Victoria’s idea given form by Shadow Raider.
Will you join in to phone members of the Senate Finance Committee, details below?
Operation Mosquito
Following Victoria’s idea that we should be like mosquitos and make some noise to make ourselves noticed, I’m organizing a campaign to call the Senate Finance Committee every hour for one week. If you are still a US citizen and want to join, please follow the steps below.
1. Open this link and type your name, nickname or initials on one available time slot. The spreadsheet should save automatically. The times correspond to 9am-5pm in Washington, DC, Monday to Friday next week. The other locations and time zones are only for your reference, feel free to add yours if it’s not already listed. Times in bold are on the following day.
2. On your selected time, call the Senate Finance Committee at +1 202-224-4515. If it’s busy or no one answers, please try again in a few minutes. But you don’t have to call if it’s already time for someone else.
3. I suggest saying something like this: “Hi, my name is ___, I’m a US citizen living in ___. I’d like to urge the Senate Finance Committee to overhaul the taxation of individual Americans living abroad, as soon as possible, as the committee indicated in a report it recently released. Could you please pass this message to the rest of the committee?”. Of course, you can modify this as you wish, but please be polite, and try not to take too long. Thanks!
Actually features Former Canadian defence minister Paul Hellyer admitting such
Email him as he is in the news maybe he may help us ALIENS get some much needed publicity
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paul-Hellyer/553000368077316
http://www.paulhellyerweb.com/ “The Money Mafia” ???????
Seems like things are stepping up
https://www.democratsabroad.org/group/fbarfatca/americans-abroad-caucus-cover-and-sign-letter-support-fatca-safe-harbor
Dear Democrats Abroad,
We are at a pivotal milestone in our efforts to reform FATCA but we need our grassroots activists like you to ACT NOW.
Help us write 1000 letters to Congress by Friday to support the FATCA reform “sign on” letter!
As we reported earlier this month, Americans Abroad Caucus Co-Chairs Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) are circulating a “sign on” letter on Capitol Hill pressuring Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and IRS Commissioner John Koskinen to implement the FATCA Same Country Safe Harbor for Americans abroad.
The letter should have hit the desk of your member of Congress. Maybe they’ve seen it, maybe not – but the letter will be closed for new signatures soon. Signatures of support from members of Congress are needed now! Send a message to your elected representatives RIGHT NOW, reminding them about the letter and asking them to sign it.
It’s easy.
1) Click here and enter your U.S. voting address to compose a message to your elected representatives
2) Either copy and paste the suggested message below or write your own polite and succinct message urging your member of Congress to sign the letter in support of the Same Country Safe Harbor that Representative Maloney and Representative Mulvaney are circulating.
3) Let us know who you have contacted by filling out this very very short questionnaire HERE so that we can amplify your voice and continue to put pressure on Congress.
Thank you for participating in this important initiative in support of our work to fix FATCA. If you’d like to further support FATCA reform efforts, please make a contribution by clicking here.
Democrats Abroad FBAR/FATCA Task Force
###
SUGGESTED MESSAGE ENCOURAGING ELECTED OFFICIALS TO SIGN THE AMERICANS ABROAD CAUCUS LETTER TO TREASURY AND THE IRS IN SUPPORT OF THE FATCA SAME COUNTRY SAFE HARBOR FOR AMERICANS ABROAD
SUBJECT: Congressional Sign On Letter supporting the FATCA Safe Harbor for Americans Abroad
I live in [country of residence] and I vote in [state] District [number if known].
Americans living outside of the United States like me are bearing the unintended, but serious consequences of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). The law was, of course, intended to discourage and apprehend US citizens hiding untaxed earnings in foreign financial accounts. The reporting requirements FATCA imposes us and our banks were never intended to impact ordinary, middle class, law-abiding Americans abroad. However, due to FATCA our financial accounts are being closed, our relationships with our non-American spouses are under strain, some of us are being denied roles, promotions or partnership in business and some are planning or contemplating renouncing their US citizenship. Some have already done so.
We need help urgently.
The Democratic and Republican leaders of the Americans Abroad Caucus, Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Representative Mick Mulvaney (R-SC), have drafted a letter to the Treasury and IRS in support of a reform to the FATCA implementation rules which would resolve the problems that FATCA causes for 90 percent of Americans abroad: the FATCA Same Country Safe Harbor for Americans abroad.
Representative Maloney and Representative Mulvaney are circulating the letter on Capitol Hill. I strongly urge you to join your Congressional colleagues in signing on to this letter in support of the Same Country Safe Harbor. There are 8.7 million Americans living outside the US. We vote, we file tax returns and we are calling on you to help us by fixing this law that has so badly impacted our financial and personal lives.
Please sign the Congressional letter to Secretary Lew and Commissioner Koskinen in support of the FATCA Same Country Safe Harbor for Americans abroad. Please contact Natalee Binkholder (Natalee.binkholder@mail.house.gov ) in Rep Mulvaney’s office or Max Whitcomb (Max.Whitcomb@mail.house.gov) in Rep Maloney’s office with any questions and to deliver your support.
Thank you for your help and thank you for serving.
Regards,
Name
City, Country
###
This message is paid for by the Democratic Party Committee Abroad
Democrats Abroad
PO Box 15130
Washington, DC 20003
United States
Telephone: +1-202-621-2085 +1-202-621-2085
It is being sent to you because you are a member of one or more of these Democrats Abroad group(s): DA International and DA International.
I have moved back to the US and want to be moved to the DA US Alumni group.
I have moved back to the US and want to be removed from the DA membership list.
I have moved to another country or chapter area and want my membership to be transferred. Please send us your new address.
I want to be completely removed from membership in ALL groups in Democrats Abroad.
I want to continue my DA membership but receive only Voter Information emails.
Some of the links (here) for 1000 letters to Congress by Friday
https://www.democratsabroad.org/sites/default/files/Americans%20Abroad%20Caucus%20Cover%20and%20Sign%20On%20letter_0.pdf
https://democracy.io/#/
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DA-SafeHarborCampaign
No FATCA reporting etc. for clarity
Does this safe harbor deal let me only get my foreign earned pension taxed in country of origin ?
My house sale exempt by US tax ?
No US death tax ?
Operation Mosquito: mission accomplished. I got a meeting with Tony Coughlan of the Senate Finance Committee next week, and he invited four other staff members to the meeting, including Eric Oman and Tiffany Smith. I’ll post updates on this page.
Thank you very much to everyone who participated, it made a difference.
Newest from Democrats Abroad / 10,000 messages / at least messages getting through and getting attention / One can use this push to send their own suggested solutions
Dear Democrats Abroad Members,
We are pleased to report that after 2 days our FATCA grassroots campaign has yielded an excellent response! We asked you to message members of Congress asking them to sign the Congressional letter to the Treasury Secretary and IRS Commissioner in support of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) Same Country Safe Harbor reform.
More than 3,000 of you have participated! Nearly 10,000 messages have been sent to your Representatives and Senators asking them to sign the letter and throw their support behind this common sense reform to provide relief to Americans abroad from the burden of FATCA reporting.
Please help us send that number soaring towards 20,000 messages! We need your help URGENTLY!
The sponsors of the letter (Rep Maloney and Rep Mulvaney) anticipate “closing it off” to signatures at the end of this legislative session – that’s the end of this week! We need to demonstrate that there is growing momentum in Congressional support for this reform in order to keep the letter open to more signatures. The more signatures on the letter the louder the call coming from Congress for Treasury and the IRS to act.
If you have not yet participated, please send your message to your Senators and Representative RIGHT NOW, reminding them about the letter and asking them to sign it
From Jonathan Lachowitz (WSJ Article)
Maybe invite him to talks with Tony, Tiffany and Eric and stress the point that it changes nothing on taxes?
Hi Jak, This would unfortunately change nothing on taxes…different laws different subject matter…All the best, Jonathan
P.S. happy to try and talk on issues…extra travel for a meeting tough at the moment..
In conversation Johnathon stated that the FATCA issue does not address the MAIN issue TAX CODE for Expats. Read his submission
In conversation Johnathon stated that the FATCA issue does not address the MAIN issue TAX CODE for Expats. Read his submission
http://www.finance.senate.gov/legislation/download/?id=2df2d34f-24ec-4986-b4ee-4b3af065a305
Word is getting out
Americans Abroad: A Disillusioned Diaspora?
http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/americans-abroad-disillusioned-diaspora
With respect to the meeting next week, here is suggestion for getting some good input from me:
AT this link you will find the submissions to the senate finance committee for the International Tax working group.
http://www.finance.senate.gov/legislation/details/?id=34184f67-5056-a032-52c8-0a4960018d92
A search can be done on my name; my submission is on April 28th, 2015; I have also attached a .pdf here….
