How Trump can follow through on his campaign promise to stop double-taxing American expats

But unlike many Trump campaign talking points, this isn’t a partisan issue. In fact, it’s one with broad cross-aisle support. A coalition of organizations ranging from Democrats Abroad, an arm of the Democratic Party, to the fiscally conservative National Taxpayers Union all support eliminating undue tax burdens on Americans overseas.

From a policy perspective, eliminating the current requirement that American expats pay taxes on their foreign income to the United States as well as their country of residence makes perfect sense. Only two other countries require citizenship-based taxation: Eritrea and North Korea. As a simple matter of fairness, no U.S. citizen should be taxed twice. 

But it’s not just about the IRS bill. Expats also face significantly more paperwork, requiring them to hire professional help that may be hard to afford. Contrary to the stereotype perpetuated by the media, most Americans abroad aren’t living in fancy villas. A majority of Americans abroad have a gross household income of less than $100,000.

The tax treatment of income earned overseas also hurts our economy and the economies of our trading partners. While studying and working abroad, Americans acquire skills in all kinds of fields, including finance, natural resources, the sciences, and engineering. When they come home, they bring their new knowledge with them to benefit U.S. enterprises.

Many Americans abroad work for U.S. companies—and thus help bolster U.S. businesses expanding into new markets. And many work in jobs that promote trade.

Double taxation discourages all these activities. It even encourages some to stay abroad permanently. In fact, nearly one-third of Americans living abroad are either planning to renounce their citizenship or are seriously considering it, according to a recent survey. Of these expats, three in four cited the burden of managing and filing U.S. taxes as a primary motivator. This is sad because people should not feel they have to change their lives and the lives of their families based on taxes.

Host countries also benefit from expat U.S. citizens—and are hurt by policies that discourage Americans from living overseas. For one thing, the countries of residence gain talent. American professionals bring diverse…