Media and Blog Articles – Part 7 of 11 (Year 2020)

213 thoughts on “Media and Blog Articles – Part 7 of 11 (Year 2020)”

1. I’m one of the administrators on a Facebook page for those seeking to renounce their US citizenship. They all report that embassies are shut and not taking appointments at the moment. For some, this is causing real stress, as they face losing their bank accounts, as they also cannot obtain TINs or SS numbers due to the shutdown.

2. Are banks actually attempting to enforce the rule about having an SSN, supposedly as of January 1st this year, or is it just a case of people worrying that it might happen?

   I would think that “can’t get an SSN because the US government is closed due to plague” would be an acceptable excuse, for the time being.

3. A person in that aforementioned Facebook group states that her bank is not accepting the ’embassies closed due to Covid 19′ as a valid excuse.

4. Does not accepting it as a valid excuse equal actually closing the account, or does it simply mean continuing to behave like jerks?

5. Whichever it is, she’s under incredible stress from it all, whilst at the same time continuing to operate as a front-line worker during the Covid 19 crisis.

6. @BP
   I have heard of people who have switched around their SSN digits by ‘mistake’ for the bank.
   I would be tempted to give them any old number to keep her account open, when and if the IRS or bank ever get round to querying it, she would have renounced.

7. Yes, there’s the old “my number is 123-45-6789” approach, isn’t there? You only need to keep the bank happy.

8. *cough* Actually I gave her my SS number with just two digits changed and suggested she do just that.

9. @BP
   I like the idea of everyone doing that and grinding the whole damn system to a halt

10. A study a while back found that there was a direct link between dyslexia and extreme FATCA stress. Not terribly surprising…..

11. One could use the social security number of the person who proudly brought us FATCA. Barack Obama’s SSN: 042-68-4425

12. “Really Mr Bank manager, not my SS number?!
    That’s strange I found it in a 40 + yr old box up in the attic with all my childhood effects and assumed it was, it must have been someone’s telephone number!
    But then what the hell does it matter, I am no longer a US citizen, here is my CLN”

13. John Richardson tweets, Scaramucci retweets:
    John asks for suggestions to highlight our predicament. in his discussion with Scaramucci.

    Please RT/Like on twitter.

    Replying to
    @JakDac74 and @Scaramucci
    Hi – yes I am scheduled to speak with @Scaramucci
    on June 3. I hope to discuss the trials and tribulations of #Americansabroad in a #FATCA and
    @citizenshiptax world. Would greatly appreciate everyones specific suggestions to highlight the injustices.

    https://twitter.com/ExpatriationLaw/status/1265443646368813060?s=20

    Scaramucci who has 855,000 twitter followers, tweeted in support of Residence Based Taxation on 17 April, & also references the Republican Party Platform of a promise not kept (shift to residence based taxation, [& also repeal FATCA]

    The tweet:
    Win Win for U.S./Many of the NINE million Expats who may start voting would forgo the relief checks (spent overseas)/They want Residency Based Tax as per Rep. Platform (Promise kept)/Most do not pay tax BUT pay expensive fees to file/Save $$ on checks/Google it
    https://twitter.com/Scaramucci/status/1250952726906916867?s=20

14. What we all knew already, from Today’s National Post (Canada):

    https://nationalpost.com/news/thousands-of-canadians-are-getting-american-covid-19-cheques-simply-because-theyre-still-u-s-citizens?video_autoplay=true

15. I love the wording of this paragraph in the National Post article:

    “But be warned, if you’re an American in Canada who’s eligible to apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) because you lost your job due to COVID-19, you may want to think twice before cashing that US$1,200 cheque.”

    Note the author’s use of the verb “cashing” – the suggestion being don’t cash the cheque until you’ve exhausted your CERB benefits. Or is my reading of this too conspiratorial?

