San Juan, Puerto Rico
Answers · current to September 2026

How a US citizen is taxed abroad.

The short answer: San Juan, at 4% on $1M under Act 60. Everywhere else a US citizen pays at least the federal 33%, so Dubai costs exactly what Miami does, and leaving the country saves only the state tax.

In short, current to September 2026

  • The United States taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever they live. On $1M a year a US citizen pays at least the federal 33% at 28 addresses abroad on the Patrician.ch board, the same rate as in Miami.
  • So for a US citizen, moving from New York (43%) to Dubai or Monaco saves $107K a year on $1M, exactly what moving to Florida saves. From San Francisco (43%) the saving is $104K.
  • The exception is San Juan. A bona fide resident owes no federal income tax on Puerto Rico source income, and Act 60 sets 4% on export services income. Act 38-2026 extended the program to 2055 and set a cutoff: a decree application filed by 31.12.2026 keeps 0% on Puerto Rico sourced interest, dividends and post-move gains through 2035, one filed from 01.01.2027 pays 4%. Gains that accrued before the move stay federally taxable for 10 years, after which Puerto Rico taxes them at 5%.
  • 54 addresses abroad tax more than the US does. There the foreign tax credit stops double tax, but a US citizen pays the higher local rate, up to 53% in Tokyo.
  • Estate tax follows the passport too. The US taxes an estate at 40% above $15M per person in 2026. A US citizen spouse inherits free. Only renouncing ends both, and that can trigger the expatriation tax. Current to September 2026.

Each address on this page was last checked against its sources between and . The sources for each are named on its page and in the record.

Source: the Patrician.ch board, an original ranking of 100 residence addresses across 47 countries and territories. Tax rates, thresholds and routes are sourced. Cost, safety, schools, sun and beauty are Patrician.ch editorial indices. Figures current to September 2026. Updated . Cite as: Patrician.ch, How a US citizen is taxed abroad, 2026, 100 places, patrician.ch/answers/how-a-us-citizen-is-taxed-abroad/, September 2026.

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By the Research desk, Patrician.ch · Updated 2 October 2026 · 6 min read
Ranked for a US passport

The top 15, with US tax included.

Effective income tax on $1M a year for a single US citizen, federal tax counted wherever the address is. Ties at the federal floor are ordered by the engine's default reading.

01
San Juan 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico $9.6M kept over 10 years, safety 5 of 10, schools 6 of 10
4%
02
Abu Dhabi 🇦🇪 UAE $6.7M kept over 10 years, safety 9 of 10, schools 8 of 10
33%
03
Dubai 🇦🇪 UAE $6.7M kept over 10 years, safety 9 of 10, schools 8 of 10
33%
04
Punta del Este 🇺🇾 Uruguay $6.7M kept over 10 years, safety 8 of 10, schools 6 of 10
33%
05
Anguilla 🇦🇮 Anguilla $6.7M kept over 10 years, safety 7 of 10, schools 5 of 10
33%
06
Monaco 🇲🇨 Monaco $6.7M kept over 10 years, safety 10 of 10, schools 8 of 10
33%
07
Christophe Harbour 🇰🇳 St Kitts and Nevis $6.7M kept over 10 years, safety 6 of 10, schools 5 of 10
33%
08
George Town 🇰🇾 Cayman Islands $6.7M kept over 10 years, safety 8 of 10, schools 7 of 10
33%
09
St John's 🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda $6.7M kept over 10 years, safety 6 of 10, schools 5 of 10
33%
10
Providenciales 🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos $6.7M kept over 10 years, safety 7 of 10, schools 5 of 10
33%
11
Nassau 🇧🇸 Bahamas $6.7M kept over 10 years, safety 6 of 10, schools 6 of 10
33%
12
Andorra la Vella 🇦🇩 Andorra $6.7M kept over 10 years, safety 10 of 10, schools 6 of 10
33%
13
Tucker's Town 🇧🇲 Bermuda $6.7M kept over 10 years, safety 8 of 10, schools 7 of 10
33%
14
Gibraltar 🇬🇮 Gibraltar $6.7M kept over 10 years, safety 9 of 10, schools 6 of 10
33%
15
Panama City 🇵🇦 Panama $6.7M kept over 10 years, safety 6 of 10, schools 6 of 10
33%

Where you start, inside the US.

The same $1M at the US addresses on the board, and what the move to a 0% country saves a US citizen each year.

AddressEffective on $1MSaved a year by moving abroad
New York43%$107K
Montecito43%$104K
Malibu43%$104K
Beverly Hills43%$104K
Newport Beach43%$104K
San Francisco43%$104K
Maui43%$100K
The Hamptons39%$69K
Aspen37%$44K
Miami33%nothing
Palm Beach33%nothing
Bal Harbour33%nothing
Naples33%nothing
Coral Gables33%nothing
Las Vegas33%nothing
Dallas33%nothing
Austin33%nothing

Income tax only, single filer, indicative 2026 headline rates. The foreign earned income exclusion covers a capped slice of salary and none of the investment income, so it is left out at $1M.

Every US address ranked: where a high earner should live in the US. What leaving costs: the US exit rules.

Rank all 100 on my own passport →

Questions

The short answers.

Does a US citizen still pay US tax after moving abroad?

Yes. The United States taxes citizens on worldwide income wherever they live, so a US citizen pays at least the federal 33% on $1M anywhere on the board except Puerto Rico.

Moving abroad saves the state and city tax only, the same saving as moving to Florida or Texas.

Where does a US citizen pay the lowest rate on the board?

San Juan, at 4% on $1M for a bona fide resident under Act 60.

Bona fide residence means 183 days a year and a closer connection to the island. Gains that accrued before the move stay federally taxable.

Does moving to Dubai lower US taxes?

Only the state part. On $1M a US citizen in Dubai pays the federal 33%, the same as in Miami.

From New York that saves $107K a year, from California $104K.

Is Puerto Rico tax free for Americans?

Close to it for Puerto Rico source income. Act 60 sets 4% on export services income for a bona fide resident, and no federal income tax applies to it.

A decree application filed by 31 December 2026 keeps 0% on Puerto Rico sourced interest, dividends and post-move gains through 2035. One filed from 1 January 2027 pays 4%.

Does a US citizen pay estate tax after moving abroad?

Yes. The US taxes an estate at 40% above $15M per person in 2026. A US citizen spouse inherits free.

Only renouncing citizenship ends it.

What happens if a US citizen renounces?

No exit tax for a non citizen leaving the US, unless a long term green card holder, resident 8 of the last 15 years, gives up the card.

A US citizen is taxed worldwide after leaving. Renouncing, or giving up a long term green card, triggers the expatriation tax for a covered expatriate, meaning net worth of $2M or more, average income tax above $211K over the last 5 years, or 5 years of compliance not certified. It is a deemed sale of everything, with long term gains taxed at up to 23.8%, tax deferred retirement accounts treated as paid out, and the first $910K of gain excluded in 2026.

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Tax figures use a simplified marginal model with indicative 2026 brackets for a non-US single filer, ignore social contributions, most deductions, wealth taxes, and treaties, and are not advice. Residence rules change often. Verify before acting.

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