cross posted from ADCSovereignty page
UPDATE September 28, 2015
CANADA
from Tricia Moon:
As we wait (and wait and wait) I thought I would tell you of a small thing that happened to me that might make a few people feel better…
I opened a (new) bank account last Friday with a different branch of BNS than the one where I still have quite a few accts. After about 3 mins, poof! Not asked “Are you or have you ever been an American citizen/U.S. “Person?” Not asked to fill out a W8 or W9.
I asked the gentleman why and he said as an existing customer, they already have done the KYC/AML procedures etc.I mentioned that I renounced, had a CLN etc and we had a very nice discussion.
However, it was interesting that he didn’t pick up that the bank could have been in error by not asking considering I very much was US for the majority of my time as their customer. Meaning lots of others who haven’t renounced/have no CLN may well not have to worry…
Many duals will obviously be able to evade detection -even with new accounts- if their banks have similar policies. He also told me that it is illegal for a bank to photocopy any identification documents. And never to let anyone take ID to do that.
So perhaps, way back when, even if one DID use a a non-US passport with a US birthplace, I can’t really imagine the birthplace being written down-just the passport number (of course, for years prior to FATCA).
September 27, 2015
from Dr. Stephen Kish:
Yesterday I attended a meeting of the Republican Overseas (RO), who are mounting their own lawsuit against FATCA and the IGAs. I met, for the first time in person, Dani Küttel, who has been posting on this site and who is one of the plaintiffs. The U.S. Government lawyers, as expected, are attempting to contest “standing” of all of the plaintiffs arguing that our wounds are self-inflicted. The decision on the RO injunction (September 28-29) will be made at about the same time as that for our request for a stay (September 28?) and their attorney will advise me as soon as the Federal Court has ruled in their case.
September 26, 2015
from Dr. Stephen Kish:
“LITIGATION UPDATE: We instructed the Arvay-Gruber team to take legal steps to prevent the handover and obtain a stay related to the summary trial appeal. It is likely now (but situation still fluid) that the Court will hear our motion for a stay. There will be no oral arguments and the court will consider our arguments based on the written submission only. The Government of Canada will also file written materials. I will release the motion when I am able to do so.
The “live feed” below will pick up every tweet that uses the hashtag#StopFatca. Please help get this message out-join our Tweet brigade (another version of Brock SWAT) now at 56! Canadians have 1 day to continue pressuring the government prior to transmission on Sept 29. Other Model 1 IGA countries have 2 days prior to transmission on Sept 30. Please advise of any countries who have received an extension from the September 30, 2015 deadline. Also please advise if you know of any governments who have notified the IRS that they want the extension.
Every US Person abroad needs to put the same pressure on their own governments TO STOP THE EXCHANGES FROM TAKING PLACE as all Model 1 IGA’s require turnover of information by September 30. Each government has TO ACTUALLY REQUEST THIS EXTENSION FROM THE IRS, so members need to take responsibility for making sure their respective tax authority/government does so.
WORLD
The Treasury Department is up to something. new CAAs signed
The titles of both agreements include the words “to improve International Tax Compliance and to Implement FATCA. I am afraid to imagine what that actually means.
A competent authority arrangement is a bilateral agreement between the U.S. and its treaty partners to clarify or interpret provisions of an existing tax treaty, such as the ones used to justify the intergovernmental agreements, or IGAs, under FATCA
“The signing of these Competent Authority Arrangements marks another significant milestone in the international effort to gain proper reporting of offshore accounts and income,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen in a statement. “Together in partnership with other tax authorities, we are demonstrating how far we have come in the fight against offshore tax evasion.”
ATO hands over bank details to US Internal Revenue Service
THE AUSTRALIAN SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 12:00AM
The Australian Taxation Office has handed the US Internal Revenue Service details of more than 30,000 bank accounts containing more than $5 billion in the first transfer of information under America’s Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.The ATO said that in return for supplying the FATCA data, the IRS will give it information about Australians with US accounts that will be used to root out undeclared offshore income.Its figures imply the accounts, revealed to the IRS in the first tranche of data, have an average balance of more than $160,000.
Note: Link not guaranteed due to paywall
Jamaica reportedly will not take advantage of the delay in transmitting information to the IRS. (Waiting for source)
A Liechtenstein court that ordered a temporary injunction was to give a decision on September 18 (last Friday). We are looking for information on the decision. (hattip to Mary Margreiter)
CANADA
Making this a political issue in Canada & linking to October 19, 2015 election
Important Swing Ridings – Strategic Voting Necessary to Prevent CPC being elected
Riding: DELTA
The Honorable Kerry-Lynne Findlay
Minister of National Revenue (CRA) & defendant in Summary Trial
If you are voting strategically & your riding is Delta, pls vote Liberal
All Candidates Meeting
Wednesday, September 30, 7-9 pm North Delta Secondary School
11447 82nd Avenue Delta, BC V4C 5J6 MAP
This page has contact numbers, links to riding boundaries, other candidates running etc.
Riding: EGLINTON LAWRENCE
The Honorable Joe Oliver
Minister of Finance
If you are voting strategically & your riding is Eglinton Lawrence, pls vote Liberal
Get your T-Shirt HERE.
RESOURCES TO USE/SHARE
STRATEGIC VOTING:
Strategic Voting.com
AND Vote Together
FOR EMAIL:
ADCS PR pdf file: ADCS PR 19SEP15 pdf
ADCS PR png file: ADCS PR 19SEP15 png
ADCS letter to Minister Findlay: adcs_reqminfind_b_sep_21_2015-1
Elizabeth May GPC letter to PMSH pdf:fatca-lettertoprimeminister_0
Nathan Cullen NDP letter to Ministers Findlay & Oliver: 2015-09-21 Letter – Cullen to CRA-Fin re FATCA-1
John Weston CPC to Minister Findlay:Weston to MNR
For TWITTER:
Please use this hashtag: #StopFatca.
Please use RT on every Tweet
NB: If you RT someone, please put #StopFatca in the reply space above the tweet you’re retweeting. Otherwise, your RTs won’t show up in the feed and we want to see every single Tweet!
You can use this shortened link in order to get more info, hastags, etc into the tweet: http://bit.ly/1WaBY1i
Since it is a Twitter assault, may I suggest that you manageflitter.com use to identify your followers with the highest influence, and contact them to RT. Let the assault begin!
CRA
@KerryLynneFindl Minister of National Revenue
@AndrewTreusch Commissioner of Revenue
@JohnOssowski Deputy Commissioner of the CRA
@OTO_Canada Office of the Taxpayers Ombudsman
Ministry of Finance & Standing Committee
@MinJoeOliver Minister joe.oliver@parl.gc.ca 613-369-3710 TO office:Tel 416-781-5583 Fax: 416-781-5586
@AndrewSaxton1 Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance andrew.saxtion@parl.gc.ca
@KevinASorenson K.Sorenson@fin.gc.ca Minister of State (Finance)
@TimSargent Associate Deputy Minister
Members of Standing Committee for Finance are HERE .
If you already have followers who are not expats but may be sympathetic, share other political issues, please send them the tweet directly with the RT; don’t assume they will see it in their feed just because they follow you. Creating a network with other users is important in order to utilyze social media to the max.
Tweet to individuals
If you don’t want to write your own, you can copy/paste these (already tweeted so 140 characters or less)
CDN govt 2 turn over 1million+ of ur fellow CDNs 2 IRS
Let them know u won’t tolerate this #StopFatca RT
#StopFatca Stop PMSH from allowing IRS 2 manage
CDN banks! Protect CDNs’ privacy! Tell CDN govt NO!Pls RT
Financial info of 1million fellow CDNs 2 b given 2 IRS
bc PMSH wants 2! Violates sovereignty & privacy RT #StopFatca
Tweet to Govt/Mp’s etc:
No need 4 CDN govt 2 transfer CDNs’info due 2 IRS delay
Protect CDN sovereignty & privacy rights #StopFatca RT
Govt of CAD:IRS delays transfer of financial info-don’t betray 1million+ CDNS
Will remember on 10/19 #StopFatca RT
Govt of CAD:IRS delays transfer of financial info-don’t betray 1million+ CDNS
Will remember on 10/19 #StopFatca RT
Experienced users who can add a 2nd hashtag as well as using #StopFatca and RT
please also use the following #s as they will link to the network of other CDNs involved in the anti-harper govt re-election
#elxn42 #elxn2015 #ABC2015 #cdnpoli #GoHarperGo #harperman #StopHarper #Heavesteve2015
For FACEBOOK:
You can share from any of these groups:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/citizenshiptaxation/
https://www.facebook.com/ADCSovereignty/
https://www.facebook.com/ADSCanadienne/
https://www.facebook.com/The-Isaac-Brock-Society-341446319218930/timeline/
https://www.facebook.com/USExpatsCanada/
Or from these pages:
“https://www.facebook.com/CitizenshipTaxation/
https://www.facebook.com/AccidentalAmericans/
Other pages that also have this post/information:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/AmericanExpatriates/permalink/516231728542904/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/AARO.Open.Forum/permalink/10150558700159950/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/accidental.americans/permalink/121884294833336/
Stephen: Thank you so much for the date clarification. Certainly good news!
George: I’ve obviously missed something else important. What letter from a Conservative MP? Which MP? Must have been a twitter feed. Can you help out the non-tweeters here?
George: Belay my request. The info is in the next post. 🙂
@Brockers……over time on various posts there has been questions as to what is a safe credit union and what is not a safe credit union.
Some have contacted their credit unions and asked if they were FATCA compliant.
A link to a nice guide was listed here on another thread…hat tip;
http://www.bdo.ca/en/Library/Services/Tax/pages/Tax-Alert-FATCA-and-Canadian-Credit-Unions.aspx
We know that all FIs that are going to file have already filed with CRA. The only question is if CRA will hand it over to the USA.
But there is now an Opportunity to clear the fog on credit unions.
It is my opinion that ALL credit unions when asked if they are FATCA compliant should state YES.
The question is how are they FATCA compliant. I say that as many brockers run away when they hear their credit union is FATCA compliant.
The proof of the pudding can now be determined, you simply need to ask the credit union…..if they were required to file a FATCA report last year with CRA or if they were exempt from filing that report.
I just posted this on my donation blog:
[LITIGATION UPDATE: We instructed the Arvay-Gruber team to take legal steps to prevent the handover and obtain a stay related to the summary trial appeal. It is likely now (but situation still fluid) that the Court will hear our motion for a stay. There will be no oral arguments and the court will consider our arguments based on the written submission only. The Government of Canada will also file written materials. I will release the motion when I am able to do so.]
—This is a legal attempt which may or may not be successful. Please continue to send emails tweets etc. to Canadian politicians to keep the pressure on the political side.
Thanks for the Canadian ADCS litigation update, Stephen. ADCS-ADSC continues to stop the freight train.
[ Related: See my comment (as I see it) and John Richardson’s at http://haydonperryman.com/2015/09/23/recording-of-fatca-webinar/ and be sure to listen to the webinar discussion there. ]
@Stephen Kish, @ADCS team……….
1. I do not know how you do it……..
2. I wish I could be in the fight with you but you guys know my Canadian nationailty is clinging and I am over here not over there
3. I just hope the £££$$$€€€ I send is some small encouragement
All of you keep pulling rabbits of the hat……..
@George………..I AGREE 1000% Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. You are the only thing keeping me from being lost in the dark night. Now to pray to the lottery gods for a big fat donation….otherwise just the usual drop in the bucket will be coming soon.
@Calgary, I listened to that link and read the two comments…….
Yep, compliance people in the homeland and folks outside the homeland…..its like one from mars and one from venus.
I wonder what would happen if Greece or Ireland turned the screws and adopted their own FATCA requiring all US Banks to verify Irish and Greek ancestry for purpose of reporting and tax? Me thinks these guys along with Senator Schumer would be screaming.
The Canadian data won’t be handed over to the U.S.A. before the 29th of September, and the U.S.A. date won’t be handed over to Canada until the 12th of never.
“I wonder what would happen if Greece or Ireland turned the screws and adopted their own FATCA requiring all US Banks to verify Irish and Greek ancestry for purpose of reporting and tax?”
Although every little bit helps, it would be better if 190 countries would do that.
We need greater than 8 retweets and 6 favorites to bust into the photo board of @KerryLynneFindl. Each of the 4 campaign photos has this exact number of retweets and favourites.
All 4 of those pictures were posted on 21 September. Jump on any tweets with pictures in the last few days. Look for them under the tabs Top and Live.
Also note that each of these photo tweets has #FindlayCampaign #TeamFindlay
Now this is a bit confusing. I put this link into another computer where I am not signed into Twitter and different photos appear for Kerry-Lynne Findlay
https://twitter.com/search?src=typd&q=%40KerryLynneFindl&lang=en
Thanks to Patricia Moon making this all possible. Search @KerryLynneFindl on Twitter and Post, retweet, and favorite there.
Thanks all you twitter tweeters. Your work here amazes me. And, yes, thanks Tricia, on top of everything else you’re doing.
Re: StopFatca battle line at: @KerryLynneFindl
Request BOTH Retweet and Favorite of each the following Tweets:
https://twitter.com/JasonPedley/status/647416199001866240
https://twitter.com/JasonPedley/status/647207409547669508
https://twitter.com/USExpatCanada/status/647594856643096577
https://twitter.com/JasonPedley/status/647221484021223424
https://twitter.com/JCDoubleTaxed/status/647212981617475584
@Patricia Moon It would be nice if all the allied entities would BOTH retweet and Favorite EACH of the above – then that I think would help us get over the line and into the Lynne Find Twitter Photo Board. I am talking about:
@CBTLawsuit
@USExpatCanada
@ADCSovereignty
@IsaacBrockSoc
As well as
@nobledreamer16
@LynneBlaze
How about
@USCitizenAbroad
Etc.
Explanation of picture thing. If you search in Twitter #FATCA or @KerryLynneFindl or anything else with # or @ address, then you get two lists of tweets “Top” which shows first – these are usually tweets with the most retweets and favorites, then there is a “Live” tab at the top, which you may click on and it shows the tweets with relatively fewer retweets and favorites. Because on the “Top” page these may not be the most recent but ones with most retweets and favorites, you might look at the Live page for most recent tweets and often another set of tweets. If a tweet is on either of Top or Live it tends not to be on the other page.
Back to @KerryLynneFindl. Put that into Twitter search. The Top page is first. Right now I see a tweet on top #1 by @JasonPedley that needs to be retweeted and favorited more.https://twitter.com/JasonPedley/status/647416199001866240 This one now has 5 retweets and 2 favorites.
Right below this is a section called Photos. I see four photos of outdoor campaign posters for Kerry-Lynne Findlay (each started as a photo attached to a tweet on 21 September, and each has 8 retweets and 6 favorites). Objective here is that if we get enough retweets and favorites (I think 8 or more retweets and 6 or more favorites) then we would displace one or more of those outdoor Kerry-Lynne Findlay campaign photos. Once we are there it is very noticeable on the page and will stay for a number of days at least.
Tweets are nice yet it is said that a picture is worth a 1000 words. So best to tweet pictures. Sometimes when a tweet includes a link to a news item a picture from that news item automatically appears with the tweet.
Below the tweet text box to the left is a camera icon with label “Add Photos”. If you click on that then Twitter will ask you where in your computer do you wish to navigate to find a photo you click on to appear in the tweet. The Photo is then uploaded to Twitter. This takes away some of the text allowable with a Tweet. Surgite!
Perhaps the Canadian effort could use some digital creative with focus on Canada. Keith Redmond Tweeted this one: https://twitter.com/kred65/status/643402019005460480
If you like that picture – with the text in it – you may click on it and drag it to your desktop. Then you may directly attach it to a tweet. That should be sent to Kerry-Lynne Findlay
The tweets with photos did not always show in my list above.
Here is another one:
https://twitter.com/JCDoubleTaxed/status/647381673823211521
Inspirational small business story from Hackney in London.
A lady from California has set up a business in London and has made good progress. She’s gotten her story published in various magazines, UK newspapers, and today had a ‘human interest’ story about an American who left the US and started up her own successful business overseas.
According to Companies House, she’s registered her business in her name with her nationality as ‘American.’
Now her problem – she registered her company in the UK in 2011 in the pre-FATCA checking world and is probably blissfully unaware the IRS wants her to file FBARs, Form whatever, and file US tax returns while at the same time file UK HMRC self assessments, VAT returns, pay business rates, pay 11%+ National Insurance, pay high duties on petrol etc etc etc.
I have sent her and email making her aware of her situation. I’ve only done this a few times and usually don’t get a response for fear I’m a crackpot.
JC thanks for the Twitter tutorial!
Don,
Many here can relate:
I hope the woman from California welcomes your attempt to make her aware of her *American* business in London consequences.
More evidence of “do as I say, not as I do”:
“Statistics Canada data shows Corporate Canada’s cash in the world’s top ten tax havens has grown to $199 billion, with the tiny island nation of Barbados accounting for $71 billion alone – now the second top destination in the world for Corporate Canada’s cash after the United States.”
http://www.pressprogress.ca/fact_check_heres_stephen_harpers_real_record_on_offshore_tax_havens
Thanks for the link to Haydon Perry’s tax webinar, Calgary411. Along with someone saying that FATCA won’t bring any money into the U.S. Treasury, someone also said that there are many within the Treasury Department who believe that FATCA has already failed, evidenced by their continued reliance on John Doe summonses. I assume he’s referring to this:
http://www.taxconnections.com/taxblog/court-authorizes-irs-to-issue-summonses-ronald-marini/#.Vgaze8RHarU
Thanks for the link — looks as if that is what that person was referring to.
Outstanding effort of JCDoubleTaxed for Canadians-esp since Australians have already been sold.
Thanks JC! And for educating us about Twitter pix/stats!
Australia is not done yet. Bopp could put a wrench in the works. We are putting together a letter to MPs and lobbying effort.
Australia does take particular notice of what Canada does so hope for some victory there.
@Don – You might always reference/include something to back you up in such letter such as: https://americansabroad.org/files/9114/4259/3931/concerns-about-tax.pdf
Re: Twitter effort with @KerryLynneFindl . Hopefully all the Tweets will get noticed and one of our pictures show in her photo board soon or in coming days.
Here is one I just sent: https://twitter.com/JCDoubleTaxed/status/647895785950937089
@Stephen. When they say “self inflicted” I am sure they mean having left the homeland.
Let me assist the US Attorneys on their claim of self inflicted wounds;
“Plaintiffs Kish and Kuttel (psst….he is not an American anymore….traitor scum), have the freedom to open bank accounts at any location in these great fifty states. We have lots of bank branches even at most local Wal Mart stores. Your Honor, they do not have Wal Mart stores in Swetzerlind…..gasp…. Their injuries were indeed self inflicted when THEY and yes it was THEIR decision to leave these great fifty state. The United States Congress and President did not pass a law banning Americans from doing business in FOREIGN LANDS, rather its F O R E I G N banks that decided not to do business with the greatest customers on earth. The plaintiffs can remedy their position rather easily by moving back to these great fifty states and yes Kuttel (traitor….spit….scum) can move back here too as his daughters blood runs red-white-blue and she can sponsor her daddy for a green card.”