The American Citizens Abroad Global Foundation has launched its educational program with a forum/debate on the merits of Citizenship-based taxation vs. Residence-based taxation.
This is a full day event, sponsored and organized by the ACA (American Citizens Abroad), that will be held at the University of Toronto on May 2nd. Registration and Information
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‘This is the first public debate — worldwide — devoted to this important topic.’
Donation of US$50 prepaid with the reservation or C$60 cash only at the door.
Student discount – C$10 cash at the door with valid student ID
The speakers will include academic tax specialists Bernard Schneider and Michael Kirsh, who have different approaches to the taxation of US citizens abroad, with the program moderated by Toronto lawyer John Richardson.
Dr. Stephen Kish, who co-authored with Mr. Richardson a submission to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee (see below), will be the academic host.
Bernard Schneider:
The End of Taxation Without End: A New Tax Regime for U.S. Expatriates, Virginia Tax Review, Vol. 32, No. 1, 2012, http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2186076
Michael Kirsch:
Revisiting the Tax Treatment of Citizens Abroad: Reconciling Principle and Practice, October 23, 2013, Florida Tax Review, (Forthcoming), Notre Dame Legal Studies Paper No. 1457, http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2346458
Richardson/Kish:
John Richardson, Willard Yates, Stephen Kish, Request for Tax Rules Changes for U.S. Citizens Overseas: Submission to the Senate Finance Committee, January 2014, http://citizenshipsolutions.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/RichardsonYatesKishJan232014SFCSubmission.pdf
Keynote Speakers
Prof. Michael S. Kirsch, Professor of Law, Notre Dame Law School
Dr. Bernard Schneider, Teaching Fellow, Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London School of Law
Phil D.W. Hodgen, International Tax Attorney, Hodgen Law Group PC, Pasadena, CA
David Kuenzi, Certified Financial Planner,® Founder, Thun Financial Advisors, Madison, WI
Charles W. Cullen III, Certified Financial Planner, ® RBC Dominion Securities, Inc., Halifax, NS
Neil Sinclair, Chapter Chair, Amcham Canada – Ontario Region
Closing comments: Jackie Bugnion, American Citizens Abroad, Inc., Director of Tax Team
Originally published on April 23, 2014
@Blaze and @MuzzledNoMore
My understanding is someone asked Prof. Kirsch on a one on one basis about Eritrea and whether they have a “better” system. I don’t know what his response was.
@ Blaze
We’re pretty familiar with the USA’s hypocritical stand against the Eritrean “diaspora tax” and Susan Rice’s words of condemnation at the UN but sometimes it’s a good idea to flip the coin over and see the other side’s point of view. BTW, Eritrea calls this a “Development and Rehabilitation Tax”. Of course there’s propaganda and agendas on both sides but all governments engage in varying degrees of deceptive wordsmithing.
http://www.eritrean-smart.org/content/un-monitoring-group-tries-deny-eritreans-right-remit-relatives-africa
“If citizenship is contingent on paying taxes, then the US should allow the non-payment of taxes as an expatriating act, without penalty!” Great idea, bubblebustin! That policy might even get the *real* tax cheats *in* the U.S. to pay up!
By the way, on Saturday my friend, her daughter and I went to a Chinese restaurant near the Toronto Art Gallery and we got fortune cookies at the end of the meal. All of them were, oddly enough, very apropos to our respective lives. Mine said: “You are far more influential than you think.” I took the “you” to refer collectively to the Isaac Brock Society. We *are* making a difference. Yes, we are!
Mr. Kirsch needs to live outside the US for a while. Let him see what its like to be belong to the special club that prevents him from opening a small business or saving for retirement.
It won’t take him long to get tired of having his pocket picked from afar while the only benefit he receives is a little blue membership booklet.
If citizenship feelings and loyalty are all tied to taxes then perhaps the fifty percent of Americans living inside the U.S. who do not pay any taxes should be impelled to give up their citizenship. Full stop! A program should be put in place immediately to ferret out these people. All their worldly assets should be reported upon to the treasury and the IRS. Once found they should report to the expatriation agency best suited to deal with them. Their citizenship should be down graded at the very least, perhaps certain “rights of citizenship” should be removed. Not everyone living inside the U.S. is paying proper homage and should be dealt with too following the logic of those who think paying tax where you do not even live makes sense and is tied to feelings of “loyalty” Of course this is a ridiculous argument but, it’s not far off the one being made by those who agree with CBT in the U.S.A.
