Globalnews.ca reporter Anna Mehler Paperny is hoping to interview Canadians who have renounced US citizenship in the last few years for a story on citizenship/IRS/FATCA-related issues. Ideally she would like to use people’s real names.
Pls contact:
Anna.Mehler Paperny (at) globalnews.ca
(416) 443-6003
Well at least SOMETHING’S gotten the media’s attention 🙂
Wow! Someone’s showing an interest. 🙂
@All
Even if you don’t want to be interviewed, it’s extremely important that you post your views on this thread. This is important because it will provide context for the interviewer to use when interviewing those who come forward.
Possible suggestions for the focus of comments:
– do you feel forced to renounce?
– how does the fact of your U.S. citizenship affect the ability of your family to save, invest, contribute to the community, etc?
– has the IRS assault affected both your physical and mental health?
– have you had any difficulties maintaining banking and brokerage accounts?
– has this affected your marriage to a non-U.S. person?
– any other thoughts you have.
It is obvious that the journalists are reading this blog.
Here are some posts that I think bear on these issues:
Fear and Trauma
http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2013/06/15/traumatized-by-the-irs-and-us-reaching-into-canada/
How FATCA will allow the U.S. to confiscate retirement assets
http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2012/12/17/sun-life-prepares-to-turn-clients-over-to-irs-for-processing-bitter-end-to-a-company-with-a-proud-history/
http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2012/12/18/the-sun-life-betrayal-part-2-the-possible-consequences-of-pension-plans-being-pfics/
http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2012/12/19/the-sun-life-betrayal-part-3-converting-the-non-willful-into-willful/
Thoughts on renouncing U.S. citizenship
https://renounceuscitizenship.wordpress.com/2012/12/13/why-people-are-renouncing-u-s-citizenship-readers-digest-version/
https://renounceuscitizenship.wordpress.com/2012/08/21/letter-of-a-canadian-businessman-to-his-dual-u-s-canada-citizen-son-on-the-occasion-of-his-high-school-graduation/
https://renounceuscitizenship.wordpress.com/2012/03/10/collective-psychotherapy-u-s-citizens-outside-u-s-not-what-they-take-from-you-its-what-they-leave-you-with/
The problems of retirement planning
https://renounceuscitizenship.wordpress.com/2011/10/29/investments-effectively-prohibited-to-canada-u-s-dual-citizens/
Marriage and family
https://renounceuscitizenship.wordpress.com/2011/11/01/marriage-and-american-citizenship/
http://hodgen.com/category/divorce-2/
How does a U.S. citizen abroad come into tax compliance?
http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2013/05/29/irs-abuse-of-americans-abroad-the-greater-the-effort-the-greater-the-punishment/
http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2013/03/26/what-fatca-will-do-to-canada-and-canadians-who-are-not-us-persons/
Note that all of this will have a huge effect on Canadian families – the whole country will pay a huge price for having so many U.S. persons in Canada.
If there are other specific posts that you think are important, please link to them in your comment.
This site now has so many posts, that it is hard to find things.
Here is an extremely important thread which describes the experiences of a number of U.S. citizens abroad in general and in Canada.
http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2013/04/17/excellent-submission-to-the-ways-and-means-committee/
Though I’m still a reluctant US person, I believe my commentary my help in providing some context.
Do I feel compelled to renounce? Yes and no. Between the ongoing IRS intimidation with FATCA, CBT, etc…., and my disillusionment with the US political system, I feel that renouncing is essentially the right thing for me to do. So, while US policies are helping to push me out the door, I’m also eager to walk out with my own two feet anyway, so my renouncing will certainly happen.
Due to US tax policies, I cannot plan for any retirement and/or savings plans without also falling into some seriously burdensome paperwork, substantial tax preparation expenses, and taxes that can strip away my savings ability.
The matter regarding FATCA has caused me many sleepless nights, and serious concerns over whether or not I will have to sign my rights away at some point in the future, simply to have basic banking services.
I have had to sever all joint accounts with my non-US spouse in order to protect her rights from being violated by a foreign government, and that also has caused some substantial marital stress.
Hope this will help the relevant people.
I just emailed her. Am willing to use real name.
Under “Fear and Trauma”, these threads might provide some insight too …
http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2012/01/21/has-your-life-been-stolen-from-you/
http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2012/01/22/just-me-writes-on-the-question-has-the-irs-stolen-my-life/
http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2012/06/04/how-do-you-cope-with-anxiety/
And thank you nobledreamer. It’s not easy venturing out from behind an alias … not that I have any delusions about an alias being a “cover” with the NSA scooping up all info from everywhere to store in its bottomless pit of a database.
