Taxation Task Force 2022 Midterms

NY10 House Candidate Q&A

The New York 10th District House Democratic Primary is on Tuesday, August 23, 2022. Voter registration closes on July 5th. Your ballot must be postmarked by August 1, 2022 and received by August 12, 2022. Emailed ballots will go out on July 9th. We strongly recommend signing up for an emailed ballot so you can print and return as quickly as possible to meet the strict deadlines. To find out more about voting in the August 23th Democratic primary, go to VoteFromAbroad.org

About the New York 10th Congressional District

The new New York 10th district boundaries were approved on May 23rd which covers Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. Click here to see a detailed map to see if you're a New York 10th district voter. There is no incumbent running for this seat in 2022, this means that the person elected will be new to Congress. This area of the country strongly votes Democrat, which means that the chances of a Democrat being elected in this seat is extremely high, so the real contest is the primary on August 23rd. This is why it's so important for not only vote in the general election, but also in the primary. To read more about this race click here.

Maud Maron

Once elected, will you:

Join the Congressional Americans Abroad Caucus?

Yes. With the number of Americans in NY-10 living abroad, this would be a priority of mine.

Co-sign these bills that will help Americans abroad

Yes. In my review of these proposed pieces of legislation, they are common sense items that would not only make it easier to be an American abroad, but for the government to learn about the needs facing Americans living abroad. I support these smart proposals and would be happy to co-sign once elected.

Medicare portability: Would you support a pilot program allowing Americans currently receiving all or the majority of their Medicare benefits in the US to have the option of receiving these benefits overseas?

Yes. I would support the creation of such a pilot program. In my view, healthcare must be accessible to all Americans, particularly when Americans pay into programs such as Medicare – there should be no difficulty imposed by the American government on individuals wishing to access Medicare benefits overseas. In fact, since healthcare costs are often lower overseas, this makes financial sense.

Residency-based taxation (RBT): A majority of Americans abroad are working and middle class but are subject to excessively complex filing requirements and tax treatment more punitive than if we lived in the US. We suffer from unfair and outdated stereotypes that we are moving abroad to evade paying US taxes, when research confirms that most Americans move abroad to marry a non-US spouse or for work. Would you support adjustments to the tax code that align tax residency with physical residency, provided that they are resilient against abuse and are beneficial to the Internal Revenue Service? Such a change is commonly known and used in the rest of the world as “residency-based taxation.”

Yes. As you rightly note, the system that we need to design should be resilient against abuse of any kind. But residency based-taxation has always made the most sense to me. There should be no excuse for stereotyping Americans living abroad, or for unnecessarily scrutinizing their tax situation.

Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR): The reporting threshold of $10,000 has not been adjusted for inflation since its introduction in the 1970s. Would you support creating a higher reporting threshold for Americans living abroad and indexing the reporting threshold for inflation?

Yes. It absolutely makes sense to raise this threshold, particularly during a time when inflation is as high as it is right now. The threshold should always be tied to inflation rates.

Global Intangible Low-taxed Income (GILTI) & Repatriation: Will you support an exemption for small American business owners from the erroneous filing and double taxation from the GILTI tax and retrospective relief from the repatriation tax?

Yes. We need to support American innovation, specifically from small business owners. I would incorporate these reforms into my tax plan that lowers taxes for hard working New Yorkers, and restores the SALT deductions for middle class families. Double taxation is not acceptable, and will only hurt innovation. And since a repatriation tax will likewise hurt innovation, I would support any relief efforts from this tax.

Overall: Will you keep Americans abroad in mind when passing all legislation to ensure no further unintended consequences negatively impact Americans living outside the United States?

Yes! As the wife of an Argentine immigrant, I am acutely aware of the realities facing families when they move abroad for work, or other reasons. Government officials should be doing all they can do to make our bureaucracy work better for all Americans, including simplifying the tax code for Americans abroad. In Congress, I will fight for all of NY-10, including Americans living outside of the United States, and work to ensure that any legislation passed by Congress does not work against these interests.

Yuh-Line Niou

Once elected, will you:

Join the Congressional Americans Abroad Caucus?

Yes! I have said many times that representation is so critical to a functioning democracy, and that includes the representation of Americans abroad.

Co-sign these bills that will help Americans abroad

Yes, I fully support the above bills and look forward to advocating for them in Congress.

Medicare portability: Would you support a pilot program allowing Americans currently receiving all or the majority of their Medicare benefits in the US to have the option of receiving these benefits overseas?

Yes, I believe that one of the greatest impediments in our system is the artificial siloing we see not just in Medicare but across the healthcare and health insurance industries. I’ve fought in Albany to increase access to Medicare, and I will support efforts to make Medicare truly portable and responsive to how and where Americans choose to live.

