Thanks to Badger for digging this up. She comments on a Must Read at Global News:
Global News, has an updated story on the rising US expatriation figures – and this is by the author Patrick Cain who compares the numbers in the Federal Register ‘name and shame’ list to the FBI numbers for those – (see specific category for ex-citizens) precluded from owning firearms.
http://globalnews.ca/news/1072303/over-3100-americans-renounced-citizenship-last-year-fbi/
January 10, 2014 9:30 am
More than 3,100 Americans renounced citizenship last year: FBI
By Patrick Cain
Cain references and links to the letter by constitutional lawyer Peter Hogg to the Finance Minister re his concerns about the serious issues with signing a FATCA IGA, and also notes yesterday’s release of Nina Olson IRS Taxpayer Advocate 2013 Report to Congress. The author provide a link to the report, and quotes the TAS: “……On Thursday, a report released by the U.S. National Taxpayer Advocate strongly criticized FATCA in a report to Congress, saying the costs exceed projected revenue, the law creates sovereigntyconflicts with other countries – using Canada as an example – and the IRS’s computer systems aren’t ready to handle such a complex project.
“[The] IRS has not acted upon advice it has received from some well-informed stakeholders,” Nina Olsen warned in the report. “FATCA carries with it the potential for substantial resource burdens and significant due process concerns.””
Ecstatic to see this comprehensive coverage by a Canadian news outlet.
I am so excited to read this. Thanks Badger. and good idea WhteKat to put on post of it’s own.
I immediately called the local newspaper editor who I spoke to before Christmas and gave him FATCA sheets and Blaze letter.
He said he had not had a chance to read the material but would this weekend. I told him about the Global News link and asked him to look it up.
I then wrote him an email giving him the link and also a brief description of FATCA and how important it is to notify our fellow Canadians of FATCA as it is being negotiated in secret.
I have come to the point of not caring if I sound crazy or not. I am giving out the FATCA Sheets and talking to everyone. If they want to care great, if not . I tried.
This is a fine article by Patrick Cain. By contacting the FBI he was able to obtain a clarification for the 2,900 figure posting in October 2012 and determined a corrected figure for 2012 of 1,752 renunciations. He has built on the efforts of IBS’ Eric (who I hope will resurface in the New Year). Thanks to WhiteKat for the write-up and posting the link.
Yes, we have a lot to thank Eric for.
And that’s just renouced, right? Relinquishers and people giving up Green Cards are never included in the total of people fleeing.
Shadow Raider has a Freedom of Information request out asking for REAL figures. It should be coming due soon. I think that the real numbers are more like 500-1000 per week, from 190 countries, about 5 per country typical per week.
Fantastic article! I am very happy to see the link to the IBS Consulate Report Directory. The journalist, Patrick Cain, really did his homework.
How does the Freedom of Information request work? Are they obligated to release the information?
@shunrata
Allison Christians doesn’t think so:
http://taxpol.blogspot.ca/2014/01/us-renunciations-passed-3000-in-2013.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+TaxSocietyCulture+(Tax,+Society+%26amp;+Culture)
Shadow Raider told us that they denied his first large request. He sincerely believed that they simply did not have the information available. He wrote a new, narrower one immediately afterwards.
Allison links to the FOI denial at
http://static.globalnews.ca/content/interactives/documents/general_news_bucket/130812_ly_citizenship.pdf
for these renunciation records
I will be very surprised if the State Department ever gives the numbers of CLNs. It is in the interests of the “powers that be” to keep a lid on the numbers of people giving Uncle Sam the one finger salute, whether via renunciation or relinquishment.
The renunciation figures are bit like when the doctor asks the patient how much he drinks. The patient says X and the real truth is probably 2X or 3X. The USG is playing the same game. The real figures are probably several times 3100.
The more the USG presses the tax issue, the more people who will hand in the blue book.
In the end the US will be the biggest loser by burning bridges over a few lousy bucks gained in tax revenue.
Stop the conspiracy theories – and take it to the next stage, which is request a corrective action.
The FOIA response is insightful stating that neither ACS, OCS, nor PPT collect this data. It appears to me that this is an unfortunate lack of record keeping. Don’t blame these parties. Unless their oversight tells them to do otherwise, why should they change. Oversight is Congress and it is a matter for Rep. Maloney to be informed that in the future such data is collected from the appropriate organisation. It appears to me that Congress is in a position to get such bodies to (a) collect such data and (b) make it public.
I leave it for others to contact her, and maybe ACA can take this matter up, due to their relationship to her upcoming hearing(s)?
The RT television program “Breaking the Set” is focused on taking pokes at the US. Would a Brocker who is Twitter literate be willing to pass the Global News renunciation article to the program’s journalist, Abby Martin, via Twitter?
