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Is the American Pope on the Hook for U.S. Taxes?
When even the Bishop of Rome might need to file a 1040, something is off.
In most countries, taxes are based on where you live.
Earn money in Spain? You pay Spain.
Work in Japan? You pay Japan.
Simple enough — unless you’re American.
The U.S. is one of only two countries in the world — the other being Eritrea — that taxes its citizens no matter where they live. If you’re American, the IRS expects to hear from you every single year, regardless of where you live or how long you’ve been gone.
This is a feature of the American tax system, not a bug. It dates back to 1864, when the U.S. government, desperate to fund the Civil War, passed a law to stop wealthy citizens from dodging taxes by fleeing abroad. The law stuck. Over 150 years later, it’s still in force — and now, it applies to a pope who happens to be American.
Render Unto Caesar (And Also the IRS)
Pope Leo XIV, as the world now knows him, was born and raised in Chicago. And according to U.S. law, that makes him a taxpayer — or at least a tax filer — for life.
