The Stepford Wives is a 1972 satirical thriller novel by Ira Levin. The story concerns Joanna Eberhart, a photographer and young mother who begins to suspect that the frighteningly submissive housewives in her new idyllic Connecticut neighborhood may be robots created by their husbands.
Democrats Abroad is a frighteningly submissive group of automatons who believe it’s their job to carry on the work of the Democratic Party outside the United States. In their “robotic way” they believe in the “goodness” of the Democrats and ignore:
“FATCA, FBAR, OVDI, OVDP and the rest of the Treasury/IRS/HIRE/IGA alphabet-soup train wreck that is coming down the tracks to destroy the lives of U.S Persons abroad, and ultimately the homeland United States as well”.
They are, in their robotic way, completely asleep at the wheel and will be judged by their complete inaction in this matter.
Oh well!
During the summer a letter from Joe Green did at least acknowledge that the Obama Democrats were using the prison of citizenship-based taxation to make life hell for U.S. persons abroad. In part it included:
So, ladies and gents, while we have made some progress in in ameliorating the toxic (or is that tax-ic) issues that the Task Force was created to address, we continue to discuss our concerns with the governmental bodies that are charged with implementation. When the time is right (not in the midst of the federal election campaign), we are optimistic that we will achieve more – or perhaps all – of our goals. And, when appropriate, we will get back to you with specific actions that you may be able to take.
But, as we move forward toward November 6, please bear in mind that, as troubling as our tax issues are now, conditions would be much worse (taxes and way beyond) with a Romney presidency, a tea party House and a Senate without a filibuster-proof majority. Imagine a right wing activist Supreme Court for thirty years (despite the welcome news about the President’s historic health care initiative)!
Let’s Get Out The Vote!
Your DPCA FBAR/FATCA Task Force,
A post written in response to this letter generated lots of interesting comments. Might be interesting to go back and refresh your memory. These comments include the most expressive we have seen.
The letter noted that, (in true Stepford wife style) that an election was simply not the time to discuss important issues. But,these issues would be addressed after the election.
A video of Allenna Leonard discussing the election is here. (Could someone explain how any U.S. citizen abroad could support the Obama Democrats?)
Not that anybody was fooled, but take a look at the latest letter from Democrats Abroad. It’s a “Stepford Wife” classic!
Dear Fellow Democrats,
I want to wish you a very happy holiday and a wonderful new year.
Democrats Abroad had a very good 2012 and a lot of it is due to you. So, here is a big thank-you to all of you who registered, voted, volunteered and came to chapter events. The reward came in November 6th and we all shared in the happiness of victory as well as, for many of us, a sigh of relief that we would not be seeing Republican nominees to the Supreme Court or austerity programs burdening the less well-off while the wealthy got new tax breaks.
We can be very proud of our voter registration work and our phone-banking efforts to DAC members who vote in swing states and in states with close senate races that helped to re-elect President Obama and to see Democratic gains in the Senate and the House. Special thanks are due to Executive Vice Chair Joe Green for voter registration training and trouble shooting and to Vice-Chairs Giles Hogya and Adrienne Jones for leading the phone banking campaigns.
It is not possible to pass by the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary without saying how much sympathy we feel for the victims and their families and how grateful we should all be for our own families and friends this year. Some of you have emailed to ask what we can do as Democrats Abroad Canada. While the Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for March 30 will probably consider a resolution, one thing we can all do now as individuals is to email the President, and our Senators and Members of Congress to support taking action. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is preparing bills that would reinstitute the assault weapons ban and limit the sale of high capacity magazines. Or, you may urge support for your own recommendation with respect to access to firearms or mental health initiatives.
I also want to give you some news about what we will be doing in 2013. First, expect to receive a message from us requesting you confirm your membership. This is a yearly requirement and you will help us a lot if you correct any information that is out of date.
