When Marriage Meets U.S. Citizenship Tax: The Community Property Trap for Citizens Abroad

November 9, 2025 - Participants include:

 

Virginia La Torre Jeker - @VLJeker

 

John Richardson - @ExpatriationLaw

 

Prologue:

 

Virginia recently published a post discussing the issues generated by a U.S. citizen married to a nonresident alien with the couple living in a non-US "community property jurisdiction".

You are invited to read the post here:

https://us-tax.org/2025/11/07/a-complicated-u-s-tax-life-foreign-spouses-and-community-property/

What follows is an AI generated description of our podcast.

 

"John Richardson and Virginia La Torre Jeker discuss the risks U.S. citizens face when married (or considering marriage) in jurisdictions with community property rules. The episode explains how foreign marital property laws can cause a U.S. spouse to be treated as owning half of assets, triggering reporting requirements (Form 8938 and FBAR), income inclusion, and harsh PFIC rules.

The hosts advise listeners to investigate local marital property regimes, consider prenuptial or postnuptial agreements, map asset histories, and obtain both U.S. tax and local legal advice to avoid unexpected tax and estate consequences.