As a child I heard my dad use this expression , “Everyone and his brother”–to say that a large amount of people will be at a certain store at a certain hour, so we were going to go at a different time.
I had to relinquish my US citizenship in 2011. I have told my sisters. One of my sisters is politically active. Neither give a rat’s tush about what has happened to me. Both are democrats. My brother doesn’t give a damn about politics and doesn’t vote. He gives less than a rodent’s hiney about my problems since he not infrequently has his own concerns with the IRS, as do all Homelanders.
Can we be surprised that the Senate Finance committee downplayed the 347 submissions regarding FATCA, most of which came from “US citizens” abroad? If we cannot get our brothers and our sisters to write to their representatives, Congress will dismiss our pleas out of hand. But how do we mobilize the members of our own family. My own experience, and what I’ve heard from others, is that our families care a little about our situation than Barack Obama cares for his own brother living in Kenyan poverty. So how do we mobilize people who think we are crazy or have their own problems and no time to put into lobbying their government on our behalf. I believe it can’t be done–but perhaps others have more empathetic brothers and sisters. I certainly don’t have siblings who empathize with my situation; apparently, neither does George Obama.
Barack Obama’s ‘half-brother discovered in Kenya, living on a dollar a month’
@Duality,
I like that “grimly creative” characterization of the US Treasury.
Welcome to Brock!
@bubblebustin, that document https://www.penflip.com/lenxdart/cbt-faq-2 is great. Do we have it posted somewhere else at IBS too? I am getting lost in the accumulation of rich information here, so may have missed it!
@badger
I don’t recall ever seeing it before either. It was apparently written 7 months ago by lenxdart. Other links associated with this writer lead to Marylouise Serrato of ACA.
https://www.penflip.com/lenxdart/aca-cbt-proposal-book
If your ‘brother’ or relative is a CPA in the US, the AICPA has this advice:
http://www.aicpa.org/Advocacy/CPAAdvocate/2015/Pages/Lawmaker-Meetings-at-Home.aspx
” August Presents Good Opportunity to Meet with Your Lawmakers ‘
Published July 23, 2015
“August brings many Congressional activities in Washington, D.C. to a halt each year as members of Congress head home for a month-long district work period. Throughout Congressional districts and states, House and Senate members will hold town hall meetings, coffees, roundtable discussions, listening sessions and other events in order to hear directly from their constituents.
Elected representatives hold these events because, of all the individuals with whom they talk, it is the conversations with their constituents that are most valuable to them. Their constituents are the ones who have the most powerful voices. That translates into an excellent opportunity to meet with your members of Congress in August and to express your concerns about the issues that are important to you. Be sure to watch for local events or even request an in-state meeting where you can engage your member of Congress.
The Congressional Affairs team at the AICPA is happy to help pull together information about issues on which the profession is working closely with Congress. If you have any questions about topics to discuss or about reaching out to your member of Congress, please contact the Congressional Affairs Team at: CongAffairs@aicpa.org. “
Thanks for finding it @bubblebustin. Where else could it be posted that would be useful?
@badger
You’re welcome. Maybe it should have it’s own post, if someone from admin would put it there. If posted on another thread, do you have a suggestion as to which one is the best? I thought by posting it here, it could potentially add to the debate Pink Jelly’s attempting to initiate over how homelanders perceive the benefits of US citizenship.
@Pink Jelly
American abroad are often told by homelanders that US citizenship requires we pay our “fair share” for everything we receive for our citizenship. Can you help define what “fair share” might mean to homelanders and what it is they expect us to pay for?
Yes, so true!!!!!!!!! They claim our children in devious ways.
@bubblebustin,
Maybe an additional copy could go with some of the advocacy materials so others can draw on it? It is hard to know, but I think that with the depth of the accumulated riches here, posting in more than one place increases the likelihood that someone will find it.
This is an excellent post, thanks @Petros
Re: trying to get empathy from relatives. It would probably be better to send some articles – so that they may see it is not just you saying it, but some authoritative source. @All what good articles to send?
I sent the below article to relatives saying that I am thinking of getting the kids to renounce, as if they live their whole lives in Australia then US citizenship is definitely a disadvantage, but that if (after being born in Australia and growing up in Australia) they decide to live in the US then definitely US citizenship is beneficial. I told them my retirement funds here are up for double taxation and trying to focus on that, as there really are too many pitfalls.
Response: disbelief, hope that issues mentioned in article are not affecting me.
Dear Son, Why You Should Leave America Now
http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2014/09/12/dear-son-why-you-should-leave-america-now/
@Bubblebustin you might also point out that what is paid varies greatly by country then how is that fair and the “benefit” not the same for all US persons overseas.
Members of Congress tend to care about the lobbies and special interest groups of their party first and foremost. They care about their constituency only IF they are worried about getting re-elected. (Senior Congress members who are always re-elected do not have this worry). In their world, Americans abroad are at the bottom of the barrel. There are very few exceptions (like Rand Paul) who do NOT pander to special interests and consider how their actions affect other people in the world.
Face it. We are minnows and the Congress is busy with the big fish. We haven’t attracted ANY big names in Canada, and while Bopp’s lawsuit names Rand Paul, that hasn’t been front page news in the U.S because he’s not a big deal like Hilary Clinton.
