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)”

  4. Recently I posted on this thread that Michael DeBlis was showing hints of an awakening.

    That seems to be even more true now. DeBlis, along with Kat Jennings of the TaxConnections website, is now asking for stories of how FATCA (and maybe CBT?) has negatively affected U.S. persons abroad. The purpose for the collection is to present it to Congress “to educate Congress how the world feels about the laws they made.”

    Along with Atticus, Bubblebustin, Charl, and Swiss Techie (among others), I posted three rather pointed comments to a DeBlis article on the TaxConnections website. The direct reply to me on one of these comments is as follows:

    Kat Jennings says

    December 9, 2014 at 9:49 am

    Shovel,
    We are starting the process of collecting everyone’s views on FATCA in the http://www.taxconnections.com FATCA Tracker Community. Just go to TaxConnections; Scroll down to the bottom of the home page and Click on “All Communities” then join the FATCA Tracker Community led by Michael DeBlis. Tell everyone you know to join this Community and communicate their experiences in the FATCA Tracker Community we just started.
    We want to aggregate all these stories and demonstrate how they are affecting expatriates lives abroad. You have my promise we will be bringing the FATCA Tracker Community to the attention of Congress. We want to educate Congress how the world feels about the laws they made. Our goal is to acquire a thousand different examples of how these laws are negatively affecting expatriates. Please encourage everyone to tell their stories in FATCA Tracker Community.
    Kat Jennings, Founder and CEO
    http://www.taxconnections.com

    http://taxconnections.com/taxblog/is-fatca-doing-more-harm-than-good/#.VIZNpYg76rU

    I notice Tricia Moon signed up. If DeBlis follows through, it looks like a good opportunity aimed straight at the lawmakers.

  5. Enhanced interrogation
    Obama: “When we do something wrong, we acknowledge it.”
    What about expat concerns?

  6. FT keeps the ball rolling:

    While Mr Barzun said he did not want to comment on Mr Johnson’s personal circumstances, he added: “We have our rules and we expect people to play by them.

    “If you have the benefit of being an American citizen, you have to pay your fair share of taxes — that’s the general point.”

    http://on.ft.com/1uivCgW

  7. If you have questions about how the US government is spending its highly leveraged budget, the recent Senate CIA “enhanced interrogation” report is an eyeopener. Here is one of the reasons they need lots of money… they out-sourced their torture programs:

    “Two contract psychologists devised the CIA’s enhanced interrogation techniques and played a central role in the operation, assessments, and management of the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation program. By 2005, the CIA had overwhelmingly outsourced operations related to the program.

    “In 2006, the value of the CIA’s base contract with the company formed by the psychologists was in excess of $180 million; the contractors received $81 million prior to the contract’s termination in 2009.”

    Source:
    “20 key findings about CIA interrogations”
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/national/cia-interrogation-report/key-findings/

  9. @Wondering
    CNN news Fareed Zakaria spoke of Ashton Carters report that the Pentagon was the biggest financial drain on the government and was out of control. Google it!

  10. @Neill
    I have started noticing in the last month or so articles coming out of China in Chinese that seem to be saying (Google translator only goes so far) that wealthy Chinese have started noticing that having U.S. ties creates lots of unfavourable entanglements and that they are going off the U.S. as a result.
    @Wondering
    The report is funny in that it pretends that certain known things are unknown. For example, it has been known for many years that the psychologists are Jessen and Mitchell. Also, it seems to whitewash over the ‘torture memos.’ The saddest thing about the report is that I know no one who is surprised by anything it says. If the U.S. thinks that the report hurts its reputation, it really doesn’t realize how low its reputation has fallen.

  11. @Publius,
    The US might still be the best game in town despite all the drawbacks. It doesn’t show a slowdown in 2014 by their data.

  12. @Neill

    Canada is a wonderful place to settle… its similar to the US but its not the US & we can get the same things that one can get in the UK such as the foods & snacks… the only tiny.. tiny drawback is the little snow & cold we get during the winter… its not that much.. u know how the press lies… lol

  13. @US Foreign Person

    You are sooooo right. I lived in Florida and there is nothing I miss about it. I have found more beautiful beaches and warm weather In Canada, the islands and Europe. I also can get those UK snacks from my son. And love all that European diversity as well as Canada’s.

    You can feel safe in the gated communities in the USA, but that is not for me. I love being on the “we are all in this together” boat CANADA. I have no fears being very sick in Canada. I will get what care I will need. I know this. After going through two cancers with a sick husband and son, who both had the very best of care without insurance death panels dtermining what they can hsve or not have . They were denied nothing. I was not left with Any medical bills. My retirement savings are still intact.
    I took wll my investments out of anything American. I am doing well without them. I thank Brockers for helping me get my CLN. I am free. Canada has a better quality of life. Having a lot of money is not what life is about. My US high school US history teacher told us that empires last 200 – 250 years then usually implode from within from corruption and decay. I think he is right.

  15. @northernstar

    Without medical coverage… u can be wiped out… my dad & uncle had similar issues & were in the hospital… stayed in for like 3 days… one in Canada.. one in US… my dad paid like $20 bucks for his entire stay… it was for the parking… my uncle’s bill was over 50k for the few days… Over 1K for the ambulance… should have hired a limo…. Over 10K for the room… 5 star hotel is cheaper & food is better… every time a dr said hi… there was a charge… every test & medicine he took… he was charged… he had medical coverage… but even after he still had to cover things… did u know they charge like $50 dollars each for Tylenol? I gave him what I had in my bag…

  16. @Neill
    It isn’t so much that the wealthy Chinese are worried about the strength of the U.S. economy. Some of them have an extreme case of the gotchas. They now realize that being involved with the U.S. can create all sorts of unforeseen tax problems. Google translate doesn’t do a great job, but I am sure you’ll empathize with the sentiment expressed in one Chinese article that the IRS’s “daily work is the study of how to make new immigrants’ generous pockets shrink more efficiently”.

  17. @EmBee – what are the chances the CIA would be able to find TWO psychopathic psychologists? Did they take out an ad?

  18. @US_Foreign_Person

    Did you if you are in hospital or your relative is in hospital you can tally up your hospital parking fees and put on your medical claims for your Cdn Income Taxes. I also can tally up my hearing aid batteries.

    I love the travel grants for gasoline and motels my province gives those who have to travel for treatment.
    My son and husband were treated for their cancers , 18 months and 3 years. They had hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of medical treatment, my son very close to million.

  20. I’m like so many Brockers who probably only think of Eritrea as the USA’s mini-me of CBT so I was really fascinated to hear this podcast where a globe-trotting journalist, Andre Vltchek, speaks about this NE African country in light of his recent visit there. Maybe other Brockers will find this interesting too.
    http://noliesradio.org/archives/92624

  21. In support of Boris Johnson: The US’s imperialistic foreign tax law helps no one
    by Nigel Green
    http://www.cityam.com/1418246339/support-boris-johnson-us-s-imperialistic-foreign-tax-law-helps-no-one

    Questions should be asked about the imperialist characteristics of FATCA. Governments and foreign financial institutions have been coerced into complying with its expensive, burdensome, privacy-infringing, sovereignty-violating regulations by the US – or they have to face heavy penalties and the prospect of being effectively frozen out of US markets.

    Comments Open

  22. @JC

    What is Nigel Green doing substituting FATCA for CBT? Yes, both are bad, but Boris Johnson’s comments were made in the context of CBT. One might discredit Mr Green’s comments on that fact alone. Seems kind of reckless on his part.

Comments are closed.

%d bloggers like this: