Barbara posted the following, which she found posted by Heitor David Pinto on the American Expats FB site, as a comment on the general Lobby the New US Government thread. I’m creating a new post for this as it’s particularly important to contact the House Ways and Means Committee right away!
“Congressman George Holding (R-NC13), member of the Ways and Means Committee, supports residence-based taxation and is trying to include it within the upcoming tax reform. Other members of the committee also agree with the idea in general, but are just not motivated to spend the time to study the subject and write a bill. I received this information from the congressman’s assistant.
It would be helpful if many people contacted the other members of the committee to show them the importance of the subject. I suggest giving personal examples of the problems and mentioning the solution (residence-based taxation). I know that many of you have already done this multiple times, but now there is someone supportive within the committee, apparently for the first time ever. For efficiency, I recommend contacting directly the assistants specifically assigned to taxes. The link below is a list with their names and email addresses (it will change slightly later this month). Thank you for your help
Contact list here as Google spreadsheet:
Current Finance Committee and Ways & Means Committee contact list “
Two people (Bubblebustin and Karen) posted their letters as comments on the other thread and I’m copying these to the comment stream here. Please post copies of your letters here, too. And if you’ve commented about this matter on another thread, please feel free to re-post it here too.
See also: Constitutionality of Citizenship Based Taxation by Heitor David Pinto (Shadow Raider)
Related Posts:
2016.11: Lobby the New US Government!
2017.01: Republicans Overseas “White Paper” on Territorial Taxation for Individuals
Bubblebustin‘s letter:
Karen‘s letter:
Thanks Pacifica777 for the post, Karen for bringing it to Brock’s attention and Shadow Raider for bringing it to everyone’s attention.
Wonderful, let’s hope that Holding proposes genuine RBT rather than the Charles Bruce/ACA “throw all accidentals under the bus to save ‘compliant’ expats” plan, and that he stands firm against attacks from Grassley and his ilk.
Thanks to everyone (both here and on FB) who has written.
@Bubblebustin – I think Barbara was the one who first posted about this on Brock — Thanks Barbara!
@Eric – I’ve commented in the other thread about the inadequacy of the ACA RBT proposal – it’s a total disgrace!
Thanks for the correction, Karen. Sorry, Barbara – and thanks!
Please do write everyone. I wrote to Mr. Holding’s assistant, Matt. He wrote back a very nice response within 30 minutes stating that not only is residence based taxation on the menu but the ridding of FACTA. What do we have to lose?
@Will and @All:
As Will says, write. Everybody write.
“Please do write everyone.
I wrote to Mr. Holding’s assistant, Matt. He wrote back a very nice response within 30 minutes stating that not only is residence based taxation on the menu but the ridding of FACTA. What do we have to lose?”
Meantime:
To All: With Fear and Loathing of all things FATCA.
REAL relief and support is on the way: Read On.
From the Official Republican Party Platform:
https://prod-cdn-static.gop.com/media/documents/DRAFT_12_FINAL1-ben_1468872234.pdf
“The Fourth Amendment:
Liberty and Privacy
Affirming the Fourth Amendment “right of
the people to be secure in their houses, papers,
and effects, against unreasonable searches and
seizures,” we call for strict limitations on the use of
aerial surveillance on U.S. soil, with the exception of
patrolling our national borders for illegal entry and
activity. We oppose any attempts by government
to require surveillance devices in our daily lives,
including tracking devices in motor vehicles.
In recent years, technology companies have
responded to market demand for products and
services that protect the privacy of customers
through increasingly sophisticated encryption
technology. These increased privacy protections
have become crucial to the digital economy. At the
same time, however, such innovations have brought
new dangers, especially from criminals and terrorists
who seek to use encryption technology to harm us.
No matter the medium, citizens must retain the
right to communicate with one another free from
unlawful government intrusion. It will not be easy
to balance privacy rights with the government’s
legitimate need to access encrypted information.
This issue is too important to be left to the courts.
A Republican president and a Republican Congress
must listen to the American people and forge a
consensus solution.
The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
(FATCA) and the Foreign Bank and Asset Reporting
Requirements result in government’s warrantless
seizure of personal financial information without
reasonable suspicion or probable cause. Americans
overseas should enjoy the same rights as Americans
residing in the United States, whose private
financial information is not subject to disclosure
to the government except as to interest earned.