Upcoming in 2013 is the election year for Democrats Abroad worldwide, at the international, country committee and chapter levels. Here in DA Canada, Joe Green, Ken Sherman (DA International Chair and Hamilton chapter chair) and former Toronto chapter Chair Julie Buchanan have agreed to serve on the Nominating Committee. You can expect to see detailed information about DAC ExCom officer and DPCA voting member job descriptions and AGM voting procedures early in the year.
Again, we have scheduled our Annual General Meeting for Saturday, March 30th from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Details about how you can attend in person or electronically will be sent with the formal meeting notice.
Again, thank you,
Allenna Leonard, Chair
Democrats Abroad, Canada
This message is paid for by the Democratic Party Committee Abroad, Democrats Abroad, 430 S. Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003. It is being sent to you because you are a member of one or more of these Democrats Abroad group(s): DA International and Canada.
@Victoria
I like your fire, lots of cursing. You better book a double session in the confessional next time 🙂
Victoria –
I take it as a personal Christmas present to see your evolution, your prise de conscience regarding those expatriatiate orgs who by definition must remain severely compromised by the cop in their heads. This is a pervasive core contradiction: to be “heard” you must remain “respectable” – and rational in the face of insane unreason – while the reality is that you will never be listened to. Even worse, these kinds of orgs serve the perfidious function of occupying a position, maintaining an existence, projecting a veneer that fosters false hopes among the collateral-damage victims of cynical oppression. And officialdom just loves to have these reputable groups to exercise its fake protocols with in order to play out the farces of purported democracy. So that kind of engagement boils down to collusion and collaboration. (Think only of the ironies of ACA fighting so hard for the citizenship of offspring abroad, only to see that transmission become propagation of a disabling disease!) A few people who are willing to step out and skewer the mythos with “outrageous” public action seem likely to have far more effect than a passel of patient grey orgs. Think Pussy Riot. What if, for example, next July 4, US consulates around the world were simultaneously confronted by a day-long lineup on the sidewalk, appropriate spacing, no disruption of pedestrian traffic, of individuals wearing bags over their heads, perhaps costumes draped with chains, handing out leaflets, etc. “I used to be a US person but chose freedom instead.” “Why won’t Uncle Sam let go of me?” Etc.
USCitizenAbroad –
So nice to see another voice picking up the theme that antiAmericanism handily dooms all presumptions to generate sympathies among the extraterritorial populations who have suffered and do suffer the crass exploitations of the failing American hegemony.
The Americans-abroad organizations are composed of people who are committed to remaining Americans, pretty much by definition. Also, I think that at least as far as Democrats Abroad is concerned, it’s fair to say (as mentioned upthread) that it’s made up of at the most, medium-term *expatriates* – real expatriates, not emigrants to other countries or USCs born abroad. (Though Joe Green has been in Canada for lo these many years.)
Which puts a number of options, like expatriation, off the table as far as their worldview is concerned. The most an organization like ACA is likely to do is mention renunciations in a non-judgmental, regretful way.
Where I guess I get a bit judgy is that the Democratic Party, through Democrats Abroad, has been happy for many years to have some modest political leverage through overseas citizens, but when the overseas citizens finally needed something from the party, it wasn’t forthcoming. It was only ever a one-way exchange.
ACA is the only organization working on this—it makes good sense to support them in any way one can.
As for protest and lawsuits, it is what I am waiting for. Some ingenuity is necessary, as the distances between US persons abroad is pretty wide. A protest in my home town would draw about 10 people.
Key dates for activities are April 15, or June 15 which is the date for citizens abroad, or June 30 which is FBAR day. Something in January or February would be sooner.
ps, the Democrats abroad sites are managed from propoganda central in DC. THey are a stream of happy pictures of happy democrats Their facebook pages are great to look at if you ate something that needs to be regurgitated.
