Taxation

  • 

    The Democrats Abroad Taxation Task Force (TTF) consists of volunteers researching U.S. tax policy as it affects Americans living outside the U.S. and considering, developing, and executing initiatives aimed at enacting reforms that resolve adverse impacts.

    We undertake research-based advocacy to describe the problems that U.S. taxation causes Americans abroad and to garner large-scale support for our reform recommendations.

    We call on the United States to tax based upon residency and source, exempting Americans abroad from FATCA reporting, and fixing the tax code to eliminate tax discrimination for Americans abroad.

    Our latest research on the tax filing and financial account reporting experience of Americans abroad was published in November 2022. Click here to download the report.

    Democrats Abroad has published a "laundry list" of tax code provisions that discriminate against Americans abroad - with accompanying reform recommendations on how to fix them. The list is here.

    We are committed to Residency Based Taxation as a remedy, requiring little effort by Congress, that addresses the vast majority of the tax problems faced by Americans abroad.

    Further, we will continue to promote:

    • the elimination of FATCA reporting for the accounts of Americans abroad,
    • the repeal of the Windfall Elimination Provision,
    • an exemption for American business owners abroad from the transition taxes in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and
    • a citizenship remedy for "accidental Americans".

    We support tax reforms that help reduce inequality, boost opportunity for all Americans and raise enough revenue, predominantly from those with the greatest ability to pay, to meet public needs.

    Democrats Abroad Taxation Task Force
    [email protected]

    Have you been impacted by Americans abroad tax and financial access issues and you'd like help?

    We want to hear your stories. Click here to tell us about the problems you've experienced. We especially want to hear from you if you've experienced any of the following problems:

    • Were unfairly double taxed on your income
    • Had a bank account closed on you for being a U.S. citizen in your country of residence
    • Refused to open or had a bank account closed in the U.S. due to not having a U.S. address
    • Asked to return the 2021 Child Tax Credit
    • Have been hit by the GILTI tax and/or Transition tax as a business owner

    Want to get involved?

    Looking for more information?

    Read more...

    News

    WE NEED YOUR HELP THIS WEEK. YOU CAN REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

    posted by |
    June 02, 2023

    The American Abroad Caucus will be hosting a Congressional lunch & learn on Americans abroad tax and financial access issues on June 14th, we'd like your help to get as many members of Congress to attend this meeting as possible. Unfortunately, it's not a public meeting, but it's a great opportunity to educate Congress on Americans abroad tax issues, and will get us one step closer to passing legislation that will provide the urgent relief we all need.

    This action will only take *20 minutes* and will greatly help us advance our advocacy goals!

    3 Steps:

    1. Find your House Representative's *AND* Senators' Washington D.C. office phone numbers

    • Click here and search for the last address you lived at in the U.S. (if you've never lived in the U.S., use the last address your American parent(s) lived).

    • Go to your House rep's and Senators' websites, and scroll to the bottom of the page, it should list the phone number for their Washington D.C. offices (it will start with (202) 225-xxxx and then have 4 digits for the extension).

    2. Call your House rep's and Senators' Washington D.C. office during office hours of 9-5 ET

    • If you don't have a usual method of calling the US, we recommend adding the minimum credit to a Skype account so you can call through any device connected to the Internet. This will greatly reduce your costs to make an international call.

    • When the receptionist answers the phone read the following script:

    Hi, my name is [insert your name here], I am a constituent living in [your country]. I heard that the Congressional American Abroad Caucus has sent your office an invitation to attend a Congressional lunch & learn on American abroad tax issues on Wednