Lobby the New US Government!

96 thoughts on “Lobby the New US Government!”

1. Dear President-elect Donald Trump,

   Congratulations to you and the Republican Congress on your historic election success.

   You have pledged “to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans” including “the forgotten men and women of our country” who “will be forgotten no longer.” As one of the “forgotten”, I write to you today to encourage your immediate attention to a matter that the Republican Party, in its 2016 Election Platform, has promised to remedy.

   I am one of the estimated eight million American souls living outside the United States who are enduring the financial persecution of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, a draconian piece of legislation manufactured by the Democrats during their eight-year regime. The countless letters, proposals and pleas for justice that we have sent to the relevant committees of both the House and Senate have been completely ignored. Plenty of attention has been afforded extra-territorial corporate tax issues but we individuals, with little means to do so, are left to fend for ourselves. On one hand, we are being hunted ruthlessly as “guilty-before-proven-innocent tax-evaders” while on the other hand our concerns about the resultant effects of this legislation on our innocent lives are ignored and totally “forgotten” beneath the heap of other matters deemed to be more important.

   In reality, we are ordinary Americans who have found homes — permanently — in other lands. Our lives have taken us abroad for a variety of ordinary reasons: education, professional experience, love and marriage, adventure, charitable work. We are upstanding citizens and tax-payers in the countries of our residence (and, often, second citizenship). Our banks, far from being “foreign”, are down the street from where we live. We are paying the rent and the grocery bills like every other American, not moneylaundering or involved in some other suspicious activity.

   A large number of us, including myself, were small children when our parents moved “overseas” to pursue their lives. We have grown up in other countries and have stayed. Our “foreign” educations did not include courses in US tax law. We had no idea (until our home countries agreed, under threat of sanction, to enforce FATCA on their own, supposedly sovereign, soil) that the United States is one of only two countries in the world (the other being the dysfunctional dictatorship of Eritrea) that impose an income tax on one’s identity as a citizen.

   It is beyond time for the leader of the free world to acknowledge the shame of this deplorable “partnership” and join the rest of civilization which has long recognized that residence and/or territoriality are the only criteria upon which a fair and equitable income tax system can be based.

   The Republican Party has, indeed, recognized, in its 2016 Election Platform, my community’s premise that citizenship-based taxation (CBT) is wrong and must be abolished.

   “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.” [Republican Party Platform 2016, p. 13]

   CBT is a breathtakingly un-American policy. CBT is exactly the same form of taxation that was imposed on the American colonists by the 18th-century government of Great Britain. In fact, the colonists had less reason to rebel against it than my community does today. They actually received services from the Crown for the taxation that was imposed on them. But we — out here in Canada, in France, in Japan, in Sweden, in Chile, Australia, South Africa or wherever else on the planet we find ourselves — receive absolutely nothing from the United States government. Nor have we asked for anything other than our right to travel to the country of our birth to visit friends and family (and spend our tourist dollars). Our schooling, our policing, our roads and bridges, our health care, our pensions and our old age security are all covered by the governments of the countries we live in. Any US consular expenses we may incur are paid for by us in user fees at time of service.

   In short — we cost America absolutely nothing, yet are subject to its harshest and costliest tax reporting requirements and its most punitive penalty schedule for errors, omissions and failure to file. For a retired person such as myself to become “compliant” with the system after having lived abroad for well over half a century (all the while earning and saving for the future in the least advisable —from a US tax standpoint — investment vehicles) would be tantamount to submitting oneself (and one’s “foreign” spouse!) to a financial execution.

   One of the saddest consequences that have emerged from the Democratic FATCA “witch-hunt” is the fear of their native land that has been engendered within the hearts of many of us courtesy of the hard-nosed tax rhetoric that has emanated from Mr. Obama’s Washington. I am afraid to cross the border and have not seen my family in five and a half years. No American, however loosely connected to the country due to distance of time and space, should ever have to undergo the severe emotional distress of exile when the only “wrong” committed is the unwitting disobedience of a musty, hundred-year-old law no one knew about that has no place in the modern world.

   Being American is not a benefit; it is an identity. The unconscionable practice of taxing a population for their identity alone — transforming their very essence of being into a liability — MUST cease. I ask you to join with Congress in bringing citizenship-based taxation to an end, once and for all. By doing so you will be fulfilling your desire to “serve the people” by freeing all Americans from the tax bondage that has prevented them from “pursuing their happiness” and achieving the same prosperity on the global stage that all other citizens of this world are permitted to enjoy.

   I await the promised Republican adoption of residence-based taxation with the greatest anticipation, as I do my opportunity to visit the land of my birth once again, before I am too old to do so.

