At the Isaac Brock Society we are the masters of parody and satire. But nothing is truly funnier than when real life imitates the Onion:
Customer Satisfaction Survey of Taxpayers at an All-Time High, Says IRS Commissioner
Author Archives: Petros
Nicolas Santa still in federal custody
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (BSP) Nicolas (Claus) Santa, Bishop of Myra, has been in federal custody since his arrest at the North Pole on Christmas Eve, 2011. Fish and Wildlife agents apprehended him and seized several tons of exotic woods forbidden by the Lacey act. Santa has been charged with multiple counts of money laundering, illegal exportation of currency, illegally importing into the United States toys made of contraband–rare woods, ivory and other banned substances, as well as violating slave labor and child labor laws. A grand jury has also indicted Santa on 190 counts of criminal failure to file the Foreign Bank Account Report (FBAR). For those charges alone, Santa risks a sentence of 950 years in prison and fines equal to 300% of his wealth. Santa was laundering money from his illegal trafficking in toys.
Question about Visa Waiver Program (ESTA)
A reader, Alex, has a question regarding the Visa Waiver Program (ESTA):
Does anyone have experience or information about people with ESTA citizenships (countries who are in the visa waiver program) who renounced and then wanted to return to visit USA as a tourist?
Toronto Star’s Michael Lewis, Saverin article: It’s about “Benign Actors”
Michael Lewis at the Toronto Star covers the Saverin story and quotes me from an Isaac Brock Society comment.
See, Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin’s taxing connection to U.S.-Canadian dual citizens
Lewis also cites Nina Olson (emphasis mine),
U.S. National Taxpayer watchdog Nina Olson in a public letter warned that the IRS is driving “benign actors” underground with draconian penalties and a byzantine international tax reporting regime.
ABC News’ Enjoli Francis reports on the Eduardo Saverin Expatriation
Enjoli Saverin has covered Eduardo Saverin’s expatriation, and in the process, has given the Isaac Brock Society the spotlight.
Facebook’s Eduardo Saverin Joins Americans Renouncing Citizenship
Spam messages linking to irsmedic.com
The Isaac Brock Society has received numerous spam messages of this variety in our comment stream:
Rita Jaffey: By June 30th I have to make a decision about the FBAR. Still trying to figure out what the best choice is.
Jeneva Benafield: I’m waiting until June 30th to come up with an FBAR decision. Maybe I’ll just stay an ex-pat.
Priscilla Outhouse: I’m waiting until June 30th to make an FBAR decision. Maybe I’ll just stay an ex-pat.
The website for these messages is www.irsmedic.com. We invite the owner of this domain to come here and explain, if possible, why these “people” (eight different messages by eight different names, but only five unique IP addresses), who have sent these messages, would do this. I suspect it is an attempt to drum up business here at the Isaac Brock Society. Caveat emptor.
Barrie McKenna's new article on FATCA
Barrie McKenna reports about the negotiations between Washington and Ottawa to “temper” FATCA’s requirements, through a government to government sharing arrangement. Barrie called me yesterday looking for a reaction. I hope the quote is pleasing to everyone:
“The idea that any of our financial information would be given to the IRS is an abomination,” said Mr. Dunn, 48, who is in the process of giving up his U.S. citizenship and filing back taxes to end his obligations to the IRS.
Last Date for 8854 filing is June 15, 2012
My understanding is that the last date for filing Form 8854 for a 2011 expatriation is June 15, the due date, because of the automatic extension for the tax filing for a person resident outside the United States. After that date, a person could be subject to warnings or even a $10,000 non-filing fine. So be it.
Welcome to the United States: You now must pay your taxes to the USA
Snowbirds may become an extinct species, at least within the borders of the United States. Few outsiders know this but Canadians live in igloos year round. Snowbirds are Canadians who seek warmer climate, especially during their retirement years. They have been a significant boon to the real estate markets in Southern states, especially Florida, but one should not forget places like my Dad’s trailer park in San Benito where numerous Winter Texans can play year-round golf and outdoor tennis. Mostly, they spend their enormous retirement wealth that it took many years working in Canada to earn. Expect the snowbirds to start flying further south, to places like Cayman Islands, Mexico, or Costa Rica, anywhere outside the reach of the IRS taxman.
Al Lewis: Welcome to the Isaac Brock Hall of *Shame*/FAME (UPDATED)
Editors Note: Al Lewis has now written an excellent article telling the our side of the story. Thanks, Al (and welcome to the Isaac Brock Hall of Fame!).
Al Lewis tries to shame former Americans in this hit piece at marketwatch.com a subsidiary of the Wall Street Journal. Perhaps you should have spoke with at least one person who ever renounced his or her citizenship. Shame on YOU, Mr. Lewis and shame on your editor for allowing you to publish. That just makes you a bigot with a platform. It is to the shame of the brain-dead media that such pieces of journalistic refuse can even see the light of day. Please, next time you want to write a screed that punishes a class of people for their actions, do your homework, like the young, promising Reuter’s journalist, Atossa Abrahamian, who actually spoke with numerous people who had renounced or were planning to renounce their citizenship.