Today the Green Party of Canada issued both a FATCA media release and a background paper on FATCA.
IRS Tax Collection: Evasion of the US or Invasion of Canada? greenparty.ca/media-release/… – Kudos to the Green Party! Where are the rest! #FATCA
— U.S. Citizen Abroad (@USCitizenAbroad) January 28, 2013
Green Party of Canada background paper on #FATCA – Keep the IRS out of Canada! greenparty.ca/statement/2013…
— U.S. Citizen Abroad (@USCitizenAbroad) January 28, 2013
As Winston Churchill said:
Finally we have a victory!
The Green Party might be the only international party
Can anyone persuade the Green Party to ask its international cousins to stand with them?
Starting with Sweden. (Miljopartiet de Grona)
David.Nilsson@mp.se
http://www.mp.se/kontakt
Swiss Green Party: http://www.gruene.ch/web/gruene/fr.html
gruene@gruene.chgruene@gruene.chCo-PrésidenteAdèle Thorens Goumazroute du Jorat 42d1000 Lausanne 27/VD
adele.thorens@parl.chadele.thorens@parl.chCo-Présidente Regula RytzMilitärstrasse 283014 Bern
regula.rytz@parl.chregula.rytz@parl.chVice-présidentBastien GirodBrahmsstrasse 348003 Zürich
bastien.girod@parl.chbastien.girod@parl.chVice-présidentJo LangDorfstrasse 156300 Zug
josef.lang@bluewin.chjosef.lang@bluewin.chVice-présidentRobert Cramercase postale3000 Bern 7
robert.cramer@parl.chrobert.cramer@parl.chVice-présidenteIrène KälinTannenweg 85600 Lenzburg
irene.kaelin@grossrat.ag.chirene.kaelin@grossrat.ag.ch By Canton: http://www.gruene.ch/web/gruene/fr/reseau/les_verts_en_suisse.html
Any Swiss Brocker with the inclination to write them? I am concentrating my efforts on another party at the moment.
good effort. My thoughts were try to persuade the Green Party of Canada work also from their end—-all Green parties everywhere need the support of each other on their issues
Please all try to go to Green Party MP and Leader Elizabeth May’s site and thank Elizabeth May and the Greens if you haven’t already sent her an e-mail. http://elizabethmaymp.ca/news/publications/press-releases/2013/01/28/irs-tax-collection-evasion-of-the-us-or-invasion-of-canada/ and also here http://elizabethmaymp.ca/news/publications/in-the-news/2013/01/30/liz-may-sounds-alarm-over-privacy-in-tax-deal-with-u-s/
There is a provision to comment on her page re the Green’s FATCA position and backgrounder.
I had a couple of conversations with a guy in the Swedish Green Party, and gave him a few emails, trying to connect Sweden with Canada. He promised to send it forward to whom he thought might use it. We’ll see where it goes.
Thanks @Mark Twain.
If the same contact was made with the German Green Party, that might also do some good – since Germany is reportedly holding out for exact and meaningful reciprocity under FATCA – or no deal:
“…France and Germany “have been asking for something more like full reciprocity,” said Jonathan Jackel, a lawyer with the law firm of Burt Staples & Maner LLP in Washington, D.C. ” http://taxpol.blogspot.ca/2013/02/obama-admin-taking-high-road-on-fatca.html
and, note the German position here, as well as the weasel words of the Treasury spokesperson in response.
…”As Treasury has implemented FATCA, some countries – possibly including France, Germany and China – were said to be driving a hard bargain. They have been saying that if their banks have to tell the IRS about Americans’ secret accounts, then U.S. banks should have to reciprocate by disclosing more information about the U.S. accounts of French, German and Chinese nationals.
“The United States is committed to a policy of transparency and equivalence, where appropriate, in furtherance of international cooperation to combat offshore tax evasion,” said a Treasury spokesman, declining to comment more specifically.”…. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/04/us-usa-tax-fatca-idUSBRE91312W20130204
also see earlier article;
http://www.risk.net/operational-risk-and-regulation/news/2194462/germany-may-ditch-fatca-if-reciprocity-agreement-not-honoured-experts-warn
@Mark Twain,
Just found this as well http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Greens regarding a Global Green coalition. And what about the Green federations for Europe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Green_Party ?
With area federations http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federation_of_the_Green_Parties_of_the_Americas
….”The Federation of the Green Parties of the Americas is the organization of Green parties in North America and South America. The Federation is one of four of its kind around the world; three other federations exist on other continents. The principal office of the organization is located in Mexico City. The presidency of the organization consists of three Co-Presidents, namely Julia Willebrand (United States of America), Jorge González Torres (Mexico) and Marco Antonio Mroz (Brazil).”
Interesting because the highest number of US citizens ‘abroad’ is supposed to be Mexico. And, from discussions here at IBS, it seems unlikely that Brazil will cooperate with FATCA. So, cooperation between the members of the Greens for the Americas would be very significant.
