Why fewer American nationals are renouncing their US citizenship

Some 3,260 Americans formally gave up their citizenships last year, according to a list of recently-published names on the US government's Federal Register website.

More than 30,000 Americans have given up their US citizenship over the past decade, according to the list of names published quarterly by the US government.

The reason some observers give for 2023’s relatively low annual total number of Americans renouncing citizenship is that many US nationals living in Europe and through the world intending to make the move are waiting for a major reduction in the fee they are charged to give up their passport.

The State Department vowed in January last year that it would significantly lower the fee it charges for renouncing – from $2,350 to $450 following a legal challenge. However since October there has been no news.

John Richardson, a Toronto-based lawyer who helps American expatriates to navigate the often complex renunciation process, says a number of his clients have told him that they’re holding off on submitting their applications in order to take advantage of the $1,900 they would save with the reduction in the fee.

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