As Shadow Raider mentioned, one gets a reaction if one is sitting in the office of a Congressperson/Senator—and follows up again with written summaries and followup visit. We all know that nothing else works. If anyone is back in US to visit relatives over xmas, now is the time to stop into a Congresspersons office.
I might as well comment here what I commented to you in an email and get it off my chest, bubblebustin.
I am busy today so don’t have a lot of time on the computer. I’ve just made two things for a potluck Christmas party, for which my son and one of his roommates and work buddies will be among the guests of honour. Last night went Christmas carolling with them and Easter Seals Camp Horizon in Bragg Creek, a small community in the foothills of the Rockies where my son is transported each day to work with a very unique organization called “Venturers”. He works hard and knows his work is valued. He’s also protected to a great extent and makes $115/month to boot. These are the important things for me. So just a quick note.
Last night I was again awake, almost to the low depths of my ups and downs. I talked with the Washington, DC immigration / nationality lawyer, a wind-up conversation on Tuesday. What an outstanding human being he is. But, he can do nothing for my son. He has unofficially had conversations with those high in Department of State, especially regarding a situation like my son and another more profound case where there is no communication on the part of the disabled person, but there is some comprehension. We discussed my two options – go through with trying to “teach” my son everything they could ask him regarding his knowledge of what citizenship means, what US citizenship means for him; what renunciation of US citizenship means for him – what he would be giving up. Did he have any influence from anyone? Of course he would have – a very strong minded mother.
DOS persons he talked with on an informal basis have “sympathy” for such cases. However, the developmentally disabled person will have to have FULL understanding of what he’s doing; if any question of lack of comprehension and grasping meaning and importance of ramifications, they could NOT approve such a case. From DOS point of view, US citizenship is precious and they have therefore established fundamental requirements for “compelling reason”. Even though there is the risk that a person’s financial resources could run out before his/her life was over, they will never approve a renunciation for financial / economic reasons. DOS has NEVER had such a renunciation case approved due to “compelling circumstances”. Bottom line: “compelling reason” in their regulations is not helpful to my son’s case. I could sue – persons he talked with at DOS are SURE no one would ever win such a case as the courts view the discretionary action that DOS has would take precedence.
I told him that I had made up my mind, but that doesn’t mean I might have to change it, “Don’t Ask / Don’t Tell” – I will not register my son with the US; I will not get a social security number for him; I will not file back US tax returns and 3520 and 3520As on his behalf. All to be able to take the chance that DOS would accept his renunciation (not mine on his behalf). My recurring nightmare is having the bank ask me if I am lying when I say that my son is Canadian. Is he also US? Are you his mother? Why do you say he is not US? We will have to close his RDSP and you will have to pay back to the Government of Canada all of their contributions. Why do I have such a problem with lying to them, who will sacrifice my son for their business with the US??!!??
He is closing my account and will refund some of my $6,000 that he was going to work up to. He says he has the answer in less time. I told him I’d like him to keep the balance to use for some other like person who has no funds to pay him. He indicated that he has learned so much from me and he will now take similar cases on a “knowledge fee” rather than an hourly rate. Although he has closed my file, he encourages me to contact him if I change my mind on any of this. He also looked at the Isaac Brock Consulate Directory and agrees there are many discrepancies from Consulate to Consulate throughout the whole world.
This whole aspect plus the announcement of baird68’s successful relinquishment in Halifax. I’m so happy for that outcome for the brother! It is a relinquishment that they granted even though he had a US passport – that he was coerced by the US border personnel to do. I feel I have made so many, many stupid mistakes along my road, have paid much too much money and that this could have been an easier process for me – had I known then what I know now. I don’t feel sorry for myself; I’m just so mad sometimes that I can’t see straight. And, I feel that I am being gagged on talking about my son’s situation and me losing the ability to maintain an RDSP for him. Every parent with a family member who is “disabled” in some way fear the day they will be gone and their child, whatever age, will then be on their own. I have also imposed upon myself and my son “the dreaded Reed Amendment”. I don’t have to be threatened by the US that they will do this – it’s already done by my inaction and decision not to cross the border.
