The Senate Finance Committee is accepting submissions on “How U.S. International Tax Policy Impacts American Workers, Jobs, and Investment.”
The statement must be in a Word document, single-spaced, not exceeding 10 pages. No other file type will be accepted for inclusion. Title and date of the hearing (25 March 2021), and the full name and address of the individual or organisation must appear on the first page of the statement. Statements must be received no later than two weeks following the conclusion of the hearing. Send to: Statementsfortherecord@finance.senate.gov Deadline: Wednesday 7 April.
Stop Extraterritorial American Taxation (SEAT) brought this to my attention and they give further information about this Committee hearing on their website. SEAT encourages all Americans living overseas who would like to submit a statement to do so; and, should you wish a model, they’ve put several templates on their website.
Time to dust off your letters to the USG about inequities of USG over-regulation, double taxation, and claiming as U.S. residents USP overseas.
https://www.americanexpatfinance.com/news/item/680-seat-tell-senate-finance-committee
I just posted the above to about 10 Facebook Groups. Most of the focus of these was Americans in Australia and Australians in America. Perhaps others may do this related for their countries.
This is getting to be like the movie Groundhog Day. Submitting the same letters I sent to the same Senate Finance Committee last time and the time before that, and then ending up right back where we started. That doesn’t prevent me from wholeheartedly making my best submissions each time. But I wish, like the movie, that we’d get to the happy ending already.
My post at American Expatriates FB group:
Do we have any constituents of Sen Ben Sasse (R-NE) here?
I’ve discovered that Matt Stross, former Legislative Tax Assistant with Congressman George Holding is now working in Sen Sasse’s office. Many may recall Matt’s work with Americans abroad and Congressman Holding on bringing about the “Tax Fairness for Americans Abroad Act”, introduced in December, 2018 but unfortunately didn’t go anywhere.
H.R.7358 – 115th Congress (2017-2018): Tax Fairness for Americans Abroad Act of 2018 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
Matt understands the issues. I have written Matt about the possibility of elevating the issues with Sen Sasse, as well as the SEAT submission to the Senate Finance Committee, if he can. I have also done so with Congressman Posey (R-Fla), my rep in the hope that he would do the same. I don’t expect to hear back from either before next week.
I suggest that should Sasse be your representative, that you cc both him and Matt with your Finance Committee submission. Matt can be reached at:
matt_stross@sasse.senate.gov
Even if Sasse isn’t your representative, you should still forward your submission to your various representatives to further bring broader attention to the issues facing Americans abroad.
Any opportunity to “try, try again” is something to take advantage of, especially when the current climate of just about everything is shouting at us to just give up. And I don’t think it would be unreasonable to suggest that we recycle some letters we’ve already written. After all, the testimonies to date are powerful statements and the fact that they have been ignored is an equally powerful indictment of the system which, thus far, has failed us utterly. Perhaps new ears will be more receptive to our words. It’s worth the “try.”
How U.S. International Tax Policy Impacts American Workers, Jobs, and Investment
Surely,the title is a misnomer , should have been,How US International Tax Policy impacts on Domestic and Multinational Companies. Upon glancing through the preamble and testimonials, there are numerous mentions of corporate tax rates and any mention of anything else is purely through homeland optics.
By sending all those templates, you may well be educating them about things they are cluless about but then again ,education is not on the Finance Committee agenda.
However, wish you the best of luck.
The letter templates are a great idea, but I’m not sure the opening sentence of the template for Accidental Americans makes much sense.
An Accidental American who has been made aware of their US tax obligations would likely not begin a letter with: “I am a proud citizen of the United States of America.”
That being said, I fully understand the political purpose of not appearing unpatriotic.
SEAT Founding Member John Richardson writes,
So, I ask you again – please take the time to send in your submission.
As a general principle (and I am sorry if you don’t like this image), but …
America has built a fiscal prison, brick by legislative brick. Sure, you can physically leave the United States, but you are NOT free to integrate into a new society and control your destiny. This prison has been built, brick by legislative brick. It is getting worse and worse with no discussion of relief.
Some Americans are divided politically. But, what must be understood is that ALL Americans are under attack from these policies. Even Homeland Americans are under attack. (They just don’t know it – but they will find out if they try to live outside the United States.)
Support for freedom and fairness in government has been expressed by both Democrat and Republican presidents. Let me close by quoting first a Democrat President and then a Republican President – both speaking OUTSIDE the United States in Berlin Germany.
In 1963, President Kennedy speaking before the Berlin Wall, made his famous speech which included:
“Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect. But, we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in …”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBQvKXIDiuc&t=2m16s
In 1987, President Reagan speaking at the Berlin Wall said:
“Mr. Gorbachev: Tear down this wall.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCO9BYCGNeY&t=1m10s
Conclusion:
The US policy of citizenship-based taxation is a fiscal prison – a wall – that has been built one legislative brick at a time. It is now enforced by FATCA. It’s up to to make your voice heard – to tell the Government of the United States that the time has come to “Tear Down This Wall”.
What Americans abroad have in common and share is far stronger than what divides Americans abroad!
http://seatnow.org/2021/03/29/have-your-say-tell-the-senate-finance-committee-how-international-taxation-affects-you/#comment-122
In 2015 the Senate Finance Committee completely ignored Americans abroad. In literally the last paragraph of an 82 page report, is said:
“F. Overseas Americans
According to working group submissions, there are currently 7.6 million American citizens living outside of the United States. Of the 347 submissions made to the international working group, nearly three-quarters dealt with the international taxation of individuals, mainly focusing on citizenship-based taxation, the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), and the Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR).
While the co-chairs were not able to produce a comprehensive plan to overhaul the taxation of individual Americans living overseas within the time-constraints placed on the working group, the co-chairs urge the Chairman and Ranking Member to carefully consider the concerns articulated in the submissions moving forward.”
It’s time for the Senate Finance Committee to consider the concerns of individual Americans abroad who are NOT “Mini-Multinationals!!”. This is why you need to get your submission into them. Please the last possible date is April 8/21.
SEAT encourages you to send your own submission to the Senate Finance Committee by April 7, 2021. SEAT has even prepared a series of templates. Choose the one that best explains your situation. http://seatnow.org/2021/03/29/have-your-say-tell-the-senate-finance-committee-how-international-taxation-affects-you/
On March 25, 2021 the US Senate Finance Committee discussed changes to punish US multinational corporations. Not once in the hearing that they acknowledge that all US citizens abroad are treated as though they were “Mini-Multinationals”. Americans abroad with small business corporations are under attack. But, an attack on one group of Americans abroad is an attack on ALL Americans abroad. YOU may not have a small business. But, don’t you think your children should be allowed to have a small business? US tax lawyer Virginia La Torre Jeker explains how the new US tax proposals will impact Americans abroad. Remember YOU are GILTI of exactly nothing! We join Virginia and ask that you email your submission to the Senate Finance Committee.
SEAT encourages you to send your own submission to the Senate Finance Committee by April 7, 2021. SEAT has even prepared a series of templates. Choose the one that best explains your situation. http://seatnow.org/2021/03/29/have-your-say-tell-the-senate-finance-committee-how-international-taxation-affects-you/