I threw this up on the Flophouse the other day. I went through the fine wizard at the Overseas Vote Foundation and ordered my absentee ballot and a few days ago I got my voter registration card from King County Elections. That done I now need to think about how I’m going to vote. My first order of business was really trying to understand where homeland voters are coming from. Laws in the homeland are not made in a vacuum. Second order of business was going to the websites of my representatives and seeing what they had to say. It was quite a shock to realize that overseas voters are not even on their radar – even in a state that has a lot of registered overseas voters. I was left with the feeling that I’m in a terrible trap here. OK, I have a vote but I don’t feel like I have a voice or effective representation. Really frustrating. Anyway, here is what I wrote. Your mileage may vary. I’m sure there are a few things in here that some of you will disagree with. Please feel free to comment or criticize. I don’t have a lot invested in being right – on the contrary it’s when you’re wrong that you actually learn something. 🙂
Category Archives: Issues regarding US persons abroad
What are taxes?
This quote comes from David Ricardo’s book, On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (Chapter 8 On Taxes):
Taxes are a portion of the produce of the land and labour of a country, placed at the disposal of the government; and are always ultimately paid, either from the capital, or from the revenue of the country.
Notable quotations about freedom and justice: Open Thread
Rebellion against tyrants is obedience to God.
Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson
Not OVDI, says Michael J. Miller, with regard to an offshore account scenario
Tax lawyer Michael J. Miller offers a scenario in a comment: A recent immigrant to the United States, Tom, had an offshore account with $1,000,000–the best manner to going forward is not OVDI!
Where's Steven?
We haven’t heard from Steven for a couple of days. I hope Jack and Jill haven’t turned Steven into Humpty Dumty.
Maybe Canadian border officials detained Steven at the Peace Bridge as he tried to sneak into Canada disguised as the Big Bad Wolf on his way to help Little Red Riding Hood’s Grandma (the one Ambassador Jacobsen insisted the IRS wasn’t after!).
Taiwan bankers urge government to surrender sovereignty to IRS on FATCA
If you’re an American expat in Taiwan, or an immigrant from Taiwan living in the U.S., or even a former immigrant who went back to Taiwan after you got your green card or U.S. passport, look out: your bank in Taiwan wants to sell you and your kids down the river in order to cut their costs of complying with FATCA. Here’s two recent items of coverage from Taiwan newspapers that I’ve translated into English. Continue reading
Official Interpretations of U.S. Expatriation
Cross posted from Perspectives at USxCanada InfoShop.
The following comment comes from a Canadian-qualified lawyer who is currently engaged in relinquishment of US citizenship through an Asian consulate:
Supreme court Decisions on Loss of Nationality: Appendix B of State Department Foreign Affairs Manual
Reader TomOn asked me to post this:
U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual Volume 7―Consular Affairs (pdf)
2012 Declaration of Independence
As those of you who have seen The War of 2012 know, The Movie ends with signing of a New Declaration of Independence in front of the American Embassy in Ottawa on July 4, 2012.
Occupy the SEC: Former Wall Street Workers Defend Volcker Rule Against Banks' Anti-Regulatory Push
Occupy the SEC: Former Wall Street Workers Defend Volcker Rule Against Banks' Anti-Regulatory Push.
Folks on the blog have talked about the Volcker rule before, but I am at a loss as to how this would affect regular working folks like myself. As you can see from the segment, Occupy protesters feel that a strong Volcker rule would inhibit or prevent financial institutions from engaging in the kind of risky trading behaviours that were instrumental in creating the current financial crisis. But how would this regulation affect foreign financial institutions? Can someone explain this in plain English?