Enough, must get busy.
Maybe my son falls into a fourth category; I don’t know.
… and what I guess it boils down to:
I have caused this for my son who I am supposed to somehow protect. It is absolutely no fault of my son that he was born to a US citizen parent(s). The loss of control of a very independent person (me) is not a pleasant thing to see or experience, especially for my poor husband (who is not my son’s father – his father is deceased). Can I hurt my son any more than I already have?
The wasted human energy in all of this is also profound.
Good happenings through my quick read of comments on Isaac Brock today.
@ Calgary,
You didn’t make any stupid mistakes. This hit your life a few years ago, before much was known about this. In fact, what was known at that time was basically misinformation.
It has really been only in the past year or so that anyone could find out the true information, what the law really is – only since people came together online and were able to piece tidbits of information together that people have been able to figure out what the law really is.
So, don’t be hard on yourself. You’re a smart person and a caring one.
This refusal to allow persons with mental incapacities to renounce is the most egregious aspect of this whole crassUS policy. I don’t know what to do about it, but if something can be done, you can count on me and, I suspect, lots of us here to do whatever we can.
calgary411,
I have to say my heart goes out as a fellow parent and Brocker who has a developmentally disabled child (my son was diagnosed with ASD (autism spectrum disorder), he isn’t a high-functioning autistic either; he will need round-the-clock care for the rest of his life due to a genetic anomaly in his brain that we have no idea what the cause of it was). As my son, he is a Canadian citizen, but as my wife’s (who falls under the birthright window) he is also a US citizen. And it sparks a deep anger in me, that burns to this very day as “hatred for the United States” that the US will try to take what my son has in government subsidy (for disabled children) as income which should go to my son for therapy. No, like you, I will not register my son as a US citizen, nor will I get a SSN for him. My word to the IRS, you want him, you damned well come through me first and I will show you what a pissed off 100% Canadian born and bred citizen will do to an IRS goon on Canadian soil and you can be damned sure that it will involve a) RCMP and handcuffs b) criminal charges for extortion.
Yet again, this is one of the many injustices that the US government is inflicting on American Citizens abroad, how many foreign born children with developmental disabilities are they dooming to have the “ball & chain” permanently looped around their ankles due to their incapacity to understand what it is to “renounce their citizenship”. How many developmentally disabled children are trapped by this? In IBS we have two members who have this situation and it makes us angry as hell. If the parents are able to renounce their citizenship, it is only right that the country whose citizenship they are renouncing should give up the offspring as well. However to Obama it is a readily available tax base until they are of an age to renounce. So for the children, no bank accounts, no RESPs (registered educational savings plans, no nothing, no chance to get a part-time job to help pay for their goodies that everyone else gets at school with their part-time jobs because they had the benefit of being born to two Canadian parents as opposed to an American citizen or a dual just to stay off the IRS radar until they are of an age to renounce their citizenship and get the hell out! My 10 year old son already says he “hates the US”, thinks “they’re a bully” and “wants out, and will get out” when he’s 18. I have three sons and one daughter, to the IRS it would be a gold-mine, if my oldest two were of a mind to keep paying taxes to the US. It’s my youngest son who will remain trapped as the ASD prevents him from understanding just what it is to be able to give up his citizenship which is a trap.
@calgary411, the Animal
I’m sorry for your living nightmare and the anger you naturally feel in this hell of what US citizenship has brought to you and your children. Not 3rd or 4th class Canadians but, 2nd class Americans unable to exercise the right of renunciation, as the rest of us are still able to.
Dear bubblebustin, Animal, Pacifica,
Thanks for intercepting my latest rant on my son’s situation. You have listened to me over and over and over. I’m sorry — even I am tired or listening to myself. Again, I can’t tell all here how much your support and understanding and outrage haved buoyed me through all this. I will get through it all — and it is because of all of you and my own family.
