WITNESS SEARCH UPDATE FOR CANADIAN FATCA IGA LAWSUIT:
WE STILL SEEK MORE CANADIAN WITNESSES:
Have you experienced marital stress or breakup, or medical or psychiatric illness because Canada turned you and your family over to a foreign country — or because you were afraid and entered into IRS compliance and suffered harm, or because you are in “hiding” and can’t afford to be IRS compliant or to renounce? Be a witness.
No single witness will be “perfect” from a litigation point of view. We will be seeking more witnesses (almost) right up to the time of submission of court documents. Your specific situation, that we cannot predict, might have unique characteristics that would be helpful in the lawsuit.
If you cannot be a witness, please tell a friend who you think might be interested.
— If you are interested in becoming a witness You will describe your harm in a written affidavit which will be made public and you can contact me at stephen.kish.chair@adcs-adsc.ca See our website at www.adcs-adsc-ca
FOR THOSE CANADIANS WHO ALREADY VOLUNTEERED: Unless you have already been informed by me or by our legal team that you will not be a witness, there is still the possibility — or (for some) likelihood — that you will be asked to be a witness. I’m sorry but I cannot estimate the time it will take for our legal team to get back to you with their decision. This is because they need to “mesh” the characteristics of all of the necessary witnesses and testimonies with the actual detailed submission that contains the entirety of their evidence, which are all still evolving. Please be patient in our getting back to you with a decision. Thank you for your help.
Badger, George and FuriousAC,
That you understand my situation and give your support means so very much to me. It is beyond my comprehension that my son himself could be used (and that would be used in many meanings of the word). My son knows nothing of this mess that results from his birth in Canada to me, wouldn’t understand the implications if he did, would think *he did something wrong* and (in my opinion as I know his sensitivities) would be harmed needlessly. The U.S. Department of State says the U.S.-deemed (though I disagree, that’s what the facts say) and, in my son’s case, accidental USC is more important than his Canadian citizenship and it looks like Canada agrees! I hope I will be a witness to tell his story — and that of others like him in families like mine. It may help others (and my son) and it could help my state tremendously to *be heard* on this aspect of the bigger ugly taxation USC problem we all share.
@calgary411,
Like @Embee, I am grateful, and am sure that many others reading and participating here give thanks for the many many things you’ve donated to this effort (time, money, energy, thought and analysis, discussion, information, skills, experience, etc.), since the very inception of IBS, years ago.
It is your right to make your own individual decisions in these matters without pressure or coercion. It is unconscionable for the government of Canada to assist a foreign government to extraterritorially collect data and taxes from Canadians resident in Canada – particularly from the vulnerable, and even more shocking given that the US provides NO BENEFIT – not only does nothing to assist those with disabilities, but in fact saddles them with the additional burden of US extraterritorial CBT and FBAR imposed on their local Canadian disability benefits and RDSP savings – which are supports facilitated by fellow Canadian taxpayers.
The fact that MPs like Brison who are fully aware of the situation and the ramifications can now support the federal government’s traitorous actions against Canadian taxpayers, citizens and residents is unconscionable. The fact that he knows that vulnerable Canadians like your son are at even greater risk from the extraterritorial depredations of the US, and unable to ever legally renounce their UStaxableperson burden makes it even more hypocritical and an even deeper betrayal.
We can only hope that the ADCS lawsuit will accomplish what moral suasion, appeals on ethical grounds have been unable to get the Liberals to do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiucFHQSh1I
Another poor bastard US person who has started a coffee shop in Ufa, Russia – it’s doubtful he knows about FATCA and that Russia has agreed to cooperate.
Unless some crooked banker in Ufa is doing him a favour and not flag his business US reportable, he’s going to find out how Uncle Sam continues to lurch in his background in deepest darkest Russia.
http://chathouse.ru/en/
I might send him a informative email, however, I’ve done this a few times in the past and you never get a response. Probably because they don’t believe it or believes it’s some kind of scam.
If anyone wants to try go ahead.
Thanks, EmBee. I just saw your kind words. I am no more or no less than anyone else in this fight for justice from this platform Petros provides for us.
@Don,
Actually, Russia is one of the few countries without a FATCA IGA.
https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/tax-policy/treaties/Pages/FATCA.aspx
However, they have many banks that comply. It’s up to each individual bank in Russia to comply or not. Too bad Canada isn’t as free as Russia.
@Tom Alciere – So I guess this guy can dodge FATCA if he wants to use some Russian version of a credit union?
However, if you’re running a business and taking payments / paying suppliers you’ll probably will have to use a bigger bank (who probably will have complied).
@Calgary: I agree with everything Badger and EmBee have said. I don’t know how Dash could criticize you in the way he has. If he had followed your posts, he would know you have volunteered to be both a plaintiff and a witness and he would also understand why your son cannot testify. I think his comments are deplorable.
@Everyone We will soon have a couple of new “U.S. persons”in Canada. Joshua Basseches, the new CEO of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and his wife, Amy Perry Basseches, are moving to Toronto from Boston.
I wonder if Mr. Basseches knows about FATCA, FBARs, FINCen and the CBT. Does the ROM know all of their accounts could now be reported to a foreign government because their CEO has signatory powers over their finances?
I doubt if he would be a witness but I think he will soon have an OMG moment. Will he tell his bank that he is a U.S. person.
Here is the article about the new CEO of the ROM.
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/2016/03/27/new-rom-ceo-will-roll-out-the-welcome-mat.html
Blaze, I think it’s been determined that writing letters to people like the Basseches or to the ROM would be considered SPAM but perhaps one of the demonstrations you’ve been planning could be held outside the ROM offices. Just a thought. π
An acknowledgement of badger’s and your latest comments and support, Blaze. My sincere thanks. Today is a new day. Onward in what we need to accomplish.
Consider direct mail ads to USA registered voters with Canadian mailing addresses. Send a few hundred and see what happens. Less than twelve grand.
Post card stock increases visibility of the message but you cannot exactly say “Dear U.S.A. registered voter” because it would tell everybody who sees the card.
Tom, I discussed your suggestion again with our Directors and the Plaintiffs, and we have decided not to contact Canadians using your U.S. voter lists. There was some concern that recipients of a witness request letter might resent being contacted using voter lists.
We will however, be sending out another witness request emailing to those of our supporters who have given permission to be contacted.
If the newspaper ad, then a part of that may be fund raising as well – hopefully to pay for it and beyond.
Keep up your strength Calgary411.
Calgary. I’ve always respected your position and know that you have figured out how to protect your family. Keep on trucking and be assured you have our support and thanks.
Duke and NervousInvestor — my thanks.
Does anyone read print media anymore? I have read all of my news online for a decade or more.
I would imagine the Saturday print edition of the G&M would only be picked up in the Toronto area. I would think advertising dollars would go farther with the local news websites that are replacing newspapers. These websites often accept “news releases” as content, as well, and may not require payment.
Village Media covers Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, and recently Guelph online, after the demise of the Mercury. Possibly other cities and towns.
Looks like they also cover Barrie and Timmins.
These websites are often the only up-to-date source if local news, after having lost local TV news and newspapers.
The Mom makes a good point. Have you looked into online advertising? With Google adwords, you pay per click and can limit the geographical area where the ad is displayed. I haven’t placed an ad online myself, but maybe someone who reads this has experience with online advertising and could provide advice.
Karen, Google ads is going to be one of the strategies that we will try. GwEvil has the experience with these ads.
Still hope though that some readers will try to contact those who do not read Brock and spread the word that we need witnesses.
@ Don – Your idea to search out names on the “Name and Shame” list to see if they are on Linked-In — I decided to try this out using the January 2016 list. So far, I have gone through the “A”s and “B”s and have found 14 highly-likely matches. Now, I am not on (and do not want to be on) Linked-In but if you (or anyone else) is, and wants to try to check out if these are the ones who just renounced, I’d be willing to further work on this with you. Some were in Europe or hong Kong, but a number ARE here in Canada. I only put on my list if this person was the only person with this name or if the middle initial was the same (you would be surprised how many people are on Linked-In with unusual first or last (or both) names when you take in the entire world….. Let me know if this is of interest to pursue
@Stephen, re this category of harm;
“RS compliants who have suffered much harm from the compliance”
Does that include those in that category – BEFORE the FATCA IGA came into effect?
@All
I am deeply hurt by the comments you have made about me. All that I asked was that @calgary411 and her son come forward as witnesses at whatever level he is able to. If not them then who? Stop directing hate against me and answer that question.
The G&M is read nationally. The oldies among us pay no attention to online ads .
@Dash1729
Any “level” Calgary’s son is capable of participating in as witness should require he be well-informed about what he’s doing, know the possible repercussions of what he’s doing, and decision should be his and his alone to make. Otherwise he’s not a willing participant in what could potentially cause him great harm.
Try a little empathy.