Closer Connection(p5)

You will have met the closer connection test if, during any part of the tax year, you do not have a closer connection to the United States or a foreign country than to the relevant U.S. possession.

You will be considered to have a closer connection to a possession than to the United States or to a foreign country if you have maintained more significant contacts with the possession(s) than with the United States or foreign country. In determining if you have maintained more significant contacts with the relevant possession, the facts and circumstances to be considered include, but are not limited to, the following.

• The location of your permanent home.
• The location of your family.
• The location of personal belongings, such as automobiles, furniture, clothing, and jewelry owned by you and your family.
• The location of social, political, cultural, professional, or religious organizations with which you have a current relationship.
• The location where you conduct your routine personal banking activities.
• The location where you conduct business activities (other than those that go into determining your tax home).
• The location of the jurisdiction in which you hold a driver's license.
• The location of the jurisdiction in which you vote.
• The location of charitable organizations to which you contribute.
• The country of residence you designate on forms and documents.
• The types of official forms and documents you file, such as Form W-8BEN, Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding, or Form W-9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification.

Your connections to the relevant possession will be compared to the total of your connections with the United States and foreign countries. Your answers to the questions on Form 8898, Part III, will help establish the jurisdiction to which you have a closer connection.

Marcos Reyes, a U.S. citizen, moved to Puerto Rico in 2012 to start an investment consulting and venture capital business. His wife and two teenage children remained in California to allow the children to complete high school. He traveled back to the United States regularly to see his wife and children, to engage in business activities, and to take vacations. Marcos had an apartment available for his full-time use in Puerto Rico, but remained a joint owner of the residence in California where his wife and children lived. Marcos and his family had automobiles and personal belongings such as furniture, clothing, and jewelry located at both residences. Although Marcos was a member of the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce, he also belonged to and had current relationships with social, political, cultural, and religious organizations in California. Marcos received mail in California, including bank and brokerage statements and credit card bills. He conducted his personal banking activities in California. He held a California driver's license and was also registered to vote there. Based on all of the particular facts and circumstances pertaining to Marcos, he was not a bona fide resident of Puerto Rico in 2012 because he had a closer connection to the United States than to Puerto Rico.

Generally, possessions are not treated as foreign countries. Therefore, a closer connection to a possession other than the relevant possession will not be treated as a closer connection to a foreign country.

Pearl Blackmon, a U.S. citizen, is a permanent employee of a hotel in Guam, but works only during the tourist season. For the remainder of each year, Pearl lives with her husband and children in the CNMI, where she has no outside employment. Most of Pearl's personal belongings, including her automobile, are located in the CNMI. She is registered to vote in, and has a driver's license issued by, the CNMI. She does her personal banking in the CNMI and routinely lists her CNMI address as her permanent address on forms and documents. Pearl satisfies the presence test with respect to both Guam and the CNMI. She satisfies the tax home test with respect to Guam, because her regular place of business is in Guam. Pearl satisfies the closer connection test with respect to both Guam and the CNMI, because she does not have a closer connection to the United States or to any foreign country. Pearl is considered a bona fide resident of Guam, the location of her tax home.

If you are moving to or from a possession during the year, you may still be able to meet the closer connection test for that year. See Special Rules in the Year of a Move, next.