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. FromTheWilderness,

    *Just for fun* I went back to the AP article (Yahoo version) that I put a link to in a comment above. Over 9,000 mostly “Homelander” comments. The gap in the way we who live abroad think and most of them who have never been out of the US think is staggering and soul-sucking. (I always so appreciate the commenters who actually DO get it.) Ross Williams only spells better than many who commented at Yahoo.

  6. It does get more complicated. It is interesting that the author of the article says that a vacation home in the US bought for more than $100,000 also does not apply for this disclosure. More reason NOT to invest in the US.

  15. @Neill, sure Canada wants foreign holdings reported on. The difference is that if you are not a Canadian tax resident, but a Canadian living outside of Canada, you don’t need to file anything with CRA, if you’ve taken steps to become non-resident per CRA guidelines. And then you can easily return to Canada without threats of life-destroying fines and charges of perjury.

    Also note, the reporting starts at $100,000, not $10,000 like the US.

  16. @Neill

    In Canada… reporting starts from $100K plus there are no stupid other forms to file… if u make a mistake… they don’t beat the crap out of u nor rob u blind… if I am joint on an account with a someone… my share is what I put in to report… if I put in no money… I don’t claim it as mine… if I am wrong.. please point it out… cause I seem to be more wrong then right

  17. @Bubblebustin and All: The survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/the_US_and_you includes a question based on the November 2014 elections, which leads me to think it must be a fresh survey ….

    It’s anonymous, and there’s space for written responses throughout. It seems well worth doing. Many of you will be able to contribute far more than I’ve done, but just to get things going, here are my answers to its questions 22, 30, and 33 below, in hope of inspiring you to undertake it….
    —-
    Question 22. Did you happen to vote in the US November 2014 mid-term elections, or not? If you did not vote, could you tell me why not?
    —-
    “When my ballot paper arrived, the Republican candidate was running unopposed, so I was spared the agony of having to vote against the Democrats, whom I have always supported, but no longer can, in light of the ruination of so many lives by the crazy tax penalties and rules they are actively promoting.

    I can understand in many ways their reasons for it, but am at a loss to show them how the abusive penalties and immoral definitions of “US persons” have to be removed before their FATCA efforts can be anything more than evil. It is one of the tragedies of human nature for the abusee to become the abusor, so maybe it is not surprising this is happening now that many of the powerless and suffering have achieved power; but the current astronomical penalties and the FATCA hunt for those whom no reasonable person would see as US persons contains no more legitimacy than the Fugitive Slave Act once did.

    When I see people who have lived their entire lives outside of the US, and who have been told repeatedly (e.g. by INA 1952) that they were no longer citizens, who are now being lassoed into a US tax system that has lost all pretense of reason or justice, then I feel my love of the US replaced by a sad disgust for the illusions of liberty and justice that can so easily replace the real thing.

    So it was a relief not to have to vote against the Democrats whom I, in so many ways, respect – but for whom I can no longer vote, as I see families and lives torn apart by their vindictive hunt for “rich tax evaders”! That’s why I did not fill out my ballot paper.”
    ——————-
    Question 30. You said that you have actively thought about renouncing your US citizenship, and looked into it, whether through an Internet search or asking for advice. Could you tell me me a little bit about what has prompted you to think of doing so? Do you think you will go ahead and renounce? Why or why not?
    ———
    “Annual income under $4,000; potential fbar penalties $30,000 per annum for 3 small accounts!!!!! I am old and dependent on savings; and one paperwork lateness could leave me facing starvation – yet the difficulties of travel to the embassy, and its cost plus the renunciation fee would cost twice my total annual food budget. I never thought I would hate America, but being its prisoner in this way does not foster love.

    My only consolation (being effectively unable to expatriate) is that maybe the US can come to its senses and abolish “filing penalties” in favor of ONLY those penalties which are a reasonable percentage of tax actually owed; maybe it can learn to “let go” of those who emigrate, as almost every other nation on earth can do. Surely it is too wise to persist in this destruction of its aim to provide liberty and justice for all???”
    ——–
    Question 33. Would you say that there has been any impact on you, whether positive, negative or neutral, because of US Government policy, actions or lack of actions?

    I’m thinking of a wide range of potential impact, including on your daily life, interactions with other Americans abroad, Americans in the US, interactions with people in the country in which you live, etc.

    “Yes, since 2001 the tax law changes have created a life of constant fear. I used to file my taxes gladly, knowing they supported the land I lived in; now I not only live in fear of bank accounts being closed due to FATCA, and of losing everthing I have to live on due to FBAR, but I watch others around me who will soon face ruin because of a few months spent in the US as an infant, or a green card not relinquished, or other tenuous connection to the US….

    The rules are so irrational and absurd that people cannot believe them. I often hear, “but the US isn’t like that.” How I wish I could still believe that. Unfortunately it is; and it needs to change fast before losing many, many friends and allies.”

  20. @Sad-in-the-UK

    My bad, I never looked at the survey questions. Thank you for pointing out that it’s an entirely different survey. It really deserves to be highlighted in its own post.

  22. The US will shit-can the IGAs the moment other countries start demanding reciprocity. But by then it will already be too late for all the expats who got mugged during the initial onslaught. Watch this space.

  23. @Sam Adams, “The US will shit-can the IGAs the moment other countries start demanding reciprocity. ”

    I am urging my MP to investigate the shell companies marketed in the EU from Wyoming, Deleware and Nevada.

    The EU needs to sanction the USA.

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