Liberty and justice for all United States persons abroad

Brock project: Comparing the comments on the French version of the @LizT1 @USTransitionTax article to the comments on the English version

Reference to the English version of Elizabeth Thompson’s recent article on the U.S. Transition Tax was posted here. A person in Europe found the French version and forwarded it.

The French version has far fewer comments. But, I thought it would be interesting to perhaps do a bit of translation and see if they are as ridiculous as the majority of the comments on the English version.

9 thoughts on “Brock project: Comparing the comments on the French version of the @LizT1 @USTransitionTax article to the comments on the English version

  1. Interesting idea; would not particularly expect French Canadians to have quite the bias that Anglos have.

    Looking at only a few, it looks like they may go the way of the English ones. Mostly blather about Trump:

    Don’t speak a word of French; using GoogleTranslate:

    *****

    Josée Rivard

    Are we talking about Canadians who run a business here, but who are settled in the US to pay less taxes ??

    David Chrétien
    Among other things, yes.

    Jean Bédard

    In fact no, not at all. We are mainly talking about people who reside in Canada
    and who are American or have dual nationality.

    Michael Ferretti

    Many will put the blame and the hatred on Trump.

    But we have to wonder if our elected Prime Minister is on good terms with Trump.

    Trump, and the world’s strongest economy, are likely not to be told ..

    lise rancourt

    @Michael Ferretti Read on the web for more information.
    Canada Is Not Blameless On Trade

    Pierre lagasse
    @Michael Ferretti

    Frankly, Trump is at loggerheads with all the US allies (except Israel and Saudi
    Arabia) and all would be guilty except him?

    Far be it from me to defend the natural ineptitude of the Trudeau government,
    but in this case the problem comes from Trump. It is he who makes his
    decisions, according to a childish vision of the economy, and in the context of a
    mid-term election where it goes bad for him. Trudeau would come to play in his
    cases and would daily reiterate in praise of the “genius” that it would not
    change anything.

    1 day ago 4 people like this comment

    Michel Lessard
    @Michael Ferretti

    can you name a few dignitaries in good terms with Trump? ..

    1 day ago 1 person likes this comment

    Michael Ferretti
    @michel lessard
    Yes.
    And you too.

    1 day ago 0 person likes this comment

    Jean-Claude Roy
    @Michael Ferretti

    Who is on good terms with Trump? We want names.

    1 day ago 1 person likes this comment

    Jean-Claude Roy
    @Michael Ferretti

    So, do not be shy. Name them!

    1 day ago 1 person likes this comment

    arianne miron

    @Michael Ferretti that’s why he acts tyrant and this kind of guy ends up being
    dangerous

    1 day ago 0 person likes this comment

    Michael Ferretti
    @ Jean-Claude Roy

    63 million voters.
    1 French President.
    1 Israeli Prime Minister.
    1 Japanese stealer.
    1 German Chancellor

    That’s 63,000.004.

    1 day ago 2 people like this comment

    Simon Roberge
    @Michael Ferretti
    The 63 million do not count. It’s a one-way relationship. Mr. Trump seeks only
    power and he appreciates it only because it gives him that power. I’m not sure
    he likes them that much. In addition, how many of these 63M have died or
    changed their minds since the last election?

    1 day ago 0 person likes this comment

    Bibi Scornu
    @Michael Ferretti Did I read that correctly? the French president and the
    German Chancellor get on well with Trump?

    1 day ago 0 person likes this comment

  2. Gilles Hervieux
    Right now, with these tables going up and down, it’s rather melangeant. And you know the rest!

    1 day ago 1 person likes this comment

    Alain Gelinas
    It is taken who thought to take ….

    1 day ago 3 people like this comment

    André Beaulne
    I can only say BRAVO!

    1 day ago 5 people like this comment

    lise rancourt
    @ André Beaulne double citizenship should disappear everywhere.

    1 day ago 1 person likes this comment

    Claire Lévesque
    @ André Beaulne What? Whose? Why?

    1 day ago 0 person likes this comment

    Marc Ziegel
    @lise rancourt

    Why, then?

    1 day ago 1 person likes this comment

    Bibi Scornu
    @Marc Ziegel because she did not understand the article ;-D

    1 day ago 1 person likes this comment

    Gin Brousseau
    Strange title, as if all Canadians were paying tax in the US … had to put “double citizenship” at least it would make more sense, right?

    1 day ago 10 person likes this comment

    Pierre Bourassa
    @Gin Brousseau
    Yes, but it would not be so effective.

    1 day ago 0 person likes this comment

    David Chrétien
    It’s really not me who will cry about the fate of those who have tried to evade taxes in Canada or the US.
    Here, people receive T4 and R1 and pay the tax on all their income (except for some who still manage to find legal passes to escape). Entrepreneurs may still not be able to report all of their income, especially those with dual billing or work-in-progress systems.

    1 day ago 9 people like this comment

    Marc Desrosiers
    @David Christian Agree with you, fool the trump tax ever!

    1 day ago 1 person likes this comment

    Jean Santerre
    @David Christian,

    Have you read the article?
    The established system was not used to make tax avoidance but to pay taxes once. Either taxes were paid in Canada or the United States. It seems perfectly normal to me. With the change proposed by Trump there will be double taxation. They will have to pay both in Canada and in the United States retroactively since 1986.

    Another Trump madness. Trump blew up US debt by raising the budget … »more

    1 day ago 7 people like this comment

    David Chrétien
    It is not beautiful the American system that so many Quebecers / Canadians venerate so much to do business as to go on vacation?

    1 day ago 11 person likes this comment

    Marc Desrosiers
    @David Christian No vacation!

    1 day ago 2 people like this comment

    Francois Leclair
    “Some of these professionals advised their clients to withdraw money from their business, which would require them to pay tax in Canada.”
    ______________________

    Buy RRSPs Unless you have already contributed the maximum allowed. In such a
    case you will not make anyone cry.

    1 day ago 4 people like this comment

  3. I can’t read very many of those in English or French without it aff citing my blood pressure.

    They get to hate Americans, corporations and Trump all in one comment. Those who understand are rare they ndeed.

    How could we expect many to understand that it’s only “chumps” like me who are tax compliant who are getting hit?

  4. @BB

    Ja, could see the comments degenerating into the “hate rich American tax cheats” arena so I did not put all of them up…..

    There is a fellow on the English thread, Gord McPherson who gets it…..

  5. Why correspond with mentally deranged folks. Focus and stay away from sickos–canadian, american, et al. They were mentally ill.

  6. The French-language comments seem to be mostly from people who don’t understand what’s going on. I see a few Trump-haters: off subject. A few who think Canadians with business or homes in the US pay taxes nowhere (neither in the US nor in Canada), one who is confused because the article mentions taxes on individuals and on companies (apparently unable to fathom that a doctor may be functioning as a small company for various reasons, including retirement savings), and another who is happy that rich dual citizens, who have been using the system to avoid taxes, now have to pay; the only thing Trump has done that he agrees with.

    En tant que francophone je me sens donc tout à fait à l’aise pour conclure de cette lecture que les francophones sont au moins aussi mal-comprenants (pour rester poli) que les anglophones.

  7. I think the problem here is that many commenters aren’t aware that the US practices CBT. Would they think it OK for Canada to tax the foreign corporations of Canadian citizens living in other countries?

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