8833 attached to a timely filed income tax return.

See Regulations section 301.7701(b)-7 for information on other filing requirements if you are such an individual.

What is the Green Card Exit Tax 8 Years Threshold?

Just because the green-card expires does not mean the person has relinquished their permanent resident status, absent additional action taken by the green card holder.