https://www.abolishfatca.com/drupal7/civicrm/profile/create?gid=17&reset=1
In order to change the mindset of lawmakers that overseas Americans do not vote (only 7% of expats, 523,000 out of 7.6 million, voted in 2012), it is needed to gather and provide our own statistics to them to show
1) FATCA (implying also FBAR & RBT) is a very important issue to you and
2) you do intend to vote in 2016.
Only the statistics will be shown to Congress. The names and street addresses are used for auditors and are not shared with Congress.
Names and addresses are required for survey auditors. Likely, it is not required that you answer every box according to your own choices. You choose what you answer
Please encourage as many people as you can to take this survey. Timing is about one week.
Yes, this is from one side. It isn’t Whitehouse.gov and it isn’t Move On and it isn’t Democrats Abroad (the survey’s you have seen before).
This is from the party that is looking for co-sponsors of legislation to Repeal FATCA.
It should be obvious as to why it is important to show how big the voting block could be. If all the eligible of the 7.6 million were to state that expat issues are more important to them than domestic issues, than it’s possible to get some legislative relief.
Note that voters are supposed to drive legislators.
I loathe everything that the Republican Party stands for. My family has been Democrats for four generations. But if the Republican Party is SERIOUS–not just mealy-mouthed lip service–about abolishing FATCA and CBT, and can make real headway before I shed my US citizenship, I will vote Republican from now until kingdom come.
Yup same for me-now voting Republican
Hmmm – talk about sleeping with the enemy. But a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do – I’ll give them my vote if they talk CBT AND FATCA.
In the past I have voted Democrat, Republican, and other. Many of you cannot or will not vote in 2016, but I just filled out this survey and will be voting in 2016 for the political party that best represents our interests.
Overseas votes have swayed many congressional elections in the US before. As for presidential elections, enough to remember the margin in Florida in 2000. Therefore massive overseas voting is already an important factor, even if we are not high on the radar screen.
A lifelong Democrat and longtime Democrats Abroad member, I have now become a single-issue voter. Democrats Abroad leadership appears quite tepid on this issue. It points to its platform asking for residence based taxation, and it says Republicans are just after votes. And “same-country exception” has been mentioned. The latter is a joke. A dual French-US citizen living in Spain has reasons to have banks in all 3 countries.
FATCA has already gotten me kicked out of a bank, is keeping me from opening new accounts, and has killed plans to partner with a local to start a company. CBT and FATCA are giving me anxiety and headache as I attempt to comply, and hope that I will not be pursued for disclosing that I have signature authority on my sons’ savings accounts, the balance of which is less than $150.
Like countless others I work hard, try to save, and pay high taxes in the EU. I have no US source income. When I left France for another country, nothing happened, I never had to file another form. They just left me alone. I don’t understand why I have to declare everything to a Financial Crimes Enforcement entity in the US. I don’t understand why banks and countries have bowed to US bullying.
It is hard to come to grips with the idea that, nearing age 50, the patriotic American and Democrat that I was is slowly being forced to acknowledge that my birthplace is a financial handicap, that I must spend lots of money to comply with CBT while owing no tax, and that in the end I may be forced to renounce (for a small fee of $2350) my beloved citizenship. Not only that, but I am now pretty certain to vote Republican if they make more sense on this issue. And I have now taken that survey, despite having to give my name.
one class of plaintiff that fatcalegalaction.com had been looking for was persons who had been harmed by lost partnerships (I suppose documentation of that would be needed, don’t know)
This is a double edge sword survey. If they only get a few responses, are they going to put that issue on the backburner? They know the harm that this legislation does. That should be good enough for them to push for repeal and advertise CBT. Surveys of this kind haven’t had a lot of success in the past, because people are afraid that the info might be used against them (the vote issue for relinquishing, and just answering might be a sign they’re not compliant).
I won’t be participating in the survey. I have not voted in a US election since becoming a Canadian in 1982. Part of my argument that I relinquished US citizenship at that time is that since 1982 I have not:
– voted in a US election
– worked or lived in the US
– owned property in the US
– belonged to a US political party
– donated to a US charity
– held financial assets in a US account
I have done all of these things in Canada.
This is just me, but I assume that a great many of those 7 million so-called Americans are citizens of other countries who have been ambushed by the US. They too will not consider themselves US citizens entitled to vote in US elections.
Don’t know what anyone is to make of my remarks. Not much, probably.
Let’s hope that those that are still US citizens that don’t worry about relinquishing will be able to stand up and be heard.
