Inquiries about renouncing U.S. citizenship have surged in Canada since the election of President Donald Trump, with monthly inquiries nearly doubling in December 2023, according to Douglas Cowgill, a lawyer with Cross Border Visas. Alexander Marino, director of U.S. tax law at Moodys Tax Law, stated that most individuals renounce U.S. citizenship for tax reasons, as U.S. taxes are based on citizenship, not residency.
The process of renouncing U.S. citizenship is complex and requires immigration filings, tax compliance submissions and a fee of $2,350 to obtain a certificate of loss of nationality, as noted in the report. The wait time for interviews in Canada has increased significantly, with the queue reaching up to 12 months in 2023, according to Cowgill.