ADMISSION FEE $20 UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED (to cover costs)
- Toronto, ON U.S. Citizenship & Young Adults: Navigating The Special Rules Imposed On U.S.Citizens Abroad Sat, June 7, 10 am to 12 noon, Univ of Toronto, St. Michael’s College, Carr Hall, 100 St. Joseph St, MAP NB: $20 individual or $40 for a family of up to four people
Vancouver notes (Feb 22) Updated on March 28 here
Toronto group Saturday, January 25, 2014, Carr Hall
I received the following announcement about information sessions, provided by Toronto based lawyer, for people affected by the USA’s extra-territorial tax overreach which violates Canada’s sovereignty. I think it is a good idea. If you are an alleged US person and you have become aware that the US claims that you should be filing your taxes, please do nothing, do not enter the OVDI program, and above all, do not call a US cross border tax specialist (neither a lawyer nor an accountant), but educate yourself first. The paid experts will scare the hell out of you. There are many options besides allowing a cross border specialist lead you as a lamb to the slaughter.
If you are a Canadian citizen or resident of Canada, you have specific rights and protections that even FATCA cannot revoke. This is why these informational sessions will be useful to you. They will lay out and explore all your options.
Sincerely, Petros
Please note that the speaker would like help finding venues that are inexpensive or free. Perhaps those living in the various cities could ask if a Church or other may be able to offer space. Please keep returning for updates.
Here is the announcement:
Recent CBC Coverage of FATCA and Citizenship-based taxation:
The recent CBC coverage of FATCA and U.S. extraterritorial taxation has raised awareness/concern over the plight of Canadian citizens of U.S. origin. Those who are learning about this for the first time (the OMG moment) will be experiencing a combination of shock, fear, betrayal and more. There will be lots of people interested in understanding the situation and determining whether and/or how to respond.
The following comment appeared on the blog:
Looks like the recent media coverage is creating mass panic in Canada. This might force the Canadian government to issue a statement sooner rather than later. This is good. But I feel bad for the people who are just having their OMG moment. They need some sound advice as to not to make bad decisions which would devastate them financially. While each situation is different, the Canadian government owes it to affected Canadians to provide some guidance and advice and fast. It needs to be official cannot just come from web sites like IBS or Maple Sandbox. Maybe the administrators should add some notes like they can’t be held responsible for actions that people take by following advice on these blogs. This is common sense, but might protect you from lawsuits.
We agree! The important thing it to stay calm! Do NOT panic! Do not react to this situation! Take your time to make the decisions that are appropriate to your situation! Above all else, do NOT even consider entering the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program or any other kind of disclosure program unless you are certain that it is right for you (which it almost certainly is NOT)!
Obviously NO blog or web site can provide reliable legal advice. No seminar for the general public can provide reliable legal advice! Your job is simply to begin gathering information and beginning to understand the new reality of U.S. citizenship.
What follows are a list of “Solving The Problems of U.S. Citizenship” information sessions that you can attend, for a nominal fee and anonymously! The sessions are NOT intended to provide legal advice. But, they are intended to help you identify the issues that may apply to your situation.
Do NOT engage the services of an accountant or lawyer before equipping yourself with some basic knowledge!
Solving The Problems of U.S. Citizenship – Exploratory Sessions
The topics covered are designed to alert you to issues and are NOT offered as legal or accounting advice specific to your situation.
They include:
Citizenship Issues:
– Are you STILL a U.S. citizen?
– Are your children U.S. citizens?
– What might FATCA mean for me?
Tax Issues
– Filing U.S. tax returns – what’s involved?
– Filing information returns (FBAR, Form 3520, 5471, etc.)
– Reasonable cause (avoiding penalties)
Financial Planning Issues
– investment products that are cancerous for U.S. citizens
Does it make sense to renounce U.S. citizenship?
– Renouncing U.S. citizenship
____________________________________________________________________
How To Attend …
Once a session has been marked “CONFIRMED” you are free to attend. Each session will have a $20 admission fee (to offset the cost of the room) which is payable in cash at the door. Neither taping nor video of any kind will be permitted.
first published 14 January 2014
I still have not met even 1 US Person who would not dump their US Status if they were facing no fees or penalties. The people I met feel the USA is becoming disgraceful and there is no reason to keep any ties to their birth country. Everyone in my family that has the toxic US status wants to dump theirs asap. This even goes for my 81 year old father in law. He used to love his country, now, he can’t stand watching what they are trying to do to his family. Simply rotten. The numbers would soar if people were free to dump their US citizenship, but it is free and full of Risk. This is why the numbers are not in the hundreds of thousands yet….
Sorry, mistake in the last part of the post…. “But it is not free and full of risk”
@Kathy
The meeting is still tenative as far as I know. I will check for you.
For those planning to attend the UK info session, there is a free chapter on the FATCA IGA in the UK available from this FATCA resource:
http://www.lexisnexis.com/store/images/samples/9780769853734.pdf
http://www.lexisnexis.com/store/catalog/booktemplate/productdetail.jsp?pageName=relatedProducts&skuId=sku8140237&catId=cat2370006&prodId=prod19190327&ORIGINATION_CODE=00247#
Eritrea has a new President
http://images.sodahead.com/polls/001495821/douchebag-37034560347_xlarge.jpeg
@badger.
