Financial Post: Diane Francis: Shaming Won’t Prevent Tax Avoidance
Does she take advantage of a Canadian Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA), have mutual funds, RRSPs? Are these profitable investments for her after her US tax compliance with 3520 and 3520A’s, 8621, 8891 form preparations? Does someone handle and pay for this compliance for Ms Francis?
And, why does she use the term “Tax Avoidance”? Does the CRA take their lead in terminology from Ms Francis?
But now the big nations — the United States and the European Union with its tax havens — are finally preparing to crack down on tax leakage as they struggle with debt and entitlement burdens and slow growth.
They have few choices: High profile tax evasion in Greece, Cyprus and Southern Europe has rattled the EU, as has Russia’s no-tax enticement of Gerard Depardieu to its jurisdiction. Finally, steps are being taken to remove secrecy in financial centers such as Luxembourg, Ireland, Austria and even the Switzerland.
The United States is also realizing that its tough system is being eroded by international tax gamesmanship. This week, the CEO Tim Cook of America’s Darling, Apple, was grilled by Congress on its clever tax avoidance schemes around the world and pilloried alongside Wall Street’s greedy and parasitic sector. Britain attacked Google’s and Amazon’s tax games, too.
But shame won’t do the job. Only an international tax regime, and rewriting of tax treaties that facilitate cheating, will.
To that end, the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is preparing a template for international tax collection to eliminate loopholes and rein in evaders that will be presented this fall to the G20.
Its too bad Diane Francis draft dodger hubby didn’t die in jungles of Vietnam.
Diane Francis seems to personify the height of hypocrisy, not that I wish anyone to have died in the jungles of Vietnam. Why is she a supporter of US citizenship-based tax policy? Does she even know what that means?
Besides hypocritical, she seems delusional. She doesn’t even mention the word, FATCA.
Tim,
What is the information that Diane Francis’ husband from the US — do you know if he was a British person who immigrated to the US and then to Canada? This earlier blog of hers says he was a Brit: Diane Francis – an Old Blog, which says she married a Brit.
More recent:
Diane Francis’ ‘About’ Page, which says “Diane divides her time between Toronto and New York City.” So, perhaps she’s a delusional “homelander”?
Wikipedia, Diane Francis
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/diane-francis/tony-merchant-pana-merchant-offshore-tax-havens_b_3023216.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/diane-francis/canada-america-tax-system_b_2411458.html
Diane Francis’s husband immigrated from Britain to the US and then when he received a draft notice both of them left for Canada.
There is a section of Diane Francis and her husband in the Google Book below
http://books.google.com/books?id=0MnNYvkmBnoC&pg=PA11&lpg=PA11&dq=all+american+boys+vietnam&source=bl&ots=YMt1-q9p8A&sig=BZPcFOTAEYEJZd3LL8sDI-xiO1g&hl=en&sa=X&ei=hT2gUb6KM-7E4APpvYGoDw&ved=0CGMQ6AEwCQ
Actually I think it is this book.
http://books.google.com/books/about/North_to_Canada.html?id=zcW0VeumAJEC
Thanks, Tim.
North to Canada, Frank Francis, page 197
Pretty pricey on Amazon.com, but you can have a look at some pages inside the book: http://www.amazon.com/North-Canada-Women-Against-Vietnam/dp/0275962113, including the index (as link above). I can’t copy it, but please everyone who has an interest, read starting at Page 2.
Ms. Francis, fair-weather Canadian?
I am curious how she was able to naturalize as a Canadian citizen in the 1970s when dual nationality was prohibited.
Why doesn’t she really write a National Post column of real interest — or include all her and her husband’s story on her “About” page?
She likely changed her mind and went along with the US changing their law. She would know the US (wishy-washy) law which requires that US passport to cross the border and had no qualms about it re-instating her US citizenship and that of the Mr.