Residency-based taxation (RBT): A majority of Americans abroad are working and middle class but are subject to excessively complex filing requirements and tax treatment more punitive than if we lived in the US. We suffer from unfair and outdated stereotypes that we are moving abroad to evade paying US taxes, when research confirms that most Americans move abroad to marry a non-US spouse or for work. Would you support adjustments to the tax code that align tax residency with physical residency, provided that they are resilient against abuse and are beneficial to the Internal Revenue Service? Such a change is commonly known and used in the rest of the world as “residency-based taxation.”

I believe in economic and tax justice. That starts with drawing a clear line between the corporations that incorporate overseas to avoid taxes and the Americans who choose to live abroad for personal or professional reasons while paying their taxes like anyone else. We must make our tax code more accessible for those overseas filers and standardize our processes so that we are spending our energy policing the corporate executives, not hassling working families abroad.

Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR): The reporting threshold of $10,000 has not been adjusted for inflation since its introduction in the 1970s. Would you support creating a higher reporting threshold for Americans living abroad and indexing the reporting threshold for inflation?

I firmly support federal efforts to crack down on money laundering and illicit finance through the Treasury Department’s FinCEN regulations including those on FBARs. But I also know the facts: in almost every case, suspicious transactions of interest to the Treasury involve hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars moving in single transactions. I believe we can and should index that threshold to inflation and support measures in the bipartisan CROOK Act to better focus FinCEN’s priorities on these large-scale transactions while easing the burden on regular Americans living abroad.

Global Intangible Low-taxed Income (GILTI) & Repatriation: Will you support an exemption for small American business owners from the erroneous filing and double taxation from the GILTI tax and retrospective relief from the repatriation tax?

I believe this is an area where we must act with nuance, because it is easily exploited by the same corporations that have rigged our economy and left working families both in the United States and Americans abroad holding the bag. I am deeply concerned by the amount of megacorporation lobbying that has entered the conversation around GILTI, including many groups that align with Republican interests domestically. I have fought time and again for small business owners during my time in Albany, and delivered real tax relief for them even when the odds were stacked against us. I look forward to having deeper discussions about this issue in the future.

Overall: Will you keep Americans abroad in mind when passing all legislation to ensure no further unintended consequences negatively impact Americans living outside the United States?

Yes! A core part of my campaign is the power of representation in our politics. When we do not have representation at the decision making table, we too often find decisions are made in ways that erase our needs. That’s especially true for Americans who do not have the benefit of being physically present to represent their own interests. You depend on lawmakers who will be your voice and share your message with Congress, and I can completely commit to that because I have done that my entire career for the people of New York. I will maintain an open door to Americans abroad, and will always consider you in every policy decision I make.

Carlina Rivera

Once elected, will you:

Join the Congressional Americans Abroad Caucus?

Yes.

Co-sign these bills that will help Americans abroad

Yes

Medicare portability: Would you support a pilot program allowing Americans currently receiving all or the majority of their Medicare benefits in the US to have the option of receiving these benefits overseas?

Yes, I would support this pilot to expand health care access abroad, just as I intend to work on guaranteeing health care coverage for all Americans.

Residency-based taxation (RBT): A majority of Americans abroad are working and middle class but are subject to excessively complex filing requirements and tax treatment more punitive than if we lived in the US. We suffer from unfair and outdated stereotypes that we are moving abroad to evade paying US taxes, when research confirms that most Americans move abroad to marry a non-US spouse or for work. Would you support adjustments to the tax code that align tax residency with physical residency, provided that they are resilient against abuse and are beneficial to the Internal Revenue Service? Such a change is commonly known and used in the rest of the world as “residency-based taxation.”

Yes, I support aligning tax code to reflect physical residency. And I particularly appreciate your intent to work with Congress on safeguarding such changes from potential abuse.

Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR): The reporting threshold of $10,000 has not been adjusted for inflation since its introduction in the 1970s. Would you support creating a higher reporting threshold for Americans living abroad and indexing the reporting threshold for inflation?

Yes, we should look at adjusting this decades-old threshold amount.

Global Intangible Low-taxed Income (GILTI) & Repatriation: Will you support an exemption for small American business owners from the erroneous filing and double taxation from the GILTI tax and retrospective relief from the repatriation tax?

I am intimately familiar with the challenges of small business ownership, and I have worked to support entrepreneurship programs and opportunities during my career in government. I would support ways to ensure that double taxation is not an obstacle to success for small business operators so that middle class Americans, whether in the US or abroad, can prosper under a fairer system that shifts the burden towards those who can most afford it.

Overall: Will you keep Americans abroad in mind when passing all legislation to ensure no further unintended consequences negatively impact Americans living outside the United States?

