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)”

  1. The article makes no mention of FBARs, local taxes vs US taxes, tax treaties, etc or the possibility you won’t be able to open a local bank account or even that your US accounts might be closed. Why or why do so few journalists ignore these VERY significant points…

  4. Hunh. If he was with the IRS for 20 years, with that uninformed a view of FATCA, no wonder this is such a bloody mess. Or else he’s a blood-sucking, lying, compliance condor. Hmm…wonder which it could be.

  5. @ Innocente
    RE A consulting firm used SS beneficiaries abroad as a component to estimate the number of USCs abroad by country:
    https://www.fvap.gov/uploads/FVAP/Reports/OCE_Technical_Report.pdf

    Interesting to look at page 39 where Canada is #2, with only 365,541 as the “estimate of population of US Citizens Abroad (2010)” [ remember, this is based on Social Security payout information] whereas Mexico’s estimate is 1,109,974.

    If this is accurate, Brockers should be working to make contact with USCs in Mexico, especially since some (lots?) of their banks have been closing the accounts of USCs. Anyone know of a way to connect with US expats living in Mexico?

  6. Global Development Professionals Network, The Guardian: ” Why are white people expats when the rest of us are immigrants? Surely any person going to work outside their country is an expatriate? But no, the word exclusively applies to white people.”

    One commenter says:

    I’ve never heard the phrase “illegal expat”, have you?

     

    Believer in only things that make common sense and realizing my naivety, I I have trouble with ACA philosophy but I can see how it fits for others — is it because I don’t consider, and never have, myself nor my children *expats* but have considered mine just another Canadian family with all the benefits of Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms? Is it because I have never seen myself going back to the USA – other than to visit family or perhaps be a tourist as other Canadians and persons from around the world? I don’t get to define who I am? I don’t get to act in the best interests of my Canadian-born son?

    US Taxes While Living Abroad FAQ from American Citizens Abroad, the Voice of Americans Overseas

    refers to *expat* over and over. My conclusion is I am not an ACA member because I am not an *expat*. I came to Canada as a *landed IMMIGRANT* on my path to Canadian citizenship in 1975. I reject being labelled by MY country *a US citizen who happens to reside in Canada*. Though I in 2012 OFFICIALLY renounced my US citizenship to get that precious CLN proof — my Canadian-born son does not have that right???! The whole concept is absurd to me.

    It is clear (to me) that we cannot all be labelled using only one definition of who we are.

  7. @Calgary411 @LM
    Calgary 411, you make a really good point about U.S. citizens abroad who aren’t expats. This needs to be kept in mind when talking about Mexico, too. The Mexican government came out with a document called “Nacidos en otros paises” which stated that the average U.S.-born person in Mexico was about nine and living in a household headed by a Mexican (this was a few years ago, so we are talking about someone who is a pre-teen or early teen now). Many U.S. citizens in Mexico may be too difficult to mobilize, although there are issues (the pensions plan doesn’t match up, capital gains tax in Mexico is lower, and the head of the Mexican accounting organization thinks that FATCA is not compliant with NAFTA). More traditional expats are probably easier to reach through something like the Yucatan Times.

  11. @Charl RE recent THE HILL article:
    Great to read about more mainstream organizations taking up the charge RE FATCA. Great to read, in TheHill, acknowledgement of these realities, that we are not just tax cheats. I’m sure these business groups’ lobbying will make an impact that shines a brighter light on all that we little-folk have been shouting for the last few years. And now we have an NDP provincial government in the middle of this country – – exciting times!!!

  16. @JC
    I was just commenting yesterday that we must have converted all of the black-ops’ers as in the last two “The Hill” articles there were only supporters. Well damn, they were all saving it up for tonight! The loonie tunes are out in droves with their complete drivel nonsense in spades!

  17. @JC

    Why do they keep mentioning Eduardo Saverin… he was a naturalized US person… his family is well to do from I think Brazil.. he wasn’t poor… he choose to become a US citizen… then he choose to get the heck out of dodge & got rid of the US citizenship… he may have started making his money in the US… he paid alot while he was in the US & when he got the heck out… I also think his business may still be in the US… its paying taxes… they all act like he took all their money with him when he left… they would have been happy he left if he was on social services… heck.. at the rate this is going… people may have to move to the US to survive & get social services…. U know… as a US person… everyone is within their rights to get on the social band wagon… how happy do they think the homelanders would be about that??

  23. Taking the American Patriotism moral high ground:

    JC Double Taxed ‏@JCDoubleTaxed 2m2 minutes ago
    Stop US Government Anti American treatment of US persons living overseas #FATCA & #CBT @SenateFinance http://cnnmon.ie/1bEVbpl

    American patriotism. Sure celebrate the 4th of July. Yet through such comments you dishonor those who died for American principles such as no ‘taxation without representation’ — very much a part of increasing numbers of US citizens living overseas giving up their US citizenship.

    The US is forcing citizens to give up their citizenship through punishing compliance, potentially bankrupting compliance penalties, and double taxation – in a clearly discriminatory fashion compared to US persons living in the US. It sounds like you may not know enough about the topic to know how your statements are indeed Anti American.

    Don’t let the US government treat the US Constitution as a scrap of paper and be UnAmerican towards US persons living overseas. Donate to: http://www.FATCALegalAction.com

    http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/
    Liberty and justice for all United States persons abroad

  24. This will be my new boilerplate I will use more frequently in comment sections:

    http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/
    Liberty and justice for all United States persons abroad

    We could use some good counter to the naysayers. I had a go above. My original intent was something nice and short, mimicking kind of the comments such as ‘they hate their country.’ Any ideas.

    While It would be nice to turn all such people, it is unrealistic and unnecessary and may not be worth the energy. I suppose it would be good to head such people off and try to dominate the comments. Yet other goals are changing viewpoints of article authors; and attracting more to the Isaac Brock Community which should lead to more ADCS donations.

  25. @Calgary411
    CBC “The Exchange” – Amanda Lang with Rudyard Griffiths (Chair, Munk Debates*), May 8, 2015: start at 7:08 for this horrible conversation, part on the merits of US citizenship-based taxation and the other part quite incomplete.

    “The Tax Treaty Works” NOT! Sounds like Amanda Lang could be considered a US person. How long was she in the US? The other guy is a boofhead.

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