Those I worry most about are those just like my family, Animal’s family, recalcitrant’s family, Cecilia’s family, Deutsch-American’s family that don’t yet know about any of this. Do they have enough on their plates? Should they have to have the stress of this, the life-changing monster entering the life they have made for their family member? Does the Congress of the US have any idea what morality means?
Through this journey, we have all seen the judgement of many “homelanders”, bringing out the very worst of people. We have seen ignorance of US government representatives; we cannot understand the caving in of our own countries who may sign IGAs; we have seen lack of responsible journalism on this story; on and on. We have also seen the generous people on this site who have educated and supported us and hung in here for the fight when theirs was finished. We are indeed each stronger because of one another. It has been an amazing journey to experience the wonderful side of it through all the insanity. If I could put a red ribbon around a CLN for each of you this holiday season, I would. Happy Holidays and may it be a better year ahead. I count my blessings in being part of this Isaac Brock community.
@calgary411
I count my blessings every day, that in adversity, I found people like yourself. What you are going through (and others here at Brock), regarding your offspring having a foreign government dictate to them, is so, so wrong. Obviously, people like your DC lawyer know how wrong this is. And probably many at DOS also know none of it makes sense.
You must remember that you have done nothing wrong. You have done and I am sure will continue to do everything in your power to help you son live up to his capibilities and have happiness in his life.
@bubblebustin – Father C. is French. I’m sure once I explain that the American imperialists have driven me to it, my penance for my profanity will be light. 🙂
usxcanada – What a wonderful response. thank you. You are right, of course. When I started out I had this vision that somehow using logic and sweet reason, we would prevail. Ah well. I think it was important to try and fail and, as you put it to well, to allow thinking to evolve.
broken man – Indeed. Yes, we are a source of votes and also, I think, we can be used to show how terribly cosmopolitan the party is. I have heard it said more than once the that most Americans abroad are *of course* Democrats and not Republicans. This is utter horse manure but I find it amusing that they claim us when they want to make a point about how global they are but they disown us when we start agitating about policies we don’t care for.
calgary411 – You are a good person caught in a bad place. I admire so much your fight for your child. May I add my voice to others and say this is not at all your fault? You didn’t do anything wrong.
I believe that is true of nearly all of the millions of US Persons out there. These folks did nothing wrong and in many cases did the very best they could in a situation where (as the TAS put it) it is damn near impossible to even figure out what is being asked of them.
In a nutshell: It’s not the people who are the problem. It’s the crazy immoral citizenship-based tax system that is at fault here.
And, yep, I am ready to start picketing the US Embassies, writing op-eds for foreign papers and a whole host of other things to get that point across.
Passons a l’action!
*@calgary411 & the Animal
My heart goes out to you. I am mad enough about this whole US mess, but when I think about cases such as yours my blood boils. What would the US do if you did nothing to file anything on behalf of your children? Calgary – if you are no longer a US person, they couldn’t really do anything to you could they? & if they came after your son can you just imagine the bad press? If you get backed in a corner with nothing to lose & willing to go very public, I can’t help but think that the US – to avoid more embarrassment – would back down & eventually find a way to let your son go, or at the very least make him exempt from filing. What is that saying I read somewhere – you can always trust the US to do the right thing, after they’ve tried everything else? Surely there can’t be a parent of any nationality out there that wouldn’t find your current position outrageous.
*Being more the party of business, the Republicans should be more responsive to the needs of Americans abroad. Unfortunately, the Republican party is heavily dependent on provincial type homelanders who can’t imagine why anyone would voluntarily reside in another country. Given the congressional makeup and the filibuster rule in the Senate, there is just no congressional relief coming for Americans abroad.
I have not seen one accurate mainstream media article concerning renouncements and extra-territorial taxation. Until that happens and happens big time, there will not be any move in Congress (Republican or Democrat) to correct the injustice.