Thanks,, I will pass this on to my UK friends
@NativeCanadian,
Uncle Sam — He committed genocide against the native American Indians, enslaved the Black Africans, now he wants to TRAP and RAPE the American Diaspora with CBT/DT, Forms & Penalties from Hell, FATCA, FuBAR, REED and EXIT Taxes. Who knows what he’ll dream up next?
Uncle Joe Stalin would be envious.
@ atticusincanada from your post of February 1, 2014 at 7:46 pm
……just wanted to express appreciation for the many threads and copious information you provide…we are grateful for this………..please keep up as far as you can the fantastic/fantabulous work done…….. thank you 9 trillion times
Canadian Americans are about to be thrown under the bus, but Eritreans get protection!
Looks like Harper is in trouble: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/11/13/tpp-canada-trans-pacific-partnership_n_4266866.html ….
I don’t think anyone who is commenting on this has ever heard of Fatca… should we educate them??
NativeCanadian,
Does it seem that it might be same behind-closed doors, unprecedented level of secrecy for Canada’s negotiations with the US for FATCA?
I was going to comment, but it looks like I have to verify a Facebook account. I’ll pass.
@Crystal london, many thanks to you too!
@Kathy
The speaker has confirmed the date for the Waterloo meeting. It would be helpful if you could suggest a couple of venues.
Any word/inkling/hope of anything for Vancouver?
Hello all I’ve been reading your site for a while now…looking for advice as I hardly know where to start. I would definitely be considered a dual US person through my mother (even though I’m cdn born and raised) since I did hold a US passport in my late teens. Hubby has a US dad but he himself was born and raised in Canada and never had a US passport. Who do we even go to for legal advice? Would this mr Richardson who is running your meetings be trusted? We can’t attend any of the info sessions as we are in Alberta. Thx for any assistance to a newbie.
@Hannah I would do nothing if I was born in Canada. How would Canadian banks or the IRS know of your US connections? Why enter the system if you don’t need to?
@Fifi, yes and someone will be contacting you about a possible one in your immediate area.
@Hannah, Mr Richardson most absolutely can be trusted.
@Hannah Ditto to bubblebustin”
Absolutely John Richardson can be trusted. Even though you can’t be at any of the session, you can check out his citizenshipsolutions.ca website.
Before you go dashing off to a lawyer or accountant, read what John says you should consider before contacting a lawyer.
http://citizenshipsolutions.ca/2013/12/15/what-you-should-consider-before-contacting-a-lawyer
You and your husband were both born in Canada. Canadian banks and financial institutions have no reason to know about your place of birth. If they ask, you were born in Canada.
@Pacifica & Bubblebustin… got the note, thanks… I’ll do my best!
@Fifi
Yes, there is planning going on for Vancouver and hopefully we will have specifics soon.
Thank you everyone. Part of me wants to just come clean and catch up filing and then renounce but I don’t know if FATCA would “find” us. Both my mom and hubby’s dad filed for the first time last year which was when we first heard about this fiasco. We never knew we were supposed to file and none of us would even owe money because of the tax agreements. I’m scared of the penalties though. Can’t afford those!
@crayworld,
The banks dont have any information on your citizenship. They may have your SIN (a unique identifier) for cross checking other data bases. What other data bases? Well, Canada has passport info which shows your place of birth and US citizenship, as does the dept that processed your Cdn citizenship. Does the US govt have you in their system?, by your actions they do or not, the most powerful being a SSN or passport (more unique identifiers). They may have your name connected to voting, or just by your parents. Try to remember if the name(s) you gave them are different between countries (middle as first, no middle, just an initial , etc..)…These anomalies gum up matching 1 to 1 searches, even between, say, the SSN and SIN data bases…
As a data base expert I would be looking for the unique identifiers that definitely thin out the search. But if it relies on banks gathering information, say, from a form asking or insisting on disclosure, well that is a very sloppy way of going about it — alot of ways to gum up the system (delay or refuse, put plausible misspelling: your name/address/SIN, dont use the same name as on your passport, reverse the names, age, apt number). Refuse to give the SIN. Once it is inputted it will not be corrected anytime soon. If you already do this, because you strictly adhere to privacy rights, then all the better..
The most efficient way, from an IRS perspective, would be to avoid banks gathering new info or relying on the old info they already have, and have the Cdn govt do it — they know who is an American and they know who has a bank account.
The most accurate list would be the Cdn govt doing the work of identifying US citizens for the IRS. The next best would be a short list of suspected US citizens, or simply giving access to all Cdn bank accounts so the the US govt can do the work of cross checking with their data bases (where their records of expats may not be that good). And, the least accurate (at least in theory) would be a list submitted via the banks themselves…
@Hannah: You are in your OMG moment. You have nothing to “come clean” about. Don’t let the fear mongers in the compliance industry suck you in.
You are Canadian. So is your husband. You were both born in Canada. CRA does not and will not collect taxes for IRS for any Canadian citizen. CRA will also not collect penalties for IRS for any Canadian residents or citizens. That was one thing that was reaffirmed yesterday by Minister of Finance and Minister of National Revenue.
The media is fueling the hysteria by calling us tax cheats. Americans in Canada evading taxes. Please don’t let it get to you.
Again, check out John Richardson’s website–including What to Do Before You Contact a Lawyer.
Most importantly, take a deep breath. Slow down. Continue to hang out here and at maplesandbox.ca and learn as much as you can.
You are among friends.