I called her. She’s very interested.
@ AtticusinCanada
I just read your comment on the “Stolen” thread. Words can’t express my admiration for you (all your reasoned comments on FATCA articles, all your contributions here at Brock and now your contact with the Global reporter). Words aren’t needed I hope to reinforce in your mind and heart how much we all empathize with you.
The only thing that’s going to possibly cause this thing to lose steam is if renunciation numbers for Q3 are back to what they were before the last quarter making this last quarter an anomaly. Which they won’t be.
@Em, thanks. I used my real name with the interviewer. I am worried about doing that but, I felt I should this once. I appreciate all you have done too. ALL of you have been doing this a lot more than I have for longer too!
@bubblebustin: I don’t think those numbers are a one off and yes I am positive they will climb. I am convinced a lot of people still don’t know about this yet. Especially elderly people might not know. People in rural communities, people who do not use the internet and even some who do. They have not done a good job of informing people. I only found out because my mother died and I needed to find some information regarding taxes. Otherwise, I’d never yet have heard of this. How many people google up things about U.S. taxes who haven’t lived there for decades? When most of these people do find out they’ll conclude the only way to logically deal with this is to renounce. Numbers will go up. I’m a little afraid of what the U.S. will do when this happens. I don’t think they will say “Oh, we have caused a terrible situation here!” I think they’ll be outraged and feel wronged never. Just like most bullies only see themselves as a victim. Therefore, more punishment will be felt necessary. Trying not to think that far down the road and hoping to be wrong.
@ AtticusinCanada…. kudos for using your real name with interviewer,many people myself inc may or do feel “scared” to “out” ourselves……………… NSA notwithstanding
your post paraphrased here of August 14, 2013 at 4:38 GMT ..” hoping to be wrong………[on feeling] more punishment will be felt necessary.”
I have also heartfelt wishes that USG would Say “oh GEE how can we FIX this”
but I fear that the “more punishment” mantra will be dominant…….cf example Reed-Schumer amendment S 1233 to current immigration bill stalled in House of Reps…
personal note CLN is imminent and I CANNOT WAIT. FREEDOM IS IN SIGHT
@all iBSers..does anyone know a similar journalist in London who could do article on 250K USPs in London with same “slant”???? remember all: strength and honour to USPs !!
@crystal, oh I am terrified but, I felt she REALLY wants to use real names and so went ahead. I’m at the point now to where I just feel “What the hell else can they do to me?” Maybe I’ll end up never being allowed to go back and that will be HORRIBLE as I want to spend time with my family there but, in the end it’s their doing, not mine and I’ll just have to deal with whatever else comes. Congrats on being so close to your CLN. Btw, the interviewer congratulated me for being close to renouncing too. She sounded really sincere about that congrats. SO different talking to a Canadian interviewer than an American one.
@crystal, I have been looking on and off for a UK based journo to cover FATCA properly and in depth, but so far with no success.
A while back the Telegraph published an article on US citizens renouncing to become British, which seemed like it might be an ‘in’, but I mailed them a couple of times suggesting a follow-up and they didn’t bite. The Grauniad is the other obvious avenue — at the moment they are making hay with Snowden — but it is also left-wing enough that a story about a tax law to catch ‘offshore evaders’ but which might be flawed won’t play well with their core readership (their one recent mention of FATCA calls it ‘gold standard’ in anti-avoidance law, so that tells you much about their stance and the chances of an article that would poke holes in it).
Have you contacted your MP? If not, why not? Perhaps you should. The US/UK FATCA IGA is a fig-leaf, and the more MPs hear this from voters the more they may be forced into listening.
My situation is a bit different as I grew up in Canada as a Canadian citizen but have lived and worked in the USA for many years and am now an American (dual) citizen. There is no reason for me to renounce/relinquish US citizenship while in the USA–in fact it wouldn’t be permitted–and it is generally an advantage to me as long as I’m still here in the US. Yet this whole FATCA situation makes me very nervous about whether I’d be able to maintain the basic economic necessities of life if I ever chose to return to Canada or felt I needed to to be closer to aging parents, etc. Many European banks will not open bank accounts for US citizens–presumably this includes dual citizens. I’m not sure what the Canadian experience will be–time will tell I guess. Will it be difficult to get a job back in Canada–or perform other business transactions or enter into business deals there?
