“The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and the Foreign Bank and Asset Reporting Requirements result in government’s warrantless seizure of personal financial information without reasonable suspicion or probable cause. Americans overseas should enjoy the same rights as Americans residing in the United States, whose private financial information is not subject to disclosure to the government except as to interest earned.
The requirement for all banks around the world to provide detailed information to the IRS about American account holders outside the United States has resulted in banks refusing service to them. Thus, FATCA not only allows “unreasonable search and seizures” but also threatens the ability of overseas Americans to lead normal lives. We call for its repeal and for a change to residency-based taxation for U.S. citizens overseas.”
https://prod-static-ngop-pbl.s3.amazonaws.com/media/documents/DRAFT_12_FINAL%5b1%5d-ben_1468872234.pdf
Let’s add the comparison DNC platform
Here is the Hillary position
http://www.democratsabroad.org/our_candidates#Hillary
For The Hillary’s personal message, go to this Brock post
http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2016/07/03/fourthofjuly-independenceday-analysis-the-fastest-growing-u-s-state-lies-outside-its-borders/
If there is a message from the RNC candidate Trump, we can compare it here
Fist pump
Trump has our vote, despite his stance on anything else. Not that he necessarily had anything to do with this. But if we can press Republican legislators after the election to actually act on it–FATCA, FBARs, RBT, or any of the above–Trump is likely to sign it. Clinton would certainly veto it.
Melania for First Lady!
@Barbara
You hit the nail on the head!
Yes, sure it would be nice to know the candidate *really* cares about this or that, and will campaign on it, etc. But that’s not likely with something that’s a “niche issue” — very important to expats but essentially invisible for everyone else.
Note how clear and declarative the language is. I have worked on several GOP Platforms in the past. It’s hard to get something as direct and to the point as this is. This is the gold standard.
Expats and others who have problems with FATCA and CBT have a clear choice: either Trump has your vote (as you said) or roll the dice that if he loses, somehow, in some way, something good might possibly maybe perhaps someday happen under Hillary Clinton (and frankly, compared to Melania, I think Bill would be a horrible First Lady).
Also, keep in mind that if Trump does win, he’ll definitely have a GOP Senate (the House will stay GOP in any case). That means, IMO, following through on this is very, very likely. This will happen.
If Hillary wins . . . .not so much.
It’s time for expat voices to come out in clear and unequivocal support for the GOP ticket and platform. Even if it’s limited to this one aspect of the platform, with caveats like “while we don’t agree with all positions in the platform, or agree with the candidate on this or that,” we strongly urge this vote. In the end, it’s about who gets to make the rules starting in January 2017.
Good Good news. The whole platform is outstanding. And Jim is right. The language is clear and concise.
“Note how clear and declarative the language is.”
Equally clear and declarative as Justin Trudeau’s language. They’ll make great friends. I still hope he gets his walls built though.
Aw, Norman, don’t pee on the party. Yes, we all know how hollow are the words of politicians and political parties. Yet as stated above, this language goes beyond bland pandering (such as Clinton’s woefully insincere “We need to find a solution”). If…and this is a big if, enough overseas voters are able to publicly communicate that their vote is focused entirely on the FATCA/RBT section of the Republican platform, then it’s something to later wave in front of Republican legislators’ noses.
For people like my husband and me, with essentially no way out, no possibility to renounce, this party platform offers the greatest glimmer of hope I’ve seen. We’ve already witnessed how the House Ways & Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee have bluntly ignored us. To have the Republican Party not only not ignore us, but to state our concerns in unambiguous terms, may be a straw to grasp. But a straw is better than no straw at all!
“then it’s something to later wave in front of Republican legislators’ noses.”
Richard Nixon’s nose smelled as bad as Obama’s nose. Betcha they both get trumped.
Not even a full sentence on change to residency-based taxation. Yet it is in there as well as repeal of FATCA. It does not say repeal of FBAR but wraps it with the evils of fatca.
I just dont believe it. Trump is a business man, and when he sees the deficit, he will try to get every dime he can.
Besides that, I think he would make a horrible president and he hasn’t got the temperament for the job. That could be dangerous on a whole new scale. For all of us. I just dont want Trump to have his finger on the nuke button.
Sadly- Clinton isn’t a choice either. Both candidates are not stellar- which sadly would be what America needs right now. Just a SENSIBLE person.
Ben Geier, in Fortune Magazine: “In practice, the party platform isn’t tremendously important. It is a kind of political wish list put together by committee, but the realities of governance almost never let it be implemented. But it appears that Trump has had a sizable influence on the platform, which could be a sign of bigger changes afoot within the party.”
What Trump’s election *will* bring America is a Supreme Court with another two or three justices in the mold of Antonin Scalia or perhaps Clarence Thomas: and an overruling of Roe v. Wade and many other landmark leading cases. School prayer, press freedoms (via libel law) and many other striking social and economic changes are promised. Including extorting concessions from other countries the way FATCA compliance and IGAs have been extorted.
In his CBS “60 Minutes” interview Trump and Pence promised all-out war on ISIS in an alliance with “countries in the region” but not too many American boots on the ground. Look at your map of the Middle East.
Be careful what you wish for.
@Andy05 Tyrannical unAmerican Laws against US Persons overseas make this election only one choice presently (unless one is resident in the US or meet the category Homelander resident abroad (those resident overseas usually for a relatively brief period). I am waiting for Clinton to try and grab my vote yet still waiting.
Remember that Rand Paul has actively blocked FATCA IGA’s so the party does have some credibility here. I don’t trust Trump very much either and I don’t really know what the hell he will do. I know Clinton will double down and continue the relentless inclusion of tricks in the tax code for anything foreign. This has been their plan over multiple years. Without the FBAR etc I have no reason to run our pensions down early. I just told the wife to vote for Trump. Not that big a reach I expect given that she doesn’t trust Clinton at all.
The Donald is apparently going to remove the cold war out of the foreign policy, for example, by not providing arms to the anti-Russia Ukraine regime and by removing the support of moderate rebels in Syria with purpose of ousting Assad.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154264064337980&set=pcb.10154264067937980&type=3&theater
The DNC platform is at this facebook link. It basically says that she will help us to feel better about being considered to be terrorists and corrupt.
Trump has proving of himself to do. If he does not measure up then he will not get elected by the Homeland. However, US persons overseas should unite behind the party that holds out the best remedy for injustices against US persons overseas. Because Homelanders will not unite behind our issues. It is only up to us.
I don’t mind continuing the legal action. How much funding is needed by citizenshiptaxation to get a legal opinion on the lawsuit against CBT?
If only it were true.
Where have you folks read that FBAR/FATCA are warrentless searches?
http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2011/12/22/fbar-fatca-form-8938-filing-requirements-circumvent-the-4th-amendment-and-are-thus-equal-to-the-issuing-of-a-general-warrant/
It’s simple.
The Republican platform acknowledges the harm that U.S. laws do to Americans abroad and advocates for changing the laws.
The Democrats don’t even advocate for changing any of the destructive laws. They want to continue the destruction of Americans abroad.
Americans abroad need to support the Republicans and do all they can to destroy the Democratic party.
Swing States should be identified and get overseas voters to register in those States. Yes there may be residency requirements (one day in a hotel ?), but it’s food for thought.
Even if one State could go Trump’s way because of a few hundred overseas voters that would at least serve notice to Clinton we do count.
Here’s a fun dilemma for those of you from Iowa who still vote: Chuck Grassley’s up for re-election this year and faces a “formidable challenger”
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/04/us/politics/charles-grassley-patty-judge-iowa-senate-race.html
@All
Lots of good comments here!
@Andy05 and perhaps others: I get it. Sure, all of us have issues that are deal-breakers. I can agree with a candidate 99.9% but if there’s one thing I absolutely can’t accept, you get no vote from me.
But if you’re NOT in that category with respect to Trump, @Barbara is right: this a no-brainer.
Trust me, from my previous platform work: fat corporations, powerful lobbies work for months, even years, spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to get just a sentence, just a *phrase* into a party platform that kinda, sorta, maybe points to their interest. Here you have a whole paragraph, and a very explicit one, that’s spot-on expats’ critical concerns, falling like manna from heaven. (I don’t have the full story yet, and when I do maybe it can’t go public. You know: legislation, sausage-making . . .)
The time for playing Hamlet is over. Unless you have a clear no-go issue, which I respect, it’s time to *commit*. Remember, while Trump and the RNC are now asking for money (duh) that’s not the primary ask. What is needed now is *vocal public advocacy from expat individuals and groups*. You need to be have him and his transition team know that when they start looking around who was “with us” and who was “ag’in us” expats were in their column and they need to pony up with the legislative follow-through. (That’s assuming he will win, which FWIIW, I think he will.)
At this point, the question is not “Are Trump and the GOP on our side?” They’ve answered that as much as you can expect in the way our system works, which admittedly is far from perfect. The question now is “Will we give Trump and the GOP reason to remember we were on *their* side?”
Until now, the contents of the Republican Party’s 2016 Platform has been the stuff of rumour so, thank you, Mark Twain, for providing a link to the actual document in black and white. On p. 1 we have a statement of the Party’s intention to revamp the *entire* tax code and on p. 13 we have the clear statement of the Party’s intention to repeal FATCA and adopt RBT.
Contrast this with the Democrats’ statement that “we will make sure” overseas Americans are not unfairly treated under FATCA. Sounds a lot like ” we will do our best” to provide reciprocity!
There’s no contest here. I know who I will support this time around.
We are looking for Mr. Trump to spend lots of time campaigning overseas. He will be spending lots of time in the top 10 most populated states, but after that, he should be spending time with overseas voters.
Certainly he understands that people are persuaded by attention and presence and by personally addressing the issues that are most important to each region.
He should be well aware that the swing states can be swung by overseas voters.
Campaigning doesn’t stop with the platform does it? It’s not so that California got its issues in the platform, thus Mr. Trump need not visit?
California 12,18% 39 144 818
Texas 8,55% 27 469 114
Florida 6,31% 20 271 272
New York 6,16% 19 795 791
Illinois 4,00% 12 859 995
Pennsylvania 3,98% 12 802 503
Ohio 3,61% 11 613 423
Georgia 3,18% 10 214 860
North Carolina 3,12% 10 042 802
Michigan 3,11% 9 922 576
Overseas 2,80% 9 000 000
Other states 43,00%
This should be an indication of things to come — likely Mr. Trump won’t be blowing off expats like The Barack did, this should be just the beginning of his visits and messages to critical voters.
Certainly the candidates could come to visit us? It’s been done in every other voting region.
Two words. Justin Trudeau.