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Leaving US residency or surrendering a green card: Form 8854 review
A US citizen or long-term green-card holder considering expatriation should assess the tax consequences before taking action. Form 8854, certification of prior compliance and covered-expatriate analysis are fact dependent. Immigration decisions belong with qualified immigration counsel.
Who it may apply to
US citizens planning expatriation and lawful permanent residents who may be long-term residents and are considering ending US resident status.
Records to collect
Eight years of US returns and compliance history, green-card history, net-worth schedule, income-tax history, foreign asset records, trust and pension records, and proposed departure timeline.
Filing and decision points
Confirm status and date, assess Form 8854 requirements, review covered-expatriate tests and exceptions, model tax reporting issues and coordinate the filing position with legal immigration counsel.
Common mistakes
Assuming a green-card surrender has no tax consequence, starting after status action is taken, overlooking prior-year compliance certification, or using an incomplete asset schedule.
Official sources
Reviewed by Gurleen Kaur, CPA (Washington State). Reviewed September 7, 2026.