I have always had a policy of encouraging various stakeholders to engage with me and my team as we craft policy and make decisions, and I would welcome the input of Americans abroad in that process.

Dan Goldman

Once elected, will you:

I plan to join the Americans Abroad Caucus and advocate for constituents from the 10th district wherever they live.

Co-sign these bills that will help Americans abroad

Yes, I will co-sign these pieces of legislation.

Medicare portability: Would you support a pilot program allowing Americans currently receiving all or the majority of their Medicare benefits in the US to have the option of receiving these benefits overseas?

Yes. A person should not lose coverage when they are overseas, and I would work with my colleagues in Congress to expand this pilot.

Residency-based taxation (RBT): A majority of Americans abroad are working and middle class but are subject to excessively complex filing requirements and tax treatment more punitive than if we lived in the US. We suffer from unfair and outdated stereotypes that we are moving abroad to evade paying US taxes, when research confirms that most Americans move abroad to marry a non-US spouse or for work. Would you support adjustments to the tax code that align tax residency with physical residency, provided that they are resilient against abuse and are beneficial to the Internal Revenue Service? Such a change is commonly known and used in the rest of the world as “residency-based taxation.”

I will commit to studying this issue upon election to Congress.

Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR): The reporting threshold of $10,000 has not been adjusted for inflation since its introduction in the 1970s. Would you support creating a higher reporting threshold for Americans living abroad and indexing the reporting threshold for inflation?

I will commit to studying this issue upon election to Congress.

Global Intangible Low-taxed Income (GILTI) & Repatriation: Will you support an exemption for small American business owners from the erroneous filing and double taxation from the GILTI tax and retrospective relief from the repatriation tax?

I will commit to studying this issue upon election to Congress.

Overall: Will you keep Americans abroad in mind when passing all legislation to ensure no further unintended consequences negatively impact Americans living outside the United States?

I will work to hear the concerns of and represent all of my constituents in the 10th district, regardless of where they live.

Mondaire Jones

Once elected, will you:

Yes, I am already a proud member of the Americans Abroad Caucus.

Co-sign these bills that will help Americans abroad

I would support H.R. 5799, 5800, and 6057, as they will reduce burdensome requirements on Americans abroad and help address specific challenges they face.

I am already an original cosponsor of H.R. 5723 and look forward to supporting this bill again next Congress to ensure the long-term sustainability of Social Security for present and future generations of Americans.

Medicare portability: Would you support a pilot program allowing Americans currently receiving all or the majority of their Medicare benefits in the US to have the option of receiving these benefits overseas?

Yes, I believe that Americans who have paid into Medicare throughout their lives should be able to enjoy those benefits wherever they choose to reside. A pilot program to test out the feasibility and sustainability of this would be a step in the right direction.

Residency-based taxation (RBT): A majority of Americans abroad are working and middle class but are subject to excessively complex filing requirements and tax treatment more punitive than if we lived in the US. We suffer from unfair and outdated stereotypes that we are moving abroad to evade paying US taxes, when research confirms that most Americans move abroad to marry a non-US spouse or for work. Would you support adjustments to the tax code that align tax residency with physical residency, provided that they are resilient against abuse and are beneficial to the Internal Revenue Service? Such a change is commonly known and used in the rest of the world as “residency-based taxation.”

I support residency-based taxation so that ordinary Americans who choose to reside abroad are not punished for that decision by our tax system. I believe that reforms to residency- based taxation should be aligned with efforts to ensure our tax system is resilient against abuse and ensures that the wealthiest Americans are paying their fair share. I also support efforts to reduce burdensome tax filing requirements for Americans abroad.

Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR): The reporting threshold of $10,000 has not been adjusted for inflation since its introduction in the 1970s. Would you support creating a higher reporting threshold for Americans living abroad and indexing the reporting threshold for inflation?

I would support efforts to reassess the FBAR reporting threshold and determine a more appropriate level to reduce the reporting requirements on Americans abroad while supporting efforts to combat financial crimes.

Global Intangible Low-taxed Income (GILTI) & Repatriation: Will you support an exemption for small American business owners from the erroneous filing and double taxation from the GILTI tax and retrospective relief from the repatriation tax?

GILTI and the repatriation tax were designed to target large multinational corporations to prevent them from shifting profits to low-tax jurisdictions abroad, not to punish American small business owners living overseas. I believe that we need to look into appropriate exemptions that protect small business owners accordingly.

Overall: Will you keep Americans abroad in mind when passing all legislation to ensure no further unintended consequences negatively impact Americans living outside the United States?

Yes, absolutely.

*Democrats Abroad has not endorsed any candidate(s) and is committed to remaining neutral for the duration of the primary. ALL candidates for this race were invited to answer the list of questions. Candidate answers are published in the order received.