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
@Fifi,
Whatever you want to share is great. I think we could just use the other post (here) and continue with everyone’s ideas and comments. If anyone needs any help doing that please feel free to email me.
nobledreamer16 at gmail dot com
Thanks, @calgary411.
@All
Please click here to connect with the post/thread for anything regarding the LONDON UK meeting (only, please)
@Worldwide
The information found on websites such as :
http://taxconnections.com/taxblog/home-sweet-home-for-international-tax-collection/#.UwXK5c5Nk-U
are not really complete, most give some facts that are partly true and /or biased information.-
George III excellent posting — //isaacbrocksociety.ca/2014/02/18/canada-an-easy-mark/comment-page-1/–
The Van deMark v. Toronto-Dominion Bank and its ruling can gives us some comfort.
Look also at this scholar scholar article, by Andrew Grossman re: the Van deMark case and its ruling: On page 16… Copy this link onto your browser:
http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CC0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fworks.bepress.com%2Fcontext%2Fandrew_grossman%2Farticle%2F1000%2Ftype%2Fnative%2Fviewcontent%2F&ei=T-gLU9WcHuXEyQGor4DADQ&usg=AFQjCNEgCCbIK5G3QKx52kbj04zlwh74nw&bvm=bv.61725948,d.aWM
Now, the big question, would that ruling hold true in 2014?
there is a discrepancy between the time posted on this site and that posted on the McGill website
Which is correct?
Foreign Account Tax Information Act (FATCA) Information Session
Event
16 Mar 2014 12:00 to 17:00
Chancellor Day Hall : Maxwell Cohen Moot Court (NCDH 100), 3644 rue Peel Montreal Quebec Canada , H3A 1W9
Price: Free admission
Join Professor Allison Christians and noted Toronto lawyer John Richardson for an information session on the newly implemented Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). The session will be geared toward those with US status and will discuss issues of disclosure, compliance, and other obligations raised by this legislation.
Hosted by the Heward Stikeman Chair in Tax Law, in conjunction with American Citizens Abroad
When can we expect a “confirmed” on the Hamilton meeting?
Will the Montreal session also cover relinquishing/renunciation or just FATCA related topics?
Will there be an Ottawa session?
Willy Wonka giving out CLNs:
LoL
@Patricia
go by the McGill site
@Cindi and Voyons
pls hang in there. We’re working on it.
I am so distraught over this entire FACTA thing. I came to Canada at the age of 9 with my parents 61 years ago. I have lived here ever since and am a Permanent resident. I am now retired. I married a Canadian woman. I have RRIFs etc. My concern is whether to file the 3 years of taxes and 6 years of FBARs, AND after Jul 1/14, will I have issues entering the US with my US passport? I have just recently applied for CDN citizenship but that will take 24 months. Please help!
maplebuddy,
I think you are speaking of the Streamlined Program (three years of taxes and six years of FBARs) which is intended for going-forward with US tax compliance from then on. I surmise that you do want to end the absurdity and CLAIM RELINQUISHMENT BY YOUR BECOMING A CANADIAN CITIZEN. You must have another citizenship to expatriate. You should be able to use your US passport up until the time you do CLAIM RELINQUISHMENT BY BECOMING A CANADIAN CITIZEN — after that appointment DO NOT DO ANYTHING US, which includes travelling on a US Passport — apply for immediately and use only your Canadian passport after that. Note that three years is not sufficient if you are to certify on Form 8854 that you have complied with the requisite number of years of US tax requirements.
@calgary411 wrote: “You must have another citizenship to expatriate.”
This is untrue. The USA is one of those (not very numerous) countries which will allow expatriation of its citizens even if they have no other. See: “Illegal alien ditches US allegiance to stay in NZ” http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10877269
(Unfortunately the late Karen Rosenblum didn’t know that: http://uniset.ca/ps21/karenrosenblum_nz.txt more on her at http://uniset.ca/ps21 )
The USA is also one of those countries (like the UK) that has not implemented the UN Convention on Statelessness to the degree that offspring of a US citizen born abroad can be stateless (subject however to possible naturalisation under INA § 322).
