Liberty and justice for all United States persons abroad

The Isaac Brock Society

Media and Blog Articles – Part 1 of 11 (to 26 May 2015)

You can access all years at this link:

http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/media-and-blog-articles-links-for-all-years/

EmBee suggested that it would be good if there was a thread for new articles, so that people would be aware of where to comment. So, I created this permanent page.  You could mention such articles in the comment stream for this page, or if I see one on another thread, I can copy the link to here. I’ll keep adding to the list, but not deleting, so we’ll end up having sort of a “bibliography” too.  [Note:  Some articles are not open for comments]

For more articles on FATCA, enter FATCA into Google then click on the link “more news for fatca” just below the most recent featured article.

Note also: JC suggests to see #FATCA on Twitter for latest breaking news. JC finds that is quite a good source and there even are some international articles that one may read using Google Translate.” Others may help certain tweets and articles remain in elevated position by retweeting them.

26 May 2015:  This thread is now closed.  It continues at Media and Blog Articles Open for Comment, Part 2 of 2.

2015.05.26

New Survey finds US expat voting could impact 2016 Presidential Election, Greenback Expat Tax Services, NASDAQ GlobeNewswire.

This congressional committee wants to hear all your FOIA gripes, Colby Itkowitz, Washington Post, US.

The black money recovery skills of IT department are nothing to write home about, Vivek Kaul, The Daily Reckoning.

2015.05.25

The Intersection of US Federal Tax Law with Collection of International Information- – Including Other  Federal Agencies, Patrick W. Martin, TaxExpatriaation, US.

2015.05.23

America the not so brave:  America has led the global assault on tax dodgers and their enablers.  But the reality still lags behind the rhetoric, The Economist, UK.

Cash Banned from Chase Safe Deposit Boxes, Matt Chilliak, Live and Invest News.

2015.05.22

US Steuergesetz hat unerwartete globale Konsequenzen, Colleen Graffy, Geopolitical Information Service.  Also at Consequences of US widening net to catch tax dodgers, Colleen Graffy, World Review.

The horse may have bolted … but, Angelo Venardos, Asia Asset Management.

Important Correction:  Passports Required to Enter and Leave US — but SSNs May be Optional, Patrick W. Martin, Tax Expatriation, US.

2015.05.21

Americans working abroad face unexpected financial issues, Sarah O’Brien, NBC, US.

Senate tax reform groups get more time, Bernie Becker, The Hill, US.

2015.05.20

Malaysia will defer FATCA reporting, FSI Tax Posts.

America’s Self-Inflicted Wound, Moises Naim, The Atlantic, US.

Janice Mays:  The Tax Guru Who Guides House Democrats, Alex Brown, National Journal, US.

Sen. Rand Paul Launches Filibuster in Protest of Patriot Act Renewal, C-SPAN, US.

Articles from earlier in 2015 are at this link

Articles from 2014 are at this link

Media and Blog Articles Open for Comment, Part 2, is at this link

Media and Blog Articles Open for Comment, Part 3, is at this link

3,971 thoughts on “Media and Blog Articles – Part 1 of 11 (to 26 May 2015)”

  2. Why despotic nations will wish to sign on to FATCA:

    http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/finance-ministry-wants-foreign-banks-to-help-russia-comply-with-fatca/498403.html

    “The legislation also contains Russia’s answer to FATCA. Foreign banks with majority stakes in Russian banks will be obliged to share information with Russian authorities about their Russian clients if more than $10,000 has passed through the client’s account during the financial year. This threshold would catch almost every account held by Russians abroad, banking sources said.”

    Who’s next to sign on? The United States’ close allies Tehran and North Korea? File under, “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.” Will the Harper government agree to similar “lawful requests” for financial information on “Chinese-Canadians” by Bejing?

