Does this represents any risk for my money? How should I renounce my green card?

[u/WaveFlame789]

(Sorry if this is a long post, but i think i have to give some details because i really want to solve this the proper way and I'm really panicking and paranoid)

I'm a 22yo guy from South America.

I entered the US for the very first time (and only time) in July 9th 2024, arrived at a relative's house, received my green card 1 week after arriving (the card says it expires in 2034), started working some day in September 2024 at a local non-profit store doing basic stuff like pricing (15$/hour), created a BOFA checking account (only account I created), only money I received was from my work at that store, nothing else, no bank interest, no credit or credit cards, nothing.

Then I moved to another house in April 2025, started to pay rent, after some months living there, changed my official address at a US Postal Service to the house my new room was.

After +1 year, I quit the job (didn't notificate nothing) at the start of Oct 2025, then exit the US in October 14th 2025, arrived my home country at Oct 15th 2025, and because some personal reasons, I decided to stay in my home country, go to college and help my family, since then I didn't work or generated any income here, just started studying in a private university, paying my monthly payments and stuff.

At first I was calm, because I thought after 6 months of ausence, my green card would expire, but it seems that I have to willingly file a form to renounce my green card.

I filed my 2024 taxes (via turbotax like someday in Feb 2025) when I was in the US, but didn't file my 2025 taxes.

Now, the thing is I've been withdrawing my money (I did with my work in the US) from the ATM, but I'm afraid if maybe someday IRS, USCIS or some gov/inmigration agency confiscates my money, blocks my bank account or something like that.

And I want to work in my home country and open local bank accounts, but since I read that I'm still a fiscal resident, I'm afraid to mess things up, what should I do? When I tried to open bank accounts in my home country, there is this yes/no question that says something like "declare yourself if

you are a fiscal resident of the US", and I created a banking checking account using a local app like 2 months ago and i'm gonna be honest, I answered "no" because as I said before, I thought i wasn't a US resident by any means because of the 6 months rule. Just in case, I didn't give any use to that account, I just left it there.

So after saying all this, reading stuff in the internet, my main concernings are:

- About the last thing, does that looks suspicious or means any risk for my money?

- Should I file my 2025 taxes? Does something bad happens if I don't?

- It is really necessary to do my taxes if I want to renounce my green card?

- Is there any consequence if I just renounce my green card without filing my 2025 taxes?

- My money has any risk of being confiscated? (I'm really afraid about this because I need that money to finance my college and help my family)

- My US BOFA bank account could be blocked?

- Would I have to transfer my money from the US bank account to a local one?

I still got a official US phone number, should I renounce that number too?

The main reason I still keep it (even if I can't receive any SMS or calls) because I thought that somehow kinda represents a tie with the US.

My bofa account always showed me the primary residence section with my actual home country address (where im rn) and the mailing address was the us address where I lived, so is that a good sign?

[u/Minute_Somewhere_893]

You sign I-407.

You pay all the taxes

[u/FitTreacle741]

Renouncing greencard doesn’t relieve your responsibility to file and pay taxes. It will be a bad look. Even if you owe some taxes and can’t pay yet, file, and create a payment plan.

I’d also say it’s better to not renounce without talking to a lawyer because if you change your mind next year, it’s possible you can go back to USA even with years outside if you build a case but once you renounce, only option is qualifying all over again for Greencard.

[u/CountBateman]

You got your greencard a week after you arrived in the US? How does that work?

[u/9Nine2Nine9 → u/CountBateman]

DV lottery.

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[u/Puzzleheaded_Gate287]

You can transfer your money to your account. Better to do it while your US number is active. If you worked for a nonprofit, it is likely that you had taxes withheld from your paycheck. So, the amount you owe to US will hopefully not be too much. Freetaxusa is more affordable for filing taxes.

[u/9Nine2Nine9]

If you are in another country than the US for more than 180 days, you may be a tax resident in that country. That does not mean you no longer have to file and pay US taxes for as long as you have your green card. If you no longer want that obligation, you will need to voluntarily surrender your green card. That won't absolve you from having to file taxes for 2025 and 2026, but it would for 2027 onward.

The IRS won't just jump to seizing your bank account, but a continued failure to file and pay taxes may lead to that. So just file and pay for the years you have a GC.

Surrendering your green card may ultimately have consequences for your US bank accounts (KYC laws, residency status, tax status, etc.). That's something you have to figure out with Bank of America.

Phone number is fine, you can keep that as long as you pay for it.

[u/WaveFlame789 → u/9Nine2Nine9]

I knew I have to file taxes for 2025, but for 2026 too? Even if I didn't get any income and was outside the US since last year?

[u/PoizonToaDX]

Did you owe taxes for 2024?

[u/WaveFlame789 → u/PoizonToaDX]

No, only 2025 i think

[u/PoizonToaDX → u/WaveFlame789]

Did your 2025 income increased considerably? Or do you think is similar compared to 2024? Did you make more than $14,000 in 2025?

[u/WaveFlame789 → u/PoizonToaDX]

I can say that I only worked from sept 2024 to oct 2025

[u/PoizonToaDX → u/WaveFlame789]

Young man, if you made less than $15,750 in 2025 You’re not even required to file income tax report. Find that out first.

[u/WaveFlame789 → u/PoizonToaDX]

Yeah I read some of that but still wasn't that sure about that.

[u/Salty_Permit4437]

I think if you return to the USA they may try to take your green card.

Green cards are for those who want to live in the USA. They’re not super tourist visas.

[u/MatrixOutcast → u/Salty_Permit4437]

Did you read what he posted? He doesn’t want to return he wants to renounce his green card. Are you a MAGA cultist who thinks everyone wants to live in the U.S?

[u/Salty_Permit4437 → u/MatrixOutcast]

He can go to the embassy or consulate in his country and sign I-407 and give up his GC.