Thanks.
Innocente
http://twitter.com/AbbyMartin
For those who aren’t familiar with “Breaking the Set”, here’s a link to a recent program on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation:
http://rt.com/shows/breaking-set-summary/where-despair-meets-hope-300/
I have made 4 FOIA requests. Here is a summary of what happened so far:
1. In May 2013, I sent a FOIA request to the Department of State asking for the number of CLNs. I have not received a response yet.
2. In June 2013, I sent a FOIA request to USCIS asking for the number of forms I-407 (abandonment of green card). I received a response in July, with the full data.
3. In July 2013, after discovering that USCIS also receives a copy of all CLNs, and seeing that it responds to FOIA requests much faster than the Department of State, I decided to send another FOIA request also to USCIS asking for the number of CLNs. In August, I received a response saying that the data was not under the purview of USCIS, and that I should ask the Department of State instead. I had already done that (request 1 above). However, later I found out that Andy Sundberg and Leslie Young had already made similar requests to the Department of State and received a response saying that there was no data available. I expected that I would eventually receive a similar response myself, so I decided to ask the Department of State through other means. I contacted a very helpful congressional assistant, who contacted the Department of State directly. The Department gave the same response, that there was no data available.
4. In October 2013, after accepting that the Department of State really doesn’t know the number of CLNs, I sent another FOIA request, but asking for something different: the number of requests for renunciation and relinquishment made in US embassies and consulates. I confirmed that they do keep track of that information in a system called CWSS. I have not received a response yet.
Here’s what a blank CLN looks like:
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/81609.pdf
CNBC: China outstrips US as world’s biggest goods trader
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101325240
Meanwhile the USA sets a new record for ex-pats renouncing US citizenship.
Great job Uncle Sam, you just gave another 3,100 overseas sales representatives their pink slips [CLNs].
Hint: China doesn’t punish its ex-pats.
@NotThat Tara
Conspiracy or incompetence, what difference does it make? The USG doesn’t deserve a pass as it is always swift and ruthless when it comes to punishing individuals if they fail to immedaitely cough up whatever data the government decides it wants.
@NotThatTara
Re: “Stop the conspiracy theories – and take it to the next stage, which is request a corrective action”.
As a CANADIAN living in CANADA with a dreaded USA birthplace, I am definitely being conspired against, and I could give 2 shit$ about engaging USA (a foreign country) in corrective action!
Canada needs to get its head out of its butt, and take corrective action by protecting its citizens who live in its country regardless of the coloUrs of the flag of the country they were born in!
Are we surprised really that they aren’t keeping track? Officially anyway. It would surprise me though if someone isn’t watching the numbers.
But maybe it’s a good thing. If they aren’t keep track, it means they aren’t really serious about the ‘banning traitors” stuff either.
Thank you Shadow Raider for that helpful update above on the FOIA requests you made ( http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2014/01/10/more-than-3100-americans-renounced-citizenship-last-year-fbi/comment-page-1/#comment-963224 ).
@NotThatTara,
I am still not convinced that the State Department doesn’t have some method of providing the stats being sought – or a close approximation. I am still not convinced that they are not playing the game that if the FOIA request does not exactly precisely pinpoint what does exist, that State can say semi-truthfully that they don’t collect the data named. State knows what the point of this request is. At what juncture does it become active obstruction or obfuscation when a government department knows what does exist that is closest to what is being requested, but will not volunteer anything helpful in that regard?
I think default distrust and skepticism is the healthiest position to take on anything the US government says. That isn’t a conspiracy theory, but just an adjustment of worldview based on NSA revelations, and the like.
Perhaps they would be less likely to stonewall Congressperson Maloney, or a joint request from the full slate of those on the ACA Citizens Abroad caucus http://americansabroad.org/issues/representation/americans-abroad-caucus/members/ if that was possible. Who knows?
@NotThatTara
“Oversight is Congress and it is a matter for Rep. Maloney to be informed that in the future such data is collected from the appropriate organisation. It appears to me that Congress is in a position to get such bodies to (a) collect such data and (b) make it public.
I leave it for others to contact her, and maybe ACA can take this matter up, due to their relationship to her upcoming hearing(s)?”
I think that’s a great idea, but I’ve found it’s best for those who make the suggestion to make the effort themselves, after all we all volunteers here with our own priories, often leaving each of us with little enough time to pursue our own agendas, let alone the agendas of others.
EU citizenship is the gold standard in terms of passports
This article discusses the advantages of EU citizenship and ways to obtain it. It also mentions:
“A U.S. passport is no longer so desirable, because U.S. tax and reporting requirements apply to American citizens no matter where they live in the world, and many countries impose tit-for-tat visa requirements in response to U.S. border controls.”
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