The real issue is this: if one has met the statutory requirements for expatriation and the US Supreme Court has never ruled otherwise (having in mind the Terrazas, Afroyim and perhaps Kahan cases, need one be recognised as a US Person by other countries just because a consular officer at the US Embassy and the State Department have not consented to issue a CLN?
It is true that Article XXVI-A of the US-Canada tax convention only allows for refusal to assist in collection of taxes “where the taxpayer is an individual, the revenue claim relates either to a taxable period in which the taxpayer was a citizen of the requested State”. On the other hand it is worth non-Canadian citizens keeping an eye to a convenient bankruptcy petition in which the IRS may hesitate to claim for fear of having US statute law interpreted by a foreign court, and bearing in mind bankruptcy exemptions available under Canadian and provincial law: http://tinyurl.com/q4k88cu
Once a US tax debt has been discharged in Canada neither the IRS nor any other party can sue on it in Canada but could do so in any other country the taxpayer or his or her assets could be found.
FWIW: I am thinking of attending the US Citizenship Information Sessions in London UK and Montreal QC if anyone thinks it will be useful to others. But not if I have to pay…
I wrote “But not if I have to pay…” meaning I will be in those cities on those dates anyway. And I note that Montréal, but not London, is free.
You’re correct, 5th Swiss. “Must” was too restrictive. If one has the guts, they can do it otherwise.
The Montréal session is hosted: http://www.mcgill.ca/law/channels/event/foreign-account-tax-information-act-fatca-information-session-233280. The others are grass roots, and the “donation” is helping to recover some of the presenter’s travel costs and costs for the room rentals. I’m glad you will be able to make it to the free one if that is important to you. It should be a good session, including Allison Christians. I hope there will be a great turn-out for such an opportunity!
@Calgary411 wrote: “The others are grass roots …”
My point was only that if invited to do so I’m glad to attend to stand by and to contribute and answer questions as the case may be (as I did at the last London meeting), but I wouldn’t go with the expectation of learning anything since my professional field consists of the laws of personal status and taxation. One doesn’t normally ask a lecturer or contributor to pay. (One of the issues of interest in London was US Social Security and how expatriation affected that. As it happens I worked officially on that subject years ago.)
It is time for a MASS RENUNCIATION MOVEMENT (one renunciation at a time). Its the only thing short of self-immolations that can bring a halt to the escalating WAR ON EXPATS.
Every individual renunciation is another finger poked in the eye of the tyrant.
Every individual renunciation is another embarrassment for the party in power.
Every individual renunciation is another expat freed from US slavemanship.
@Voyons,
I apologize, I missed your question about the the inclusion of renunciation/relinquishment in the Montreal program.
I will check for you.
@SamuelAdams, Yes, but it is damn expensive to comply (and risky to renounce without complying) if you’ve never been in the system, and have done all the wrong things (i.e. lived as a normal Canadian) for years. Thus a lot of us who would love to renounce, won’t.
At some point when the masses of Canadian ‘US persons’ finally wake up to the mess that is FATCA, all hell will break loose if we haven’t first managed to kill it in the Canadian courts. The past 18 months of knowing have been most unpleasant. I almost wish I was one of the blissfully ignorant, though I can’t imagine the horror of having your OMG moment whilst sitting across the desk from the nice lady at the bank.
Just posted these and other events I know of up on the Flophouse. AARO (I work with them) is also hosting Tax 101 and Tax 202 sessions in Paris, France. It’s pretty cheap tax advice. The first is especially interesting because it’s a workshop for first-time filers.
http://thefranco-americanflophouse.blogspot.fr/2014/03/concerned-about-fatca-or-confused-about.html
12 YEARS AN EXPAT – The parallels are self-evident.
.
EXPATS Jump to Freedom and Cross the Berlin Wall to Escape
.
Mr. OBAMA — Tear Down this Wall !!!
.
Hunting for Expats — FATCA created for smoking em out
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=appsjRuXwZs