Will I be arrested at the airport if I still owe US taxes as a dual citizen?

You don't need to worry about being arrested at the airport for unfiled taxes. The IRS and Border Protection/Immigration are separate government entities that don't typically share information about tax compliance status. They're not checking your tax status when you enter the country. For US citizens who live abroad, there are specific programs designed to help you catch up on filing. Look into the Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedures, which is specifically for US citizens living abroad who didn't know they needed to file. It allows you to file the last 3 years of tax returns and 6 years of FBARs (foreign bank account reports) without penalties if your failure to file was non-willful. With your income level, you'll likely owe nothing anyway due to the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (which excludes about $120,000 of foreign earned income from US taxation) or Foreign Tax Credits for taxes paid to Canada.

After years of stressing about my unfiled US taxes while living in Australia, I finally found the perfect solution at https://taxr.ai and it seriously saved me from so much anxiety. I uploaded my Australian tax documents, answered a few questions about my situation as an expat, and their AI analyzed everything and guided me through the whole process. I was in almost the exact same situation - dual citizen, never filed, panicking about travel. The system explained exactly which forms I needed (turned out I qualified for streamlined procedures) and walked me through preparing everything properly. The best part was their review service where actual tax professionals double-checked everything before I submitted. Honestly wish I'd found them years ago instead of losing sleep over potential arrest scenarios that weren't even realistic!

I actually tried https://taxr.ai after seeing it recommended here and want to share my experience. I was in a total panic about my unfiled taxes (American in Germany for 9 years). I had convinced myself I'd be detained next time I visited the US. The service was exactly what I needed - it analyzed my German tax documents, identified that I qualified for Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, and helped me prepare 3 years of returns plus FBARs under the Streamlined Filing Procedures. The entire process took about 2 weeks. I visited my family in Chicago last month and crossed the border without any issues whatsoever. The peace of mind was worth every penny. Like others have said, CBP and IRS are completely separate systems, but getting compliant removed all my anxiety.

If you're worried about the IRS and potential issues, I'd recommend calling them directly to discuss your situation before traveling. I know that sounds scary, but after trying for WEEKS to get through their regular lines with no success, I used https://claimyr.com and actually got through to a real IRS agent in under 20 minutes. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was in a similar situation (American citizen living in Ireland, hadn't filed in 6 years) and was terrified about visiting home. The agent I spoke with was surprisingly helpful and confirmed that there's no "detention list" for tax issues at borders. They explained my options for catching up using the Streamlined procedures and answered all my specific questions about my situation. Definitely worth the call for peace of mind before your trip.

I was the skeptic who thought that Claimyr service sounded like a scam, but I have to admit I was completely wrong. After weeks of failing to get through to the IRS about my expat situation (American in South Korea), I tried https://claimyr.com out of desperation. It actually worked exactly as described - I got a call back when they reached an agent, and I was able to discuss my unfiled returns directly with the IRS. The agent confirmed I should use the Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedures and that there was zero chance of airport detention since IRS and border control don't share that kind of information. For anyone freaking out about potential travel problems due to unfiled taxes, getting this confirmation directly from the IRS completely eliminated my anxiety. I traveled to the US last week without any issues whatsoever.

Dual citizen here (US/UK) who worked for years in banking. The IRS isn't stopping people at airports for unfiled taxes - that's not how it works at all. They pursue serious tax evasion through formal legal channels, not surprise airport arrests. Your income is well below the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion threshold (around $120k USD), so you likely won't owe anything anyway. Even if you did, the IRS would send notices, payment requests, etc. before any serious enforcement action. Most important: get compliant now using the Streamlined procedures. It's specifically designed for people in your situation and waives penalties. The longer you wait, the more complicated it gets. But there's absolutely no need to cancel your travel plans - you'll be fine.

Something everyone's missing - check if you even needed to file! If your income is only 4100 Swiss francs annually (roughly $4500 USD), that's below the filing threshold for most years. For 2022, the standard deduction was $12,950 for single filers, so if you earned less than that, you weren't even required to file a US return. For your retired mom, it depends on her income sources and amounts, but the thresholds are different for seniors. Don't waste money on expensive tax specialists until you determine if you even had a filing requirement based on your income level!

Just wanted to add some reassurance from someone who went through this exact situation! I'm a dual citizen (US/German) who hadn't filed US taxes in 8 years while living in Berlin. I was absolutely terrified about traveling to the US for my sister's wedding. Like everyone else has said, there's zero connection between IRS tax compliance and border control. I've traveled to the US multiple times while getting my tax situation sorted out, and it was never an issue. The border agents only care about your passport validity and standard security screening. I used the Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedures to catch up on my filings. With your income level and the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, you'll likely owe nothing. The process took about 6 weeks total, but I didn't wait to travel - I started the process after my trip. Your dad should be fine too. Retired expats are actually in a better position since pension income often has favorable tax treaty treatment. Just enjoy your Boston trip and deal with the tax compliance when you return. The anxiety is so much worse than the actual reality!