The requirement for all banks around the world
to provide detailed information to the IRS about
American account holders outside the United States
has resulted in banks refusing service to them. Thus,
FATCA not only allows “unreasonable search and
seizures” but also threatens the ability of overseas
Americans to lead normal lives. We call for its repeal
and for a change to residency-based taxation for
U.S. citizens overseas.”
Recommendations from Congressman Mark Meadows and Senator Rand Paul , both House and Senate now take up Repeal FATCA, with several co sponsors.
Even MORE important and anticipated :
IN ADDITION, action President Trump will take in first 100 days :
https://meadows.house.gov/first-100-days
Scroll down to:
234 Internal Revenue Service:
Information Reporting by Foreign
Financial Institutions and
Withholding on Certain Payments
to Foreign Financial Institutions
and Other Foreign Entities
26 CFR Parts
1 and 301
1/28/2013 Implementation
Costs
U.S. citizens living abroad and
Senator Rand Paul, argue that IGAs
and certain FATCA provisions are
unconstitutional.
https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=IRS-2012-0009-0267
For those worried about the SCE and Treasury pronouncements , look for real action and real relief within the next 100 days of President Trump’s Administration.
The link goes to the FATCA regulations and deals with the IGAs.
The Trump Administration intends to do away with CBT , IGAs and all of FATCA that is Unconstitutional. And much of it, if not all of it is Unconstitutional.
@Will
I got an letter back from Holden’s office too. Not a surprise, really, as it’s already mentioned that he is against FATCA and CBT, but encouraging nonetheless.
I responded by thanking his assistant Matt for the response and among other things asked what I can do to get through to the other committee members to make it their priority too…
I got the same response from Holden’s office. I followed up with a reply, offering to send him a collection of reports and other documents, gathered from the IBS site and elsewhere.
My letter is written and on the way. I really believe we are on the home stretch!
@Muzzled, I am sending off letters again too.Yes, this is indeed the endgame now.
I partly think that the ADCS litigation will be made moot one way or another.
IF/WHEN we win in Washington the IGAs will come down like dominos. I am inspired by the MPs in Trinidad and Tobago who are insisting that Trump needs to be asked if these agreements will have any force. Seriously that MP in a small island in the Caribbean may have provided the most powerful weapon in our fight. We DO need to ask Trump and the GOP leaders if they will honour their commitment in the manifesto.
Anyways if we were to lose in Washington then even if ADCS wins, Trudeau the perfumed prince would do a Charter overide.
BUT again I am in the best spirits since my moment of fear having already left and relinquished.
Freedom or Bust
I posed this question to Matt Stross, assistant to Congressman Harding in response to his response to my letter:
“Would you be so kind as to give me your perspective on how I can get the other tax reform committee members to better understand our problems so that they might feel compelled enough to do something about them?”
He wrote back,
“As you know, with comprehensive tax reform on the table, members of the Committee are being pulled in many different directions. In addition to arguments based on the fairness of RBT, sometimes I think it is helpful to frame the discussion in terms of the economic benefits associated with a change (and consequently the economic disadvantages that come along with CBT). The republican tax plan is built around increasing jobs and growing the economy – and highlighting how a change to RBT would increase opportunities for Americans or how CBT hampers opportunity can often resonate with certain Members.”
You’ve heard it. We must focus on the economic benefits of RBT.
“You’ve heard it. We must focus on the economic benefits of RBT.”
Meagre as this one is, here it is: Lawful amounts of withholding from US-sourced interest and dividends paid to non-resident citizens will no longer be refundable, the same as for non-resident aliens.
The US lawfully profits from me in this manner, unless IRS employees are still embezzling withholding, which I think they are.
Congressman Holding’s assistant is now in possession of around 300 letters and reports that were submitted to the Senate Finance Committee. He enthusiastically requested them after I offered. Now, if only any of those other geezers on the list would respond.
Barbara: A link to all those letters was included with my letter as well. I’m glad we’re reminding them of all the cries for justice they have already heard from us which they ignored before. They can’t ignore us this time. The party now in power ran on a clear promise to get this dealt with. They canNOT shove this under the carpet this time.
Here’s some more info on Matt Stross, assistant and legislative council for Congressman Harding:
http://congressional-staff.insidegov.com/l/47226/Matthew-S-Stross
Democrat members of House Ways & Means subcommittees, including tax (and including Rep. DelBene of Washington, who is not on the e-mail list we have)
https://democrats-waysandmeans.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/neal-announces-ways-and-means-democratic-subcommittee-assignments-115th