I know that the Greens play a larger role in governments in Europe and elsewhere than they do so far here in Canada (for the moment). And, wouldn’t there be significant numbers of US persons in Germany because of the US military personnel stationed there?
There may be ways to help make international linkages, as would be very useful if the CCLA Canadian Civil Liberties Association were to reach out to the US ACLU on this and related issues (ex. privacy rights, constitutional issues, right of citizens to renounce (Universal Declaration of Human Rights #15 part 2 ) – and US discrimination against those with disabilities ( intellectually disabled / mental incapacity – prohibited from renouncing or being renounced by proxy).
See renewed notice by Green Party opposing FATCA:
http://www.convey.com/2013/02/canadian-green-party-calls-for-fatca-resistance/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Convey+%28Convey+1099News%29#axzz2LY9VsAqX
Canadian Green Party calls for FATCA resistance
February 21st, 2013 by 1099 News
…..”The Green Party of Canada is petitioning the government to resist implementation of FATCA regulations on the grounds that it violates personal privacy and would result in significant legal costs for financial institutions. Another point of contention is how FATCA defines who is a U.S. citizen.
……..”Under the law, we will see people who are Canadian citizens being classed as U.S. persons because they happened to be born in the USA or have a parent who is a U.S. citizen,” a Green Party spokesman said. “There’s also an issue with what is being termed as U.S. ‘indicia’ which will see Canadians with an American spouse who have their assets in joint names seeing their details being handed over.”…….
Double post. Anybody wanna call the Green woman that was at the forum? Ask her to hookup?
Green Party of Sweden & Canada, together, fighting for citizen rights?
There are 7 million people in the world who are looking for leaders. The Canada Green Party is leading against the FATCA intrusion upon 1 million sovereign Canadian citizens and residents. Leif Jakobsson of the left block of Sweden (S) is just beginning to understand how important the future of 30,000 + of his citizens could be affected by USA FATCA laws.
Could the Green Parties take a simple telephone chat between each other, to compare notes, about how this important issue could be addressed? Billions of dollars in each country are at stake, and millions of lives of normal, law-abiding citizens are at stake.
Sweden is close to a decision which could affect 30,000 Swedes in Sweden and near 100,000 Swedes in USA, and the Green Parties have not yet had a chance to understand what is happening.
I would love to explain personally what is going on with FATCA in the world—it is the Worst Law the World has Never Known.
Could you take that small step to call each other and chat? The contacts are below.
9am Eastern time in Canada = 3 pm (kl 15) in Sweden.
Swedish Citizen
http://www.greenparty.ca/statement/2013-01-28/backgrounder-canada-and-fatca
IRS Tax Collection: Evasion of the US or Invasion of Canada?
The Green Party of Canada is calling on the government of Canada to stand on guard against the demands of the United States (US) for extraterritorial enforcement of an American law: the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). The Government of Canada must protect our citizens and residents from FATCA’s invasive violations of individual privacy, and refuse to make Canadian consumers and taxpayers pay the significant costs to enforce a unilateral American mandate that does not benefit Canada in any way.
This US law, whose staggered regime is set to come into effect through 2013 and 2014, demands Canadian financial institutions report to the United States’ Internal Revenue Service (IRS) the confidential account information of a large number of Canadian residents regarded as “US persons” under American regulations, most of whom are Canadian citizens. The Department of Finance gave notice in November that an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) on FATCA was being negotiated, and the proposed terms have not been made public. The IRS has only recently issued the final FATCA regulations on 17 January 2013.
http://www.riksdagen.se/sv/Dokument-Lagar/Fragor-och-anmalningar/Fragor-for-skriftliga-svar/Fatca-och-riksdagen_H011307/
question: 2012/13: 307 FATCA and Parliament: by Leif Jakobsson (S): for Finance Anders Borg (M)
FATCA is a framework that purportedly adopted in the U.S. on 18 March 2010. The question is why the government has not informed parliament closer to the subject, which in principle is of great importance because it intervenes in both Sweden’s sovereignty and the way we look at the privacy of living in Sweden. Foreign power imposing the penalty shot Swedish companies to disclose certain information that seem to apply to its citizens who are permanent residents in Sweden. The agreement must be reasonably addressed parliament and government is a minority government with a draft agreement can be folded without broader parliamentary support. Parliament should also have an interest in privacy aspect.
In light of the facts and circumstances, the Finance Minister has not taken the initiative to an early and broad information about FATCA to parliament so that the matter could be analyzed and anchored through such hearings in committees, etc.?
ALSO
http://www.riksdagen.se/sv/Dokument-Lagar/Fragor-och-anmalningar/Fragor-for-skriftliga-svar/Fatca-och-EU_H011306/
http://www.riksdagen.se/sv/Dokument-Lagar/Fragor-och-anmalningar/Fragor-for-skriftliga-svar/Svenska-forhandlingar-kring-Fa_H011308/
Green Party of Canada>
http://www.greenparty.ca/contact/offices
National Office Telephone & Fax Numbers
Toll-free: 1-866-868-3447 (1-866-VOTE-4-GPC)
Telephone: 1-613-562-4916 (Ottawa)
Fax: 1- 613-706-1424 (Ottawa)
Deputy Leader
georges.laraque@greenparty.ca
President
mark.mackenzie@greenparty.ca
Vice President English
ard.van.leeuwen@greenparty.ca
SWEDEN
Miljöpartiet (Environmental Party)
Ledamöter International Issues
Ceballos, Bodil (MP)
Telefon: (011) 46-8-7866737
E-post: bodil.ceballos@riksdagen.se
Ledamöter Working Environment (responsible for discrimination issues)
Kaplan, Mehmet (MP)
Telefon: (011) 46- 8-7864479
E-post: mehmet.kaplan@riksdagen.se
Ledamöter Finance
Bolund, Per (MP)
Telefon: (011) 46 08-7864346
per.bolund@riksdagen.se
HELLO CANADA, THIS JUST LANDED IN MY EMAIL BOX:
———————————————————————————————-
Thank you very much for this contact. This sounds like a very interesting area of cooperation possible amongst our Green Parties. I have copied xxxxxxxxx, Chair of our International Committee and we will have a more detailed response in the near future.
Sincerely,
President,
Green Party of Canada
I’ve been watching this … http://elizabethmaymp.ca/petitions … hoping to see the petition signed at the Toronto forum mentioned. It isn’t there. Does anyone have any information about that petition? I remember it needed 25 signatures and they were a few short so perhaps they didn’t get enough signatures.
I took an Elizabeth May survey as a opportunity to bring up FATCA in the comments section even though I didn’t do the survey. If anyone else wants to pitch in here’s the place …
http://www.elizabethmaymp.ca/survey
I spoke by telephone with the international leader of the Green Party today. She is horrified by the consequences of FATCA and is discussing the issue with the FATCA-responsible person (the tax leader). She awaits the call from the Canada Green Party.
Swedish Citizen, that is fantastic!
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The Green Party has a new release which references Peter Hogg’s letter (Tim has this on the “Best News” thread). Mystery solved as to who did the Access to Information request.
http://www.greenparty.ca/media-release/2013-03-13/implementation-fatca-likely-unconstitutional-says-leading-constitutional-ex
I received an update from Erich re: the petition put together at the Toronto forum. They had more than enough signatures but the clerk rejected it because they didn’t submit a typed copy (they didn’t have access to a printer at that time). They will re-submit it and hopefully Elizabeth May will get a chance to read it in parliament. Don’t know when that would be though because she can only submit 2 at one sitting.
About the petition: Below is a copy of it and Erich said anyone can still sign it and mail it to the Green Party. I think this address would be okay to use.
Parliament Hill Office
518 Confederation Building
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
We, the undersigned citizens or residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House to the following:
THAT, in considering the Inter-Governmental Agreement on the United States’ Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, the interests of Canadian citizens and residents would be adversely affected.
THEREFORE, your petitioners request that Parliament have an open debate on the ramifications of Canada’s response to this proposed agreement.
Signatures Addresses
(sign your name – do not print) (Give your full home address
or City & Province)
Canadian Green Party is not going to be happy about this. Hat tip to Tim
Read this press release….
Time is ripe for a European FATCA
Sven Giegold, finance spokesperson of the Greens/EFA group, welcomes these revelations and calls for an appropriate response:
“Automatic exchange of information is the only measure to effectively put a stop to tax evasion in the international financial market. In an unprecedented move, journalists have brought transparency to these shadowy spots in the financial sector. It is now up to governments to put their words into practice.
“Despite many promises, states have so far not been able to jointly solve the problem. Hardly any government has seriously taken up the fight against tax evasion. Tax justice and equal rights and responsibilities for all fall by the wayside, even though they are essential elements of social market economies and democracy.
“Income from capital has to be given just as much consideration for purposes of taxation as income from labour. FATCA is the right instrument for tackling avoidance strategies and criminal activities. The fine of 30% imposed by FATCA and applying to all payments from the US to non-cooperative institutions, will lead to the automatic transmission of relevant data.
“All European governments are now under obligation to act. The UK and Germany are already taking the wrong path, trying to introduce agreements based on anonymity with Switzerland. European ministers of finance have betrayed the US and lost valuable time in the global fight for tax justice. A European version of FATCA, which meets national taxation requirements, is urgently needed. Germany and France should take the initiative in a coalition of the willing. It makes no sense to wait for countries, such as Luxembourg and Austria, which have blocked progress towards tax transparency in the EU. The Greens have drafted a European tax package for tax justice in Europe (3).”