20 thoughts on “Public Tax Info Session for Canadians Considered to be US Persons, Castlegar, 11 Feb, Alex Atamanenko, MP (NDP)”

1. Sorry, Badger, I forgot to create a post on this after I saw your comment a couple of days ago. Hijacked’s comment reminded me of yours. Thanks to you both!

   I remember reading Mr. Atamenko in the newspaper shortly after my OMG day in 2011, he was one of the first political voices (if not the first) that I encountered speaking out against this garbage.

2. Think its just a coincidence that this is the day the budget is supposed to be announced?

3. I see the link in the post is working properly now. Thanks for fixing it, Calgary411 🙂

4. MP Alex Atamanenko (correct spelling) gave me one the best responses from my e-mail blitz last year. If it weren’t winter we’d be going to that session, if for no other reason than to thank him in person. He added after his signature: “Courage is having the integrity to do the right thing even if it means you stand alone.” Hear, here!
   http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2013/02/16/email-blitz/comment-page-1/#comments

5. Why is he inviting wolves to speak to lambs? I don’t understand this approach. This is why we had informational sessions–because people like the esteemed panelists are going to teach compliance with IRS tax code, and not advocate for the destruction of their own offices in Canada, which is what I think should happen.

6. @ Petros
   Good point! IMHO, more defiance, less compliance, is what we need. I still like Mr. Atamanenko’s quote though and I believe he understands the worry of FATCA. You can’t make a wrong right by patting it on the back and bowing deeply to it. Wrong just gets the false belief it is right after all.

7. @ Petros,
   There was one of these sessions in Ottawa hosted by MP Paul Dewar 2 years ago. Several of us attended. We challenged some incorrect (or potentially misleading, can’t recall) information, handed out Brock business cards, and made an announcement about the Isaac Brock Society at it.

8. @ Em,
   Spelling corrected. Thanks.

9. Right, Em, here, hear!

   All here fighting this are courageous and have whole heaps of integrity. Thanks, everyone!

10. I agree that brockers should go and disturb shit. But I wouldn’t recommend than any lambs go. But by all means, the wolf hunt is on. (apologies for the mixed metaphors).

11. How many Brockers are there out in BC who could attend this?

12. What are the rules re a person born in Canada to a Canadian mother and an American father. The person is 75 and has always lived in Canada. Is he a US person? How does the five year rule work?

13. Anyone going who would ask a question for me?

14. Joe As usual there is no simple answer. IF the father obtained a ‘Consular Report of Birth Abroad’, then the person can claim US citizenship if he chooses. If there is no CRBA, a claim for citizenship would be very very difficult. If the person wishes to avoid US citizenship, there is no problem.

15. @KalC. Thank you. He would wish to avoid it. His father lived in the US for more than 10 years, but then married a Canadian and moved to Canada. He is worried that if an IGA is signed by Canada that he might be defined as a US person because his father was a US citizen. But with your explanation it does not sound like he needs to worry.

16. Yesterday in the Parliament of Canada…

    http://openparliament.ca/debates/2014/2/3/alex-atamanenko-1/

    Canada-U.S. Relations
    Statements By Members
    February 3rd, 2014 / 2:05 p.m.

    NDP
    Alex Atamanenko British Columbia Southern Interior, BC

    Mr. Speaker, as of July, the U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, or FACTA, will require all Canadian financial institutions to provide the U.S. government with confidential financial information on Canadians deemed to be U.S. persons. Millions are affected. This includes Canadians who emigrated from the U.S. and their children born in Canada, and Canadian citizens who share accounts, investments or property with an American spouse, as well as small family-owned businesses in Canada with a U.S. family member.

    Negotiations are being held behind closed doors with a complete lack of transparency. Our Minister of Finance is on the record saying that the Canada Revenue Agency will not collect U.S. tax liability or penalties on Canadian citizens.

    However, we must do more. I call upon the Prime Minister to inform the U.S. President that Canadian financial institutions will not provide any financial disclosures about Canadian citizens to the U.S. Internal Revenue Agency.

    This is not only a blatant violation of our constitutional rights and privacy, but also an attack on Canadian sovereignty.

17. Thanks needed to NDP MP Alex Atamenko http://alexatamanenko.ndp.ca/ , in person if you go to this session noted on this thread today Tuesday 11 Feb 7 – 9 pm (see for details;http://alexatamanenko.ndp.ca/u-s-tax-information-session-for-canadians-affected-by-the-foreign-account-tax-compliance-act-fatca ), or by mail, or email http://alexatamanenko.ndp.ca/contact .

    See MP Atamanenko’s comments in today’s Nelson Daily:

    Also note – online commenting seems available on the website to those who register at the Nelson Daily.
    http://thenelsondaily.com/news/comment-fatca-28294#.UvpjVvbzo-I
    ‘COMMENT: FATCA’ Nelson Daily
    by Alex Atamanenko on 11 Feb 2014
    “…All Canadian citizens should be entitled to the same rights of citizenship, including the constitutional rights to privacy and fair taxation. Instead many Canadians face the violation of their financial privacy, unfair taxation on Canadian assets and branding as criminals. This new tax treaty with the United States will protect Canadian banks but does little to protect Canadian citizens. There is nothing fair about FATCA….”

    See previous comments re FATCA (note, also misspelled in the Parliamentary record and elsewhere as FACTA), FBARs and US extraterritorial CBT here:
    http://openparliament.ca/search/?q=fbar+atamanenko
    http://openparliament.ca/debates/2014/2/3/alex-atamanenko-1/
    http://openparliament.ca/debates/2011/10/4/alex-atamanenko-1/

18. Do we have the outcome of this seminar posted somewhere?

19. @ bubblebustin
    I see you’ve already found out that it was not a good meeting — people were scared even more by the tax condors who were invited to speak and given disinformation too. Related comments got posted February 16, 2014 here:
    http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/renunciation/

20. Thank you Em.

    I was worried that without some of us there it would have been a compliance-a-thon. Disgusting.