  3. Thanks for the link, BC_Doc.

    Your question:

    Will the Harper government agree to similar “lawful requests” for financial information on “Chinese-Canadians” by Bejing?

    ties in nicely with http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2014/04/21/report-on-alberta-information-session-edmonton/

    …
    This will set a precedent that the rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms be waived for a segment of Canadian society. They will be second-class Canadians to any other, no matter the first-class Canadian’s national origin or the national origin of their parents / grandparents. Who will then be the next country able to bring their law into Canada to search for Canadians of another national origin?

    My hope is that this gets in front of every Canadian person who will decide such action is absurd and wrong and join us in the Canadian Charter Challenge to either stop or reverse implementation of the US FATCA IGA law in Canada. I hope that others will agree that implementation of the FATCA IGA could be buried in Bill C-31 omnibus bill without debating on its own merits and with the citizens of Canada is appalling.

    Should Canada remain a SOVEREIGN nation with a Charter of Rights and Freedoms that mean the same for all Canadians?
    …

  5. Having absolutely no idea about any of this works…what could Stevens and Baxter offer to our challenge aside from verbal support? Might their positions make any type of public funding available? Could the challenge be launched from within the political universe now that the foundation work has been done? Might they be approached to fund raise for us if the previous options are not available? How does this work? How can we use the Greens/NDP/Progressives?

  7. @BC Doc, Just a thank you for your posting on these boards!!!

    This whole experience has put my blood pressure up, aggravated irritable bowel syndrome and brought back panic attacks long since dormant.

    My personal GP does not “get it.” He thought a recent trip back to the “homeland” would be invigorating, refreshing and relaxing for me. “Just what the doctor ordered.”

    Anyways IBS though discouraging at times is a form of therapy in a positive manner. But knowing that there is a doc on board and in the same boat, what more can one say.

    Sir, thank you.

  8. @George

    I don’t know for sure that BC Doc is a medical doctor, but if I changed my handle to Miss Universe, would you believe that I’m beautiful 🙂 ?

    All kidding aside, I agree with you in the therapeutic aspects of IBS (Brock, that is). Fortunately for me, my doctor is married to a USP, and fully grasps the situation and knows not to be alarmed when he takes my blood pressure reading after asking me how I’m doing. He would never recommend a trip to the US, as his wife intends to never cross the border again.

  9. Is your doctor taking new patients, bubblebustin?

    Perhaps we do need a list of Canadian (and other country) US Person-friendly physicians and other professionals the way this affects the very physical and mental health of some. I know I would NEVER feel comfortable bringing this subject up with my physician — it just could not be dealt with in the time allotted for my appointment. It is another of the absurdities that this over-reach of US tax law into Canada could even affect the healthcare dollars in the provinces of our country.

    LOL, perhaps it could be a new medical specialty.

  10. Nevertheless, Duke of Devon, they seem to get it that the Harper government and what it has done with the FATCA IGA in Bill C-31 (and other similar legislation) is what John Richardson said: MANAGEMENT. To me, MANAGEMENT = bordering on dictatorship VS real LEADERSHIP of what should be our SOVEREIGN country which views ALL CANADIANS having the same rights and freedoms.

    Should Canadians choose real leadership for ALL Canadians, including US Persons and any others who may now by precedent face discrimination by national origin, or should Canadians settle for what the “Harper Government” dishes out to us?

    Does anybody even care?

  11. @Miss Universe, my GP thinks the USofA is the promised land, the land of milk and honey.

    At least I never experienced the full OMG moment, it slowly came over me.

    The other day, I outlined this to an expat who has lived out of the US for decades but faithfully renews their passport, votes and prior has had no interest in becoming a citizen of where they live. The post OMG moment is they want to relinquish quickly.

  12. @bubblebustin

    Canada is so close to the US… there are more then 1 million who will be touched by this. No one thought anything about having the US taint… it was just something people thought was great… US citizenship allowed kids more choices… having the GC & it was close to Canada so going back & forth wasn’t a biggie… That is what some in my family did… worked & lived in US… kids were educated in canada. Had 2 separate lives.

  13. @George

    Lol. I might just change my name.

    Unfortunately the US homelander is alive and well and living in many Canadians like your doctor. You should fire him because he’s incapable of diagnosing what ails you emotionally.