   Mary Blackhill, Canada

2. Excellent, MuzzledNoMore / Mary Blackhill, Canada.

3. @ MuzzledNoMore
   Excellent! This might be another good place to submit your story. The Trump team is asking for suggestions.
   https://apply.ptt.gov/yourstory/

4. I don’t tweet and am not about to start. Got e-mail addresses for the above transition team?

   I’d like to find an address list for the entire Republican contingent of both houses of the new Congress, in order to send letters to each and every one. I will send paper letters, with pretty foreign postage stamps, to every single one. It’s probably too early for such an address list, but if anyone has a source handy, it would be good to share here. If not, I will look around and compile such a list when I’m feeling less exhausted than I am now.

5. Barbara: We’ll post every bit of contact information we receive including email addresses as soon as possible. I know you’re not the only one who doesn’t do twitter!

6. I see much speculation that Pence will be the real power behind the throne, just as Cheney was. Perhaps even more so, since Trump is in way over his head and most likely secretly knows it. As with Trump, I have found no statements from Pence regarding FATCA or CBT. Therefore, Pence’s office needs to be included in our efforts.

7. @Barbara: “As with Trump, I have found no statements from Pence regarding FATCA or CBT. ”

   On the bright side, Pence once cosponsored a bill to make the FEIE unlimited
   https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/house-bill/5986

   This was in 2006, i.e. after Grassley stuck “stacking” into TIPRA

8. “On the bright side, Pence once cosponsored a bill to make the FEIE unlimited”

   Which would help the rich, and do nothing for Calgary411’s son and holders of ‘PFIC’s.

   Maybe someone can educate him though. That won’t help those of us who already renounced, but a lot of people need to see Pence educated.

9. What about contact information for existing members of congress that are in our corner?

   Like Rand Paul? Any chance Dr. Kish could reach out to him?

   What Senator did the sounding tour in Europe last summer?

10. This is going out….

    Senator Rand Paul
    167 Russell Senate Office Building
    Washington DC, 20510

    Dear Senator Paul;

    Congratulations on your re-election and above all congratulations to all of your colleagues on both sides of the Hill in achieving a Republican Majority with a Republican President.

    As an Overseas American I want to particularly thank you for standing up for nine million Americans overseas in both Congress and in the court room. Millions of us were so proud to see the GOP place the repeal of FATCA in the 2016 Platform that it gave us a last grasp of hope.

    Senator Paul, the media is reporting that President Elect Trump in his first days in Office intends to effectively unsign the many unconstitutional Executive Orders that President Obama signed while in Office. Millions of overseas Americans believe just as you do that the Intergovernmental Agreements (IGA) that President Obama authorized are clearly unconstitutional.

    Senator Paul, there are so many average Americans overseas that desperately need relief so that they can regain a normal financial life with a bank down the street. I know that you and your colleagues will repeal FATCA but relief is urgently needed now.

    Would you please ask President Elect Trump and his team to place the revocation of the IGA executive agreements at the top of the pile? I have been told that these agreements that you also loathe can be “unsigned” at the stroke of the new President’s pen.

    The quarterly list of former Americans was released after the election and it brought tears to my eyes. The list that was legislated to name and shame individuals has become the shame of our great nation.

    I look forward to the day when that quarterly list fills just one page and this shameful era is behind us.

    Please ask President Elect Trump to invalidate the unconstitutional FATCA IGA executive agreements in his first days in Office.

    Sincerely,

11. Fabulous letter, George! Thank You!!

12. @Muzzled….you are too gracious….it was rubbish and I hope others can improve it.

    As a side note, it is fascinating to be reading about the new administration because you have to admit they are thinking outside the box. And we can only win outside the box.

13. Hey everyone. I am not a “regular” on this website, but it’s probably obvious that I am in the same shoes as many of you, if not I wouldn’t be here. FATCA and CBT are nightmares and I can go on about how it’s terrible. I just want to thank everyone here for all their efforts and for all the information available. It really helps. Unfortunately, people don’t understand FATCA and don’t understand what it actually does to people. Every US citizen (tourist or resident) I meet in Costa Rica (where I reside), I talk about all these issues and I urge them to fight. I even try to bring it up with Costa Ricans, specifically the IGA. At times I feel hopeless, and perhaps it’s justified. Politics sucks for the most part, especially with this issue. I am not really sure what I can do besides writing letters to senators and congressmen, tweeting etc, but I’d really like to help more to at least just feel like I did something. I hope we can all accomplish these goals in this window of opportunity that seems to have presented itself.

    So… yeah. Don’t know if I made a clear point lol, but thank you all and I will be writing to the suggested people mentioned in this post.