Certainly I accepted certain responsibilities when I became a US citizen–and that includes the responsibility to file a US tax return every year no matter where I live in the world. However, most of these FATCA–and related FBAR–requirements have little to do with any legitimate need to collect taxes–most Americans abroad owe little in US taxes. There is no excuse for this harassment of low and middle income expat Americans–and those in their families and with whom they do business.
@Dash, at least you knew ahead of time of your paperwork requirements. Before FATCA the majority of U.S. citizens living abroad never heard of it. We were never told of it by anyone.
I agree with you that it is easier if you are living inside the U.S. by far. Some expats will be able to return to make their lives easier but, for some of us we’d have no job waiting for us there. We also can’t just up and move due to the expense of doing such. It’s nice to hear from you, Dash. At least someone living inside the U.S. has an idea of the damage this is doing. Most U.S. citizens not living outside those borders have no idea at all and most have no empathy even when they do know.
@AtticusinCanada No I DIDN’T know about the requirements ahead of time. I said that I knew about the requirements when I became a US citizen–but I’ve only been a US citizen for 2 years. I’ve been a tax resident of the US for 23 years and would have been subject to FBAR requirements for all those 23 years–and for much of that time I did NOT know anything about FBAR. I’ve just been fortunate that I’d never had a reason to keep more than $10k USD in a Canadian bank account during all that time period–so I was exempt from FBAR requirements. But that is largely because of luck, not because of knowing the requirements ahead of time.
Of course if I moved back to Canada now, then, yes, I know the requirements. But for many years the requirements could have affected me and I didn’t know about them.
@Dash sorry for the misunderstanding of your circumstances but, very glad you would have been exempt so far!! It’s not taxes at all I’m worried about it’s the penalties on that piece of paper I never heard of, FBAR.
@AtticusinCanada Yes, the penalties on the FBAR are draconian! Do you know if, in practice, they are enforcing the penalties if someone simply starts filing the FBAR and owes no actual taxes?
Doing the media (DTM). That, together with lobbying the authorities (LTA), engages if not consumes the time and energy of persons who fall into a cause. Few people go around looking for a cause. Many people go through life with no cause ever blindsiding them. Quite a few Brockers seem to have fallen into their very first cause. Enthusiasms over DTM and LTA rend the heart. A fly spinning in the ever tighter circle of a vortex instinctively looks toward anything that may help to break connection with the surface of the water. Fundamental principle: conserve and direct available energies toward effective escape. For this the Brock Exchange has no rival. Sauve qui peut. (Another formulation: the bugle of rescue is not expected.)
In other words, the end of American global migration will be a whimper.
@Em
Thanks. I goofed on the email address so have resent. Hopefully will hear back from her.
@Atticus
Great work!
@usx
thanks for “another formulation.” What a quote you have!
Dash1729 No they can’t enforce fbar penalties without expensive court time. Therefore its only worth their while in cases where the target a) has a lot of money b) lives in the US and c) has been wilful in evading taxes. The only other way they can easily collect is thru OVDI for those who were enticed into it.
@KalC, I’ve heard of different outcomes on those FBAR penalties. Some never hearing back, some had no penalty and others have. They cannot collect it easily here at all but, I’m not trusting enough to believe they won’t try. If you’re someone that needs to cross the border given what they have already done so far it does cause concern. I never thought they’d do what they are doing now! Threatening huge fines on a piece of paper they know full well not even tax preparers were aware of and they knew full well we didn’t know about too. If they’ll do that, use fear to get compliance then who knows what else will be snuck into some other legislation with a nice sounding name like “Hire” My trust level is at zero when it comes to U.S. congress, their concern about Americans abroad or anything to do with how they will handle expats. So maybe I won’t get the draconian penalties though they can assess them if they want to but, the fear of getting an official notice that they want that much money from us is enough for me to be really worried.
At any rate thank you for your response and information. I wish I could say it makes me calmer and it would if I trusted a thing they will or won’t or can or can’t do anymore. What’s to stop them asking Canada next to go after these penalties or rather not asking, but bullying them into the way they have done with bullying our banks into FATCA in the first place.
Atticus. It has been made clear. Canada will not assist in the collection of US taxes, even assuming some were actually owing, from canadian citizens and will not assist in the collection of fbar penalties from anyone. We still live under the rule of law in this country.