    What USPF says. People like him will soon be outnumbered.

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  15. Re BC_Doc’s question on whether the Canadian government would hand over to China the financial info of Chinese Canadians:

    Vancouver has a very, very large Chinese community. Some number of these folks are quite wealthy. It is a fact that at least one Canadian bank (CIBC) has a policy of helping people circumvent China’s currency controls (1), so this sort of activity is obviously not infrequent. As such, it is not far fetched to imagine that China would indeed want to enter into a FATCA-like arrangement with Canada at some point in the future.

    Given the above, I’m wondering whether we could somehow help the Canadian Chinese community see that it is quite likely in their interest to support the Charter challenge. Due to the size of this community and the wealth of at least some of its member, support from them could be very helpful. Sadly, I have no idea how to go about doing this, but thought I’d throw it out there for consideration.

    (1) See http://www.vancouversun.com/Judge+slams+CIBC+firing+Vancouver+employee/9550845/story.html

    The final incident that led to Ogden’s termination involved a pair of wire transfers structured to work around Chinese regulations that prohibited individuals from transferring more than $50,000 US out of the country annually. The issue was not the fact that Ogden used the work around — a practice CIBC supported, Wong wrote — but the unconventional way she did it.

  16. @tdott

    Good idea except majority are from Hong Kong not China & they are 2 separate countries. People from China already have legal ways to go around the china currency controls… they get paid for the services &/or products outside of China… its legal. Also in the case of the firing.. not all the facts were laid out… CIBC basically wanted to fire this person but didn’t want to lose all the person’s accounts. What laws.. if any… did this person break… China or Canadian law… that was not clear to me. What advantage would China have by joining Fatca.. everyone seems to forget… China is communist… they do what they want to do… From what I hear… they have loaned lots of money to the US… they have the advantage…

  17. @George– You’re welcome! I’ll try to keep my posts constructive.

    @Bubblebustin– Yes, I’m an MD. I came here in the early days of the Clinton administration to study medicine. Two decades plus later, I’m still here. What can I say? Canada grew on me!

  19. @US_Person_Foreigner

    I’m not saying that China would join FATCA, I’m saying China could press for a FATCA-like arrangement with Canada in the future (with China acting like the US, as the recipient of the vast majority of info). There would be no real benefit to China with joining US-centric, FATCA-proper that I can see.

    Also, I don’t believe China and Hong Kong are 2 separate countries. Recall that it wasn’t that long ago that Hong Kong reverted to China from the Brits, prompting the large influx of people that Canada experienced. As I understand it, it’s “One country, two systems”.

  20. @tdott

    Sorry… U are correct.. I was wrong.. yes… its 1 country with 2 systems… separate.. supposedly… But I get what u are saying… once the door is open to the US… who knows what else will be slipped in… Will other countries… foist their nonsense in Canada… then Canada will say… sorry… we are stepping on your toes… here u go… a file of all u need…. psst… we will just hide the fact in a big fat bill so no one knows…

  24. @BC Doc

    Nice to have a doctor in the house, or do you wish to heal thyself 🙂

    Truth be told, I’m not a beauty contestant.

  25. @tdott: Using “FATCA logic” (sorry for the oxymoron), the US can make claim to me as I was born there. Pulling further on the string, so can Ireland as my grandparents each came from there. With my wife, it gets messier. After the US, given her rich heritage, Ireland, Scotland, England, France, and Germany may wish to levy taxes on her as her relatives came from these countries. Oh, and there was a Norwegian grandparent in there too. And her mom was born in the Philippines to US parents so Manila may want to claim her too. As I say, it’s all a bit messy. As typic immigrants to Canada, with a mixed heritage, it’s perhaps simpler and more appropriate for the Harper government to recognize us for what we are– Canadian and Canadian only. While the Harper government gets a fail for their handling of this issue, I expect the Supreme Court of Canada will be on the ball and won’t sell out its citizens Charter rights.

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