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‘Colonizer!’: TikToker under fire for promoting moving to Puerto Rico—for lower taxes

‘This feels problematic.’

Photo of Maria Poggi

Maria Poggi

Woman at beach talking (l) woman at beach speaking pointing to caption 'WHY DO RICH PPL MOVE TO PUERTO RICO?!' (c) woman at beach speaking pointing finger up (r)

On June 3, @addison.jarman shared a “tax-hack” on TikTok. Jarman claims U.S citizens can avoid paying taxes by moving to Puerto Rico.

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She says, “You need to move here at least 6 months and 1 day out of the year. If you’re a resident here you’re no longer subject to the U.S federal income tax on your Puerto Rico sourced income.” 

Puerto Rico is an unincorporated U.S territory. This means the island is not considered a state but is subjected to federal laws, while citizens cannot vote in presidential elections. 

Posted June 3, the video has received over 60,000 views in under four hours and was met with a mixed response. 

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@addison.jarman ORLANDO 2. Sry, sound is awful but when you’ve got that real-life ocean sound machine… 🥰 #puertorico #moneytok ♬ original sound – Addison Jarman

While some TikTokers may tout Puerto Rico as a perfect place to live, commenters are calling attention to the thousands of residents who lack potable water and have high rates of food insecurity.

One commenter wrote, “The natives there would like for us not to do that.”

Another wrote, “This feels problematic. Maybe interview some of the native Puerto Ricans how they feel about it.”

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One user simply said, “Colonization.”

Another encouraged the creator to educate herself: “Girl, check out the impact this is having on the citizens there.”

The creator replied to the criticism in the comments: “I’m not telling anybody to do this. Just sharing why many rich ppl have done moved. So much love & respect to the amazing locals there.”

The Daily Dot has reached out to Addison Jarman via TikTok comment for comment on this story.

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