There is no going backwards in the survey—it’s only going forwards. Hopefully there will be lots of people saying that they are single issue voters and will vote accordingly.
For those that are hard-core democrats, think that you are just saying that FATCA (CBT &FBAR) that drives your vote. It doesn’t ask you which party you plan to vote for.
Remember, also, that this is the first survey directed at LEGISLATORS (not executive branch who doesn’t make law)
My vote will not be based on FATCA, as this is not the most serious issue for me. Sorry I’m selfish, and my bank did not deny me services. Filling out revenue declarations to the IRS and the menace of having to pay income tax to the US on my foreign earnings because of so-called CBT – that is the only issue that could make me change my vote.
How I wish I could take this survey! Unfortunately, I am trying to distance myself from my association with the United States and do not dare to say or do anything that might sink me farther into the mud than I already am. But I’m glad the survey is being done and I hope that everyone who feels they can will respond.
Done. With relish.
I am a single issue voter – repeal FATCA, move to RBT, stop FBAR. The Republicans are the only party that has taken an affimative stand on these issues that will provide real relief to stop this injustice.
I am tired of being bullied! I filled out the survey and still plan on renouncing.
I am a single issue voter – repeal FATCA.
@NorthernShrike. Here is what I make of your remarks; You are a Canadian.
I’m not filling out the survey either. They can all go to hell.
This survey demands way too much personal information. Its just a tool to get their spam operation pointing at you. Republicans “overseas”. Does the Salish Sea count? Then you can live in Canada (Vancouver Island) and be an overseas person. (Salish Sea is the First Nations term for the formerly named Strait of Georgia which separates Vancouver from Victoria).
I don’t like all the personal information demanded — FATCA alone is not worth giving it up for.
To RO: Pass a CBT bill now if you want my vote in 2016.
Don’t waste my time with side issues.
Regarding the information that’s being requested. You can put whatever you want – John Smith will work.
@Steve: If their auditors are half-way competent, that will simply result in the entry being tossed out.
FATCA, FBARS and CBT are all linked.
FBARs are here to stay, that seems pretty obvious, one need only read yesterday’s news and commentary concerning HSBC.
FATCA is an enforcement tactic.
CBT is the root of the evil because it entraps innocent non-US residents by making them victims of double taxation (clearly authorized in the tax treaties), and double or triple reporting (i.e. local tax return, US tax return, FBAR online).
Nevertheless, attacking every angle helps. If Republicans really do (they won’t) abolish FATCA, we will not be relieved of FBARs and CBT double taxation, but we will be free to bank normally again. If Republicans abolish FBARs (they won’t), we won’t be pursued for forgetting to declare a perfectly innocent account somewhere. Good luck on selling that in Congress. My point is that any progress would be a step toward getting rid of CBT.
In fact, switching to RBT would allow the US to maintain FATCA and FBARs for residents of the US. Unpleasant to some, this would nevertheless make some sense.
@Fred:
I’ll go as far as to say that if the US changed to RBT, then FATCA would be perfectly fine by me. Ok, it would still be obnoxiously unilateral, though presumably it could then be merged smoothly with the OECD’s GATCA, which would make it part of a true multilateral agreement. It also raises data security concerns — I wouldn’t want my nationality on file in a bank that got overrun by ISIS, for example. But apart from such implementation issues, the basic principle of information sharing between governments would be just fine with me.
On the converse, getting rid of FATCA but keeping CBT does nothing to resolve the many problems I already have, or alleviate the stress of having to worry about what nasty penalties lie in wait for failing to fill out some obscure, almost undocumented form, and in just the right way.
Eliminating FATCA will not give me my life back. Changing to RBT will. I want my life back.
The RO fatcalegalaction federal court challenge against FATCA and FBAR is funded, and in the last phase of signing up the plaintiffs. Expect press releases in a few weeks.
The litigation will go forward. It will pave way for legislation by pointing out unconstitutional aspects of FATCA & FBAR. Litigation basis is very solid (just look in the right menus of Brock).
RO wants support for anti-FATCA and anti-FBAR legislation, from the people affected. No such group could stand up for legislation for people that won’t stand up for themselves. RO has taken a step more than 55% of the way. Those affected must take further steps for their own benefit.
(is funded adequately for this phase necessary to file the lawsuit)
@foo: I agree that CBT is the problem and that RBT is the solution.
But a movement such as IBS and this website full of resources was built upon the outrage against FATCA’s consequences. Many people could ignore CBT before FATCA. And many others, who were fully compliant, including filing tax returns and FBARs, are now hindered by FATCA in their daily lives.