Thanks for your on-going interest in the work Democrats Abroad is doing to secure tax relief for Americans abroad. It’s been a busy time, with outcomes for our 2021 advocacy goals still uncertain. Which puts us into the same position as a great many others pushing Congress for important reforms this year. This week and next week may be critical to understanding what important reforms from the Biden American Families Plan and American Jobs Plan get into the Build Back Better Bill. Or, there may be many weeks of negotiation to come. We will be pushing continuously on behalf of the Americans abroad community.
These are important updates on our work.
CONGRESSIONAL OUTREACH ABOUT TAX RELIEF IN 2021
Following many dozens of zoom meetings with members of Congress about our 2021 reform recommendations we are excited that the filing modification for Americans abroad who owe $0 tax is being drafted into legislative language. Our goal is to get this reform into legislation this year. Our friends in Congress have already reached out to Rep. Richie Neal, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, endorsing this important reform. (See below for the “Special Shout Out” to MA01 constituents of Chairman Neal.) We will need the sponsorship of many more members of Congress once we have the language of a bill in hand. We will contact you soon to message your member of Congress asking them to sponsor the bill.
We continue to have briefing meetings with members of Congress about all our reforms and will message you with further developments.
SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO VOTERS IN THE MASSACHUSETTS 1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
Congressional Democrats are working feverishly to bridge the moderate-progressive divide and agree what will be in the Build Back Better Bill - one of the most important social spending packages for 50 years. Americans abroad cannot risk being left out!
We are looking for DA members who vote in the MA 1st Congressional District, constituents of Rep. Richie Neal, Chairman of the all-important, tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. If you are a MA01 constituent your member of Congress is amongst the very most influential in determining what tax provisions get into the Build Back Better Bill. He is also one of the busiest and most difficult members to speak to. But we believe HE WILL TALK TO YOU.
Please click here to register your interest in an extremely important zoom conversation with Rep. Neal. We will contact you when a zoom meeting has been scheduled. Registering places you under no obligation to participate.
FIXING GILTI TAX – WE NEED BUSINESS OWNERS ABROAD TO STEP FORWARD
Research published by DA in September and shared with Congress revealed the extent to which the GILTI tax is disrupting and destabilizing the small to medium size businesses of Americans abroad – businesses that were never the target of this tax. Our research has persuaded the committee staff important to enacting tax reform of the need for a GILTI tax exemption for Americans abroad who own small businesses. But we need to get the message through to members of Congress.
If you own a small business abroad that is being badly impacted by GILTI tax, please join us for a discussion about it with your member of Congress. Members of Congress have our data but to push them to act they need to hear from you who whose businesses and livelihoods are being hurt. Time is of the essence. Please sign up here.
HOW TO GET YOUR STIMULUS PAYMENT WEBINAR
Click here to view a recording of our recent Webinar about how to get your COVID Stimulus Payment.
CAN YOU HELP WITH SOME STIMULUS PAYMENT RESEARCH?
Whether you did or didn’t receive your COVID Stimulus checks we need you to tell us about your experience with US pandemic aid in 2020 and 2021. Please click here to fill in our survey. We will use the findings to demand better support from the IRS, including making payments directly into our local bank accounts using our International Bank Account Numbers and more.
DEMOCRATS ABROAD JOINS RBT COALITION
DA is pleased to add our name to a non-partisan list of organizations, individuals and entities who support a switch from our current system of citizenship based taxation to residency based taxation, also known as RBT. Of all the Americans abroad issues, taxation is THE issue that impacts every single one of us. It affects young and old, married and single, regardless of economic status and party affiliation. We believe that this growing community of RBT advocates and activists will demonstrate to Congress the enormous demand for tax fairness for Americans abroad and persuade them to work with us on a workable RBT implementation model. Click here for more information.
YOUR REPRESENTATIVE BELONGS IN THE AMERICANS ABROAD CAUCUS
Having a Congress that understands and supports the Americans abroad community is essential to building critical Congressional support for our reform recommendations. Next week Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY12) and Rep. Maria Salazar (R-FL27) are expected to re-register the Americans Abroad Caucus and will be inviting Representative right across the House to join. You can help by encouraging your Representative to join. Click here to learn how.
CONSTITUENT ABROAD ZOOM MEETINGS
DA has hosted more than 20 zoom meetings connecting DA members with their Representatives to discuss the unique burden that US taxation places on Americans abroad. If you are interested in joining a zoom meetings to talk tax with your elected representatives, please click here to register. We will contact you when a zoom with your Representative or Senator has been scheduled. If you register you are under no obligation to participate.
COME HEAR ABOUT WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR IN 2021
In November the Taxation Task Force is making 2 presentations about its work fighting for tax relief for Americans abroad:
Monday 15 November, 3pm US ET, hosted by DA Portugal (Click here for more information and to RSVP)
Tuesday 16 November, 2am US ET, hosted by DA New Zealand and DA Australia (Click here for more information and to RSVP).
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS
Contact the Taxation Task Force at [email protected]
DEMOCRATS ABROAD TAXATION TASK FORCE