What can Americans abroad do? Unfortunately, it takes immoral and/or violent acts to get big time attention in the media. Renouncing is just a lot easier than stripping naked and setting oneself on fire in front of a US embassy.
@namakan
“Renouncing is just a lot easier than stripping naked and setting oneself on fire in front of a US embassy.”
If you take mental anguish into account, maybe not any less painful. If anyone is going to self-immolate, they should least use that US passport for a noble cause and do it in front of the White House.
@Victoria, usxcanada, all
I agree with USCitizenAbroad and others that the main focus should be the abolition of citizenship based taxation and directing our efforts at those who can actually do something about it. FATCA, the warhead, has been somewhat of a distraction from the root of our problem, the taxation. Bag or no bag, if getting attention picketing in front of a US consulate or embassy will do that then count me in (not available early Feb-mid March). We need a really good hand bill (short and punchy and only addresses the taxation issue) to give to passers-by, not that any ‘regular’ citizens can do much about it, but at least we might educate them a bit.
Victoria, your priest may have a few choice swear words himself, once you tell him.
*North of49… I’m sure that Calgary has already realized that her son is safe from the reach of the US robber barons. We all support her. .
namakan –
For sure you want to avoid “immoral and/or violent acts.” Because the cop has built a solid nest inside your head.
No singing an untoward song in a cathedral like Pussy Riot. No destroying property by dumping oppressor tea into saltwater. No forcing yourself into the wrong seat on a bus. No parading Pigasus for president while cops rampage in the streets of Chicago – after all, the authorities already told you not to be there at all, so carte blanche for head busting. No dying from prison because you refused to apologize to a state that arrested you for not vacating your own stolen land (Harriet Nahanee). People like you guarantee that bad situations remain invisible and nothing changes.
@northof49,
Thanks for your comment.
If, Canada stands behind what Finance Minister Flaherty promises, if that is not destroyed by a Canadian / US IGA re FATCA,
I don’t think that the US will or can do anything to ME for taking the stance of not entering my son into the US citizenship tax bureaucracy.
If anyone will punish me, it will be my own country, Canada, in that my bank or the Canadian Government, with FATCA and an IGA with the US, may have a way to prevent me being the Holder of a Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) and/or a Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) for what can be considered my US citizen son. This would be similar to what is happening to the US citizen financial accounts of Swiss and European countries (even before FATCA). If the right to that RDSP account were to be revoked, Canadian contributions will have to be repaid, a generous Canadian Government contribution to those of our country eligible for the Disability Tax Credit.
Right now, the benefit of that RDSP to my ‘USP’ son, is negated vs the benefit to any other Canadian because I have had to go back (with the help and COST of US tax law and accounting professionals) to amend 2009 and 2010 US tax returns to include 3520 and 3520A’s for that RDSP — and the contributions of the Canadian Government are taxable by the US) and to go forward with 2011 US returns by properly filing the 3520 and 3520A forms with same. But, I may one day not have the right to even hold that account for a person who is a US citizen.
Because I don’t consider him to be anything but Canadian, but I have been told by Mr. Mopsick that the law is the law is the law (whether that US citizenship tax law has been virtually ignored in the past decades regarding Canadians filing US tax returns, for which they owe $0.00 to the US — as well as the law that says a US citizen must only enter and leave the US with a US passport, not a Canadian, not an other country passport), my decision is to not register him with the US, to not obtain a US social security number for him, to not file back or future US tax returns on his behalf (which someone would have to continue, year after year after year after I am gone — at a cost that will have to come out of the “estate” that I leave for my children, when my son will no longer be eligible for provincial disability funds because, with what he receives from my estate, his assets will then be over the limit for such.
It’s all a matter of common sense, a matter of common decency, a matter of morality, but not a matter of the US law (or probable Canadian IGA signed with the US), that (in my opinion) my son should not be entrapped by US citizenship-based taxation or even considered a US citizen. What the US considers as a precious commodity for him, US citizenship, is not something that I agree with.