This paper is reasonably well done (I could have done much better with more time but it at least covers most of the major issues affecting overseas Americans in a way that they generally like to see in D.C.; I think….)….I am of course more than happy to write/talk and give more input to working group to improve their next tax proposal.
Best Wishes,
Jonathan
ShadowRaider helping help him comment BIGTIME
8.7 million strong / Expats and homelanders PLEASE help remember the Revolutionary War ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLZzi7N4so4
ShadowRaider
Thank you all for your comments, I incorporated many of them in my presentation (updated in the same link). Here is my meeting report.
After a subway trip and walking in DC, I arrived at the Senate Finance Committee at 4:45pm. I talked to the receptionist and soon Tiffany Smith came in. She is a senior staff member of the committee and the only Democrat in the meeting today. We went to the meeting room, and soon Tony Coughlan came in with Eric Oman and three other staff members, and said something funny like “the Republicans have arrived”. Tony is also a senior staff member and the one who set up the meeting. I had printed five cards with my contact information and websites of these Facebook groups, and distributed the cards to them. I introduced myself, thanked them for the opportunity, opened my laptop and started the presentation.
Tony Coughlan really liked the map, and said that he thought there were more countries with CBT. I mentioned all the countries that had CBT but abolished it. Then I summarized the problems of CBT (I know that some of you wanted me to cover more aspects, but sorry, I didn’t have time for everything).
Eric Oman asked what people are doing after being refused banking services due to FATCA. I said that they are either renouncing US citizenship, or finding a bank that will serve them with only checking and savings but without investments. Tony turned to Tiffany and told her that even Democrats are contacting them and saying how desperate they are with FATCA. Tiffany said that she also met Americans abroad, including a woman from Canada who was afraid of FBAR penalties on her pension. The others asked if she had moved to Canada for retirement, and she clarified that she had been living there for over 20 years. At that point they realized the magnitude of the problem, that we were talking about people who really live permanently in other countries.
I mentioned that last week Congress changed the due date of the FBAR only to charge penalties on people who won’t know about it. Tiffany and Eric explained that they the goal was to harmonize the due date of various forms with the tax return and to allow extensions, not to charge penalties, and they did think about Americans abroad. I apologized for the precipitated conclusion and if I sounded too harsh. They said that I was fine, but that others who contacted them seemed aggressive (folks, please be polite, these people are trying to help).
I had downloaded one of the video submissions and offered to show it, but they asked me to send them a link later.
When I showed the quotes from the committee reports supporting RBT, things got interesting. They seemed kind of surprised that the text was so favorable, and jokingly accused each other of writing it. Tony pulled a written copy of the report, found the section and read it out loud. Then he confirmed that yes, the Republican side of the committee agrees with RBT, and that some Democrats also agree individually. Tiffany didn’t comment.
I asked if there was any timeline for tax reform, or when they would propose something for individuals and not just corporations. They said that they frankly don’t know, congressmen are the ones who make the decisions. So I asked what we could do for congressmen to see this with a higher priority, but they didn’t really gave an answer. But Tony said that there is a real possibility for international tax reform on its own, perhaps even this year, and that individuals could be included. Again, no promise, but a possibility.
Eric asked Tiffany if the president’s budget proposal had anything for Americans abroad, and she wasn’t aware. I answered that there was indeed a section, proposing to exempt from the exit tax people who haven’t lived in the US as adults and renounce US citizenship. I also mentioned renunciation and the exit tax a few other times during the meeting, but no one commented.
At the end, they asked me to send them my files, and we thanked each other. Tony remained for a little longer, we had a brief friendly conversation, and he said that we can keep in touch. I thanked him again and left, around 5:30pm.
WELL DONE
Outstanding! Excellent report and excellent work. Thank you.
They didn’t swat the mosquito because the mosquito left around 5:30 p.m.
Tomorrow they won’t remember the mosquito.
Excellent report and excellent work, but don’t hold your breath.
Copy and paste comments on his youtube site for more exposure
Hi all, just found this site and the campaign for reform. Has there been any work done with the House? I believe the Ways and Means Committee has the same jurisdiction as the Finance Committee as far as taxation goes.
@Expatreform, Welcome. Yes, I and others have met with members of the House and the Ways and Means Committee. We focused on the Senate Finance Committee more recently because they asked for public input on tax reform, and mentioned the issue favorably in their reports. But maybe it’s time to talk to the House again.