Does anyone know the status of the video of the CBT vs. RBT debate?
It seems like some kind of gag order has been placed on it.
Joe,
The word I received from ACAGF a few days ago (THREE full months after the conference) is that the tape is still being edited. A date for completion was not provided.
Just to clarify again, ACA Global Foundation (NOT ACA) put on the debate.
As “Academic Host” of the event I do feel some responsibility for the delay, and have pushed ACA GF as much as I can.
I cannot help but wonder if ACAGF’s dog has eaten the RBT vs. CBT debate recording. Almost six months has passed and the video recording is still nowhere to be found.
Such a recoding will provide very valuable information for whoever from the Republicans will have involved in drafting legislation “in support of RBT” — that is if the Republicans in congress follow through with the RNC’s resolution.
At the very least, the recording can provide valuable insight for the James Bopp FATCA and FBAR lawsuits as well.
@Samuel Adams,
The Conference is now only a distant memory.
I have stopped sending my monthly emails to ACAGF asking for an update — as I just don’t see the point anymore.
Stephen
@ Samuel Adams
Dr. Kish regularly sends inquiries to ACAGF about the release of this video but we still don’t have it. I have to wonder if the forum was just too frank for their sensitivities so they decided to suppress it. Pity, because as you say, it could provide valuable information.
@ Stephen Kish
Well you tried and obviously they just don’t want that video released. Maybe the “R” word is just too difficult for them deal with.
Did anyone else videotape at that session, Stephen?
No. That would not have been permitted.
Does anyone suspect the reason Deckard was not permitted to do the taping (as he did at the FATCA Forum) is because the plan all along was to ensure no one ever saw the video?
Deckard had the tape of the FATCA Forum available almost instantly.
This certainly brings into question ACA’s credibility and their self-proclamation of being the “go to” organization for Americans abroad.
Blaze,
I’m one anyone that thinks just that.
The ACA Global Foundation website still says:
“August 24, 2014 4:34 PM
On May 2, 2014, ACA hosted a Tax Symposium of Tax Reform for Americans living and working overseas. ACAGF is currently editing a video presentation of the conference. Please check back to the ACAGF website for updates on this project.”
http://acaglobalfoundation.org/PressAndMedia/3084721
I emailed the “contact us” address Oct. 1 asking when the video would be publicly available.
There’s been no reply (maybe they’re in league with Harper’s Conservative MPs).
Two questions:
1. Why does it need to be edited?
2. Why is it taking so long?
I think I know the answers. Does anyone else?
Has someone already mentioned that it might be with Lois Lerner’s emails?
Shovel and All,
I, too, emailed at “Contact Us” and no answer. Pretty darn unprofessional I’d say.
Third (and fourth) question: Just tell us — will the video ever see the light of day? Just WHY would the video need to be edited?
I smell complete BS on the part of ACA and ACA-GF (whoever that is).
I think they are just plain scared that the debate video will upset the members of Congress with whom they’ve been hobnobbing over the years.
Well guess what ACA/ACAGF? Congress needs to become upset in order to bring about change!
Somebody within ACA needs to get some cojones and just leak the video.
@Calgary: “Pretty darn unprofessional I’d say.” Definitely in league with Harper’s MPs.
@bubble: LOL
But seriously, rather than incorrectly mixing ACA up with ACA Global Foundation and imputing motives and agendas, I now suggest quickly clicking around the ACA Global Foundation website. It’s like a partly-built house that’s long-abandoned and is now falling down. Nothing has changed on the website for over a month, April’s tax symposium is the only event listed, and no future events are planned. http://acaglobalfoundation.org/
The dilapidated state of the website says it’s likely there’s no video because there are no warm bodies and/or money to do it. Or to answer emails.
Stephen Kish may know otherwise, but maybe by now they’d be open to a volunteer editing it for them?
Forget editing. Just send the video to Stephen with no editing.
These are the people in control of the RBT vs CBT debate tape.
http://acaglobalfoundation.org/AboutUs