I don’t believe the Mr. was ever a US citizen. As a Green Card holder he was subject to the draft but I don’t believe he ever was a US citizen. Not that I personally oppose dual nationality I am surprised that someone like Diane Francis would be in favor of it. Many Conservative minded people oppose it.
“Divides her time between Toronto and New York City.” How she divides is not at all clear. Frank Francis receives no mention in her 2007 entry in Canadian Whos Who, only the two children. Career based mostly on writing about Canada.
“Finally, steps are being taken to remove secrecy in financial centers such as Luxembourg, Ireland, Austria and even the Switzerland.”
“The Americans, and now the Australians, are the only nations that tax people on the basis of citizenship irrespective of residency.”
Does this woman not have an editor?
Diane Francis again in the (Canadian) National Post this morning on “Why shaming won’t work with tax cheats”:
http://opinion.financialpost.com/2013/05/24/shaming-wont-prevent-tax-avoidance/
She ends with a strong statement:
“And the last {best?] word goes to Seymour Schulich, Canada’s foremost philanthropist: “I think you owe allegiance to the place that gave you the opportunities. Americans [individuals] pay taxes no matter where the profit was made and that’s the way it should be.””
Well, it is clear that my email to Ms. Francis suggesting more balance in her column was not effective.
Perhaps you could give it a try.
Wow! She’s a freaking loon! 8^O
Okay. Hubby dodges the draft, and they headed north to Canada. Now she’s all pro America? Pro FATCA, and pro CBT, too?
She thought Canada was good enough to take Canadian citizenship in the time where dual nationality was not allowed, yes? But now she’s waving the Stars and Stripes proudly, espousing the virtues of their bizarre and Byzantine tax code, and how it’s such a grand model for others to follow? To harass people for doing nothing wrong, and call them tax cheats? Really?
Send her fucking ass back south now! We don’t need trailer trash like that in OUR country!
@IRSCompliantForever, maybe later. I’m rather exhausted after getting verbally attacked by a gang of pro-double-tax advocates bothering Switzerland. They attempted various insults, intimidations and gang-support to silence me. For now, it seems that I’ve concluded the battle with the following statement:
Seriously! How can someone relinquish one citizenship for another in the time that was a requirement to do so, and then take back the citizenship she relinquished like it never even happened? And yet she can lecture others on their ‘wrongdoing’?
Why is nobody taking a hard look at her blatant dishonesty?
We don’t need people like that here!
Perhaps it’s similar to the “tax avoidance” that Ms Francis speaks of — milking the country of each of her dual citizenships as the journalist???? she is?
Who wrote her bio?
I feel that letters to the editor that are actually printed and published have much more exposure and impact.
I suggest that those who have an opinion on Ms. Francis’ position (now stated unequivocally at least twice in her Post columns) send in this weekend a letter that is very short (e.g., three sentences) and absolutely courteous but “determined”, to the “letters” site of the National Post:
http://www.nationalpost.com/contact/letters/index.html?name=Letters
You will need to disclose your name, address, and phone number.
Even if no letter is individually printed, the National Post might well comment on the editorial page that many such letters raising this issue have been submitted.
Thank you, IRSCompliantForever!
I filled out the form but get no icon to “Send”. I cannot find an email address for the National Post. Were you successful in sending through their online Contact page?
@calgary411, I just sent my (three sentence) letter off and hope others do the same.
There was a blue send button just below the letter form using the link in my posting above. I tried the website a second time and the blue send button is still there.
[Sorry that names have to be disclosed, but you can try “name withheld by request” with an explanation.]
The “Send” button doesn’t come up for me. (It may be my computer — I seem to be having issues and am doing a ESET scan right now.) Thanks — I will keep trying.
@IRSCompliantForever,
Finally, SUCCESS in sending!! Thanks again.
Ms Francis, the US may have finally realized that CBT is harmful to itself as a nation. When they do eventually change to residency based, you can keep both your elitist attitude and “expensive perch” and elect to keep paying US taxes. Just leave the rest of us the hell alone.
Similar to my sentiments, Letter to the Editor: