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The Daily Insight

Which US territories pay taxes?

Author

Mia Ramsey

Published Mar 20, 2026

Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States and Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens; however, Puerto Rico is not a U.S. state, but a U.S. insular area. Consequently, while all Puerto Rico residents pay federal taxes, many residents are not required to pay federal income taxes.

Are territories of the US taxed?

All territorial residents are subject to some form of federal payroll tax, while not all territorial residents file U.S. income tax returns. As a result, the territories would also not have to implement a new program for the U.S. Treasury to reimburse.

Are US territories tax exempt?

Introduction U.S. territories are generally referred to as U.S. insular areas or possessions. These U.S. territories are not part of the fifty states or the District of Columbia. Since these territories do not have their own governmental systems, they are not eligible issuers for tax- exempt bonds.

Do the people of Guam pay taxes?

Bona fide residents of Guam are subject to special U.S. tax rules. In general, all individuals with income from Guam will file only one return—either to Guam or the United States. Guam corporations are subject to income tax on their income from all sources.

What is the point of US territories?

Territory citizens can vote and run for office in the U.S. jurisdiction in which they live. Residents in some territories, like Puerto Rico, can vote in primaries but not the general election. Also, territories are not represented in Congress. The State Department uses the term insular area for U.S. territories.

Do Guam and Puerto Rico pay taxes?

Typically, the United States taxes its citizens on their worldwide income, but residents of the U.S. possessions — Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands — are generally not required to pay federal income taxes on income whose source is within …

What US territories could become states?

American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands are also U.S. territories and could potentially become U.S. states.

Why does the US own Guam?

In the years following World War II, Chamorro leaders on Guam pressed the U.S. for greater autonomy. The Guam Organic Act of 1950 established Guam as an unincorporated territory of the United States. It also established a civilian government with three branches.

How long can US citizen stay in Guam?

90 days
You can stay in Guam for up to 90 days.

Does America tax its territories?

All five inhabited territories have government structures similar to those of the states, with their own executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Those who live in the territories are U.S. citizens, pay some federal taxes, and can travel freely within the United States.

Since these territories do not have their own governmental systems, they are not eligible issuers for tax- exempt bonds. For U.S. tax purposes, they are also generally treated as foreign countries, subject to a limited number of exceptions.

Do US Virgin Islands pay taxes?

The U.S. Virgin Islands uses a mirror system of taxation, also known as the “Mirror Code,” meaning that USVI taxpayers pay taxes to the Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue (“BIR”) generally to the same extent as U.S. taxpayers would under the Code to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

Are there any US territories that have their own tax system?

Three of the possessions — the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the CNMI — are required to “mirror” the U.S. Internal Revenue Code and use federal tax rules and rates as their own, albeit in some cases with a substantial degree of flexibility. PR and American Samoa, however, are permitted to determine their own tax systems.

What kind of taxes do you pay in a territory?

The precise outlines of the federal tax jurisdiction vary from territory to territory. And there are exceptions: Social Security taxes generally apply in the possessions. The possessions apply their own tax systems. In some cases, their territorial tax

Which is the most tax friendly state in the United States?

In addition to the three aforementioned Western/Midwestern states, three Southern states also fared well, tax-wise: Florida is the fourth most tax-friendly state, and Mississippi and Louisiana came in ninth and tenth, respectively.

Do you have to file US tax return if you live in US territory?

If you have income from one of these U.S. territories, you may have to file a U.S. tax return only, a territory tax return only, or both returns. This generally depends on whether you are considered a resident of one of the U.S. territories.