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)”

  6. USA Today: Americans abroad find citizenship too taxing to keep

    http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/03/08/usa-citizens-relinquish-passports-tax-filing/5859371/

    An excellent article definitely worthy of some positive comments. USA Today is about as mainstream as it gets and is widely read by average middle class US homelanders.

    There will always be government paid liars like Robert Stack, but the truth is on our side and the media is finally starting to pick up on it.

  7. @FromTheWilderness

    “When I gave up my American passport I was so upset that I went out in the street and vomited,” she says.

    I feel quite sure that the current situation for US persons living abroad is making a great number of us sick, both physically and psychologically. The anger, resentment and grief many of us are experiencing can’t help but take its toll on us. One huge fear I have is that even with renouncing US citizenship I won’t be relieved of these feelings – or worse will add to my resentment – as it has for so many who feel forced to renounce because of the ignorant actions of lawmakers in the US (and now perpetuated by Canada).

  9. The Swiss NZZ ran an article on FATCA and the OECD automated bank data exchange called “America wants much and gives little”. It makes the following key points:
    1) The US under FATCA grants reciprocity in limited cases.
    2) Foreign banks under FATCA must search for the owners behind legal entities but US banks do not have to.
    3) OECD’s automated data exchange rules give special treatment to US banks in that they are not required to investigate “passive non-financial foreign entities” (e.g., trusts, corporations with bearer shares) for countries which the US does not have a FATCA IGA but requires it of all other countries. This reduces US banks’ expense versus non-US banks.

    http://www.nzz.ch/wirtschaft/wirtschafts-und-finanzportal/amerika-will-viel-und-gibt-wenig-1.18257621

  12. It pays to watch our #fatca tweeties. This was just posted by Lynne.
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-steber/tax-identity-theft-tops-i_b_4948015.html

    I was looking at the ways identity theft occurs in the USA. It will be so much easier with FATCA reporting. No need for someone so inclined to pick up the phone and misrepresent himself as being from the IRS or to go dumpster diving. He only needs to intercept the FATCA reports (bribe an employee, hack the system) and there’s all the information he needs to do whatever dirty deed he has in mind. That might not even be identity theft. It might be corporate spying, blackmail, etc.

    Naturally the IRS solution to the problem is to create more hoops. This time it’s an IPPIN Program. “The IPPIN is a six-digit number issued annually by the IRS to all taxpayer’s who have had their identity compromised and have completed Form 14039 reporting the compromise.”

  13. @Em

    So that is the way the IRS is going to deal with it.. Make sure u get a new number to ensure u pay? My family member had an issue over 5 yrs ago with identity theft.. its still going on… credit cards open all over… buying things I wouldn’t have even thought of… all types of things.. once it starts… its impossible to stop them. If u try to get help… they act like u are the thief.. So basically… I will be robbed by the gov’t… then the thieves will ensure I no long have a future either…

  14. @ US_Person_Foreigner
    Yep. The horse is already out of the barn. Your identity has been stolen but the IRS will make you fill out an annual form (requires answering personal questions, providing documentation of your identity and reporting the details as to why you belief you are an identity theft victim); assign you another identification number (annually); and make damn sure they get your tax payment — even if someone has already emptied your account by stealing your identity.

  15. @ All
    Here are some videos which might make you grateful that there are still people with the “right stuff” left in the USA. (I’d put James Jatras in that category too.) The speakers were sponsored by The Future of Freedom Foundation at the 2014 International Students for Liberty Conference held in Washington D.C. on February 15, 2014. I found the address by Stephen Zinger about the role the Dulles brothers played in American foreign policy (still, unfortunately, evident today) to be particularly interesting and Robert Higgs was brilliant.
    http://fff.org/freedom-in-motion/videos

  17. @ USPF
    Interesting how a snowbird article can activate 169 comments but a FATCA IGA article only 6.
    http://business.financialpost.com/2014/03/11/border-shakeup-could-have-tax-consequences-for-snowbirds/
    http://business.financialpost.com/2014/03/10/canadas-draft-legislation-undermines-fatca-agreement-with-u-s/
    You’d almost think there are 25 times as many snowbirds in Canada as there are US persons. I hope those 25 million snowbirds all get caught in the border crossing trap and become US persons for US tax purposes and then we would have the numbers behind us to make the damn Canadian gov’t listen to us. (Warning: Reductio ad absurdum.)

  18. I think it was Badger who directed my attention today to this symposium held on January 28, 2014 (International Data Privacy Day) in Toronto. It was well worth watching the videos which reveal more important information and hint at some hope for the future. In the right sidebar there’s an opportunity to sign a “Protect our Privacy Statement”. There was no mention of FATCA but FATCA, above all, is a privacy issue and I think it’s important for all of us to look inside the big tent of privacy issues to better arm ourselves in our specific fight against FATCA. It also reminded me about EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center) and its efforts to stand up against NSA surveillance and other assaults on privacy.

    http://www.realprivacy.ca/index.php/international-privacy-day-symposium/
    http://epic.org/ (see Amie Stepanovich’s presentation on Panel 2)

    I learned that Canada passed a law equivalent to the US Patriot Act on December 24, 2001 (see David Fraser’s presentation on Panel 2) and how tightly bound CSEC is to the NSA. Canada also has a secret court which is the equivalent of the US FISA court. I wonder if David Fraser could be approached to help in some way with FATCA?

    If this symposium has grabbed your attention, as it did mine, don’t miss William Binney’s and Dr. Alexander dix’s videos (click on their names below their photos).

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