Besides the RDSP, I, right now, see the biggest threat to my son in crossing the border with me — even though he would be crossing with his Canadian passport, I would be crossing with him (the way he would be crossing the US border) with my Canadian passport (that shows I was born in the US) and my CLN. If it comes to the point where all US citizenship information is accessible at the border, or even not, it would not be much of a stretch to tie the fact that I was a US citizen to the fact that my son “IS” a US citizen. I’ll, therefore, stay on this side of the border. I have the “luxury” of not having to cross to care for aging parents as my parents have departed this world (without, thank god, seeing this happen). I do have sibilings in the US and, at this point, they can travel to see us — I’d even pay their way to not have to cross the border.
That’s my hard decision. For the most part, I think we’ll be OK. Many others, not yet aware of the same type absurdity for their families, have yet to come to their own hard decisions. It would be best if Canada (or other countries) stepped in to protect all their citizens from US citizenship-based taxation. Will it happen — I can only hope so. The backing of others here makes me braver, Duke of Devon!
*Calgary. You are over stressing . You will be able to cross the border at will with your son. You are Canadian with a CLN. He is Canadian. Full stop.
Forget S. Mopsick. Carry on with your RDSP for your Canadian son. Don’t let anyone tell you that he is anything else.
Calgary411 –
Starting with 2011, that purported “FBAR guarantee” from Canada becomes quite unexciting. Let’s always remember that the prosecutable Form 8938 has now brought the same data straight into the uncontrovertible realm of IRS jurisdiction. I still recall my mid-2011 discovery of the impending new requirement as a can of gasoline tossed onto the nascent flames of my passion to semper-sayonara that rogue state to the south. Canadian bureaucrats appear to have winnowed that now-hoary simulacrum of FBAR good news from the Canada-US tax treaty through brainless legal sifting, with no injection at all of their own good will. Who out there used to think that Flaherty was more of a white knight than they do at present?
*usx. Get real. “Prosecutable form 8938”. Minnows in Canada are not going to be prosecuted. The bad guys have their hands full with real tax evaders. More scare tactics.
Well whoopsie, Duke. Maybe I am just too conservative and paranoid. Remembering those two Saskatchewan farm wife sisters. Or that pair doesn’t swim with the minnows? If the US is so benignly unconcerned with the exploitability of extraterritorials, how come they make it so excruciating for long-ago-departeds to do the get-free paperwork? Can any older person with a house and pension still count as a home-free minnow rather than a prospective tasty morsel? Would compliant poggy Canada have any option except to enforce 8938 against a ratted-out non-dual ostrich? So many questions.
@Duke of Devon and @usxcanada,
That’s just it — too many questions. And, that is just the way the US IRS likes it.
(I have met and visited with one of those Saskatchewan farm wife sisters, now 70 years old, similar to my 69 years. They are nothing but ordinary, hard-working farm folks who at times have larger amounts in their “foreign” accounts — until all the bills are paid for what they produce. They are no different than the majority of us who are hard-working and saving, raising our family, being good citizens Canadians.)
US fear mongering. Keep us guessing what our fate may be. I’ve made my decisions, but I have no guarantees — and my mind in the middle of the night knows that.
@Calgary411
What sane, loving parent who has legal authority over her child would ever sign her child up to a lifelong commitment for which he only stands to lose? I don’t believe many would crucify you and yours son for your choices, but far be it from me to suggest that you test that theory in the open air.
At times I feel like my husband and I should have laid low and continued behaving like 1st class Canadians (ostrich), but we’ve always had our eyes on the carrot: renunciation and a hopeful end to the nightmare. Your 2nd class American son does not have that option. Different circumstances, different rules, different solution, different outcome. No one has his best interest at heart more than his mother. You are a true champion, F*CK the others!