    Good luck to us all

14. Dealing with FATCA and the IGA would fit neatly into Trump’s tax reform and relief goals. Plus his team and Congressional Republicans are planning for a major tax bill in his first 100 days (Jan 20th to April 30th), with the goal of “massive tax reduction and simplification”.

    So it’s definitely worth suggesting to ALL of them that a very simple, quick, AND cheap way to start with tax reform, and also to help unite the country (as he mentioned in his victory speech) and Republicans after a divisive election, would be dealing with the IGA and enacting CBT to “welcome back” the 8-9 million American overseas, a number of whom would no doubt be delighted to serve as international goodwill ambassadors.

    Staff on the House Ways & Means Committee, which is chaired by Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), are already working on the tax code rewrite,

    http://www.marketwatch.com/story/key-house-republican-aiming-for-major-tax-bill-in-trumps-first-100-days-2016-11-10

    (As a sidenote, If we can do this without Jim Jatras, who wants to defund Planned Parenthood, I would be much happier. If I hold my nose any harder after this week, it will surely fall off. That saying about strange bedfellows has never been more dismaying to me.)

15. @Rebecca

    1. I don’t think you mean “enacting CBT to “welcome back” … I think you mean RBT.

    2. As a “sidenote” to your “sidenote”: Jim Jatras has ALREADY been extremely helpful to those who oppose FATCA and CBT. He has engaged the people on this blog since at least as early as 2012. Your gratuitous and public attack on him serves no useful purpose and is indicative of a remarkable lack of awareness of his contributions. CBT and FATCA are “equal opportunity” injustices. Their repeal will require the coordinated efforts of a broad spectrum of humanity.

16. NBC News is reporting that a prime candidate for Treasury Secretary is Jeb Hensarling, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. This sounds more promising than appointing yet another Wall Street banker to the position. I have searched and I can’t find any mention of Hensarling making statements about FATCA or CBT. In any case, even if this man is not appointed, he’s still in a powerful position in the House of Representatives, and the mere floating of his name means he will have influence in the new administration. So he needs to be near the top of any mailing list we compile.

    As for Rebecca’s great catch that the Ways & Means Committee is already at work (though that link won’t open for me), wouldn’t it be great to toss back at them all the submissions that were sent to them in 2014. Does anyone have these? We have the Senate Finance Committee submissions, but it would be better to send Ways and Means their own archive of submissions.

17. @USCitizenAbroad– I second @Rebecca’s “side note.” Commenting on Jim Jatras’ very public statement is not personal. Restricting my wife and daughters’ reproductive rights? Nothing could be more personal.

    http://dudinka.mk/jim-jatras-i-stand-with-america-i-stand-with-trump/

    I am heartened to see women are already organizing to protest the ascent of the Orange Misogynist.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-million-women-march_us_582642efe4b0c4b63b0cbfa5

18. @All

    Re; Jim Jatras

    I don’t think those folks who joined us even in the last two years have any idea of his connection to us.
    For the FATCA Forum in Dec 2012, which was the first coming together of many of us, Jim flew up on his own dime. I have contacted him several times for help/advice and he has always responded. He has done this without any expectation. This doesn’t happen so much these days and I don’t think its a small thing. I don’t know if we will be able to put together a lobbying effort or not. But I think it is possible to put forth you may not want to or think someone else would be a better choice. But to use these words : “If I hold my nose any harder after this week,” is not kind or necessary. It implies disgust and shows lack of respect for the fact someone else has a right to his/her beliefs.

19. @BC Doc, “Nothing could be more personal.”

    With all due respect as a colleague in the battle against FATCA.

    Is James Jattras a US Citizen resident in the USA employed as a lobbyist in the USA working to DEFUND Planned Parenthood-Canada or change the abortion laws of Canada?

    Is James Jattras a US Citizen resident in the USA employed as a lobbyist in the USA working to FUND Planned Parenthood-Canada or change the abortion laws of Canada?

    IF he is doing either of the above, he is wrong and deserves rebuke.

    It does not matter to me what the People of Canada decide to do with the abortion laws of Canada as long as Canada does not seek to impose its abortion laws on my country. Nor should my country impose its views on abortion on your country.

    Forgive me for saying this as it is the worst epitaph I can say to a fellow outlander….You are talking like a homelander.

    James Jattras is fighting on the side of US Law Should Stay On Its Side Of The Border. That is OUR battle and what needs to be focused on with a laser.

    So yes in battles we have decisions to make and abortion is a highly charged environment. Do you align with someone in your case who is supportive of abortion and extraterritorial lawmaking or do you align yourself with someone who is not supportive of abortion but is against extraterritorial lawmaking?

    ADCS is a unique animal and it has grown on me as the name is very deep yet I am a foreigner to your country so I must continually assess what I may be doing to what are internal affairs of your country. I am proud to stand with ALL Canadians as a foreigner in the defense of Canadian sovereignty which means as a Foreigner on all internal issues of Canada I MUST shut up .

    I have made a few comments about brexit on these boards avoiding the political part of it. But by analogy brexit is about the internal affairs of the British People to be decided by the British People without interference from the US Administration OR the Administration of Canada. I equally resented foreignors say leave or remain.

    So if James Jattras seeks to interfere with the internal affairs of Canada (which I think Ray Berg has done) then I will join with you to protect your sovereignty amongst your own countrymen.

    Brother, you have not gotten the homeland out of your blood. The place that you left and the place that I left is now gone and dead. You are close to burying it, maybe its time to finish the funeral. Seriously, take a drive south and naturally visit for an afternoon (w/Canada Passport), go to a park with a small possession of your US past and throw it into the sea, then go home to Canada……… The place you and I grew up in is gone and dead and the United States became a foreign place on the day you left and the day I left.

    Peace

20. @Pat Moon, you know I took you to task as an ADCS officer for blogging a political article last summer. I think you “got it” as to my concern.

    Having said that, I think your comments on James Jattras are measured and proportional and sober. They are focused like a laser on the mission of ADCS and ADCT.

    Did you ever watch Magnum PI? To this day I remember an episode where Magnum is fumbling with the keys for the Ferrari and the “lads” (dobermins) are racing towards him. He keeps repeating to himself…focus on the key…..focus on the key…. He then opens the car lock and gets in just in time before the dogs are all over the car.

    Your mind is an analytical mind and I think you know as well that we ARE now in the endgame. 2017 will be the make or break year on both sides of your border. Everyone needs to remain focused on the core task in the final push.

21. A PAC that passed me by:

    “Our mission is to ensure the voice of Americans living overseas is heard by policy makers in Washington, D.C. on domestic and foreign affairs, which directly affect the security and welfare of American citizens abroad”, said Hilliard. AVI is committed to registering Americans to vote to ensure they have the opportunity to exercise their democratic right.

    The PAC will also conduct events, online and in-person, with policy makers to share views and concerns of Americans living abroad. AVI will also donate to political campaigns, based on the PAC’s principles of free trade, updated tax policies, and informed and firm foreign policy.

    http://www.rai.ox.ac.uk/news/american-voices-international-rai-hosts-launch-new-pac

    From their website:

    “The US must invest and promote a global economy through free trade and updated taxation policies. AVI will fight for a tax code that isn’t prohibitive to Americans being global citizens.

    http://avipac.org

    I heard the Chair commenting on the election results last night on the World Service, but I haven’t been able to track down the clip. 4am brain fog.

22. @Iota, you are such a great resource finding great bits and bobs. Thank you so much for staying in the arena on this fight as too many end up leaving.

    These various items are the literal ammunition and you are passing it along to be fired at the precise moment.

    Cheers,

23. @Rebecca – “Staff on the House Ways & Means Committee, which is chaired by Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), are already working on the tax code rewrite.”

    Aren’t they just stripping down the “Better Way” plan? Which unfortunately does not mention FATCA/CBT.

    “(As a sidenote, If we can do this without Jim Jatras, who wants to defund Planned Parenthood, I would be much happier. If I hold my nose any harder after this week, it will surely fall off. That saying about strange bedfellows has never been more dismaying to me.)”

    Totally agree with you about the Planned Parenthood issue. If ever there was a time to be hyper-aware of the law of unintended consequences – both in the US and in Britain – this is it.

24. Article about the possibly-impending health care and tax reform plans – (apparently written before Trump rowed back on complete repeal of Obamacare):

    “Things to come? A look at Trump’s and House Republicans’ tax proposals”
    https://tax.thomsonreuters.com/media-resources/news-media-resources/checkpoint-news/daily-newsstand/things-to-come-a-look-at-trumps-and-house-republicans-tax-proposals/

    Final paragraph:

    Things to come? Given the newness of the election and its surprise results, we are probably pretty far from understanding the dynamics of the workings of the 115th Congress that will begin its work in January—including whether the Republicans will attempt to pass tax legislation in the Senate under the legislative process called “reconciliation” which only requires a simple majority, or will, instead, allow the Senate filibuster rules to apply to the tax legislation. Similarly, we are probably pretty far from understanding the push and pull between Congressional leaders and President-elect Trump. Thus, even given the large overlap between the proposal of the House Republicans and that of Mr. Trump, we probably have a long way to go in predicting a lot of the specifics of 2017 tax legislation. However, some significant 2017 tax legislation and some significant health care reform legislation seem quite likely.

25. Anthony: Welcome to Brock! We’re glad you’re here!

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