16. It’s unfortunate but entirely predictable that “thousands” of people will begin filing US tax returns to collect their stimulus benefit. Equally predictable, tax advisors and the good patriots of Democrats Abroad will be there to help them, every step of the way. Hopefully most will get bored after a few years and stop, before it costs them more money than they made.

    The smarter move for the previously non-compliant is to use the “non-filer” form to claim their renunciation rebate.

    Pure speculation on the author’s part, but an interesting comment at the end of the article about CERB benefits. CRA would need to determine that a 2020 US tax credit paid out early would count as “income” – which it might not – and the timing of the cheque would also be a factor. Given that CRA would have no record of the money’s arrival, it would require voluntary cooperation from the CERB recipient. (Pro tip: if next year’s Canadian tax return includes a box that says “Are you a US citizen and did you receive a stimulus benefit from Mr. Trump?” it’s probably best not to check it.)

    By the way, the real money to be made is in US unemployment benefits. That’s what the offshore scammers are all going after.

17. And by what means would the CRA even monitor this sort of double dipping? Media warnings of possible dire consequences are in the same category as “obligated to file US tax returns”.

18. John Richardson’s answer on Quora is getting some positive traction, as it has been shared in the Quora digests of over 1,000 people. What this means is that if we get over there and comment our messages will be seen by a much larger group of people.

    https://www.quora.com/As-a-defender-of-American-freedom-how-do-you-justify-the-fact-that-US-citizens-have-to-pay-taxes-to-the-US-even-if-they-live-and-work-abroad-even-if-they-have-never-been-to-the-US-but-got-their-citizenship-through

19. My answers on Quora are almost exclusively on the subject of US citizenship based taxation and the appalling reality of what it actually means have had 3.6 million views.

    Brockers and others who have an interest in ending this US crap would do well to spend a little time on this and other forums.

20. John Richardson podcast with Anthony Scaramucci:

    @ExpatriationLaw
    ⁩ thanks so much for having me on. Wide ranging conversation including the taxation of Americans abroad and the state of US politics

    https://twitter.com/Scaramucci/status/1268380648642957313?s=20

21. Interesting podcast. Scaramucci recognizes that lobbies run the government and the “need to feather someone’s nest” to get something done and that the political system is rigged by a two party collusion and that the Fed Reserve essentially created a deepening class disparity and also gave birth to Sanders and Trump . He recognizes that taxing is a “price for services” . Question as to how forced voting and stipends to expats would benefit anyone ?

    His think tank is commendable but, as he said, lobbies and deep pockets run the US government and where does that leave cbt,fatca reform?

22. The US Embassy Vienna has put out a video on Facebook, “Friendship Masks for Austria”. Absolutely cringeworthy. I renounced am still embarrassed. People are laughing about it and, if you can read German, there are quite a few comments calling the embassy out on how out of touch they come off as. Austria totally managed to flatten the curve and we are well-supplied with masks, visors and other face coverings. The ‘donation’ is completely unnecessary and the ambassador’s speech is so cliche…
    Just thought I’d share it so you can all have a good laugh.
    https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=935249896919003

23. That is truly nauseating.:-(

24. @MonteSilver1 delivered on his promised suit against the #GILTI
    https://twitter.com/MonteSilver1/status/1272536838272692224?s=20

    Tax Notes covers GILTI lawsuit & Republicans Overseas Amicus brief.
    https://twitter.com/MonteSilver1/status/1272439402925633536?s=20

    https://www.silvercolaw.com/post/gilti-lawsuit-filed-challenging-gilti-regs-and-seeking-exemption-from-gilti-for-small-businesses

    In a strong show of support for expats/our Transition Tax lawsuit, RO filed an Amicus brief in the Transition tax lawsuit. To see the briefs, visit
    https://www.silvercolaw.com/post/republicans-overseas-solomon-yue-come-up-big-for-expats-in-transition-tax-lawsuit

25. One may hope that a Monte Silver victory based on the U.S. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) and Paperwork Reduction Act, may highlight the U.S. over-regulation of those US persons overseas who do not have businesses.

Comments are closed.