So! Even if we successfully rally our siblings and other family members to get involved in this issue, remember that they too are minnows. (For example, my relatives live in ignorable states, none of the bellwether states that get attention. I actually have one relative who works full time to fight mountain top removal in W. Virginia in a tiny grass-roots organization. There are no big names for that worthy endeavour either. If similar damage was happening in California or New York, you bet there’d be outcries from the movie and media stars!)
It’s mind-boggling how American politicians and major names care so little about the “little states” and “little people” not to mention their people who live abroad. FATCA makes Americans abroad into pariahs so that many people HAVE to sever ties with the US to protect their families. It should shock and alarm them, but it doesn’t. Of course, GATCA reciprocity would grab their attention! And when Americans lose their world currency throne to the BRICS, then they’ll realize the damage of FATCA–in other words, when it’s too late. Then they’ll wonder why the rest of the world doesn’t care about Americans!
I’m wondering if Bernie Sanders might be worth working on. No idea if he would be sympathetic to our cause, but if he is, he’d be one of the few (like Rand Paul) who would be willing to speak out publicly on our behalf.
I have written a thousand letters since 1985 when tax reform comes up and politicians just won’t listen to reason. There is one reason and that is campaign contributions and not getting them if they change the code to a fixed one. Flat tax is out, FairTax is out and any other tax that doesn’t allow the politician to slip into the tax code, after the hearings are all done, an earmark, usually done in the middle of the night, the night before the vote early the next day, that allows a contributor to pay less in taxes than he owes, without anyone else knowing he did it. The next election year, if a check comes in the tax extender is slipped in again and as long as the contributions flow the tax break continues. No contribution (read bribe) no tax extender.
Foo:
This comes straight back to the subject of this post. Bernie Sanders’ brother lives in the UK. He’s a UK citizen who recently lost a local election. Whether or not he’s dual, has renounced, I have no idea. Either way, one would expect a politically-involved (possibly former) American in the UK to at least be aware of the issues.
I’ve suggested it before: Is it worth considering working on Larry Sanders to try to influence his brother on the entire spectrum of CBT and FATCA issues?
I recall during a search of House of Representatives documents, that Sanders was a co-sponsor of something within the original HIRE Act, so he is likely a chest-thumping FATCA supporter. But if he really is an honest politician, then perhaps he is open to seeing the real situation without the blur of party loyalty.
Speaking of politicians, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) was very sympathetic to this cause when he met with some expats in Paris (I believe Victoria reported on this). He said something to the effect that “you can’t vote for me but I can vote for you…” Now, I’m pretty much glued to these pages but I’ve seen nothing from Sen. Lee on this, but maybe he could be reminded of his words. I think we can forget about Bernie Sanders, him being to the left of Karl Marx and all…he’s all about redistributionism and since we’re all rich tax avoiders, we’re not likely to hear from him or Elizabeth Warren. Any sympathetic ear will be Republican, but don’t hold your breath. The court cases are our best bet. Still I recall the parable of the persistent widow in the Bible, who hounded a judge until he heard her case . It could work (emails,etc.) if done with dogged persistence by enough people.
@Barbara,
I think I will work on a letter to Bernie this weekend.
Not so familiar with the Oxfordshire milieu, so will leave Larry for someone with closer connection there.
O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command….
oooops….sorry…got carried carried away for a bit..forgot…this is an EXPAT blog..
US EXPAT I mean….
When Canadian politicians read here, what they see, lately anyway, maybe not so much a couple years ago, but now what they see is AMERICANS LIVING ABROAD. You all really think anyone cares about Americans living abroad in Canada? LOL.
@Lake Superior Guy,
I wouldn’t be so sure about Bernie. Vermont is a pretty heavily libertarian place, of the left-wing variety. Neighbor helping neighbor is important, sure, but don’t dare try to tell anyone what to do (especially if you’re from out-of-state). I’d say he could go either way, depending on how it was pitched.
Elizabeth Warren seems like she should be on our side, given all the talks she has delivered about how tough the middle and working classes have it. But she would also have to see that some of the people she has been talking about live abroad, a fact which may have been effectively shielded from her gaze by the smokescreen emitted in the course of electoral politics. She does seem to have enough integrity to recognize the light if shown, though.
Re: foo….I rest my case. This is a US expat blog…has nothing to do with Canadians or Sir Isaac Brock anymore….
…ditto the CBT fight….yet to be announced lawsuit….is an AMERICAN fight…not a Canadian one….sigh…we all pretend to be on the same side, but we are not.
And the problem with that is…um…?
Isaac Brock is an inspiration to all who are under threat by the US government, just as Gandhi is an inspiration to all who seek sweeping change through non-violent resistance, or are only Indians allowed to admire him? Are you suggesting that all us non-Canadians go away (as well as out financial contributions to ADCS)? Please don’t start such a petty fight.
@Whitecat,
“Liberty and justice for all US persons abroad.”
Not just Canada.
@Barbara,
” Please don’t start such a petty fight.”
Do you live next door to the USA?
There is nothing petty about standing up for yourself when you do? Canada is UNIQUE! Sorry if you do not get that.
@foo, I do not dismiss the ‘US person’ fight, I just come from a CANADIAN perspective, and as far as I am concerned, CANADA has an obligation to be a BITCH, and USA is going to listen to its closest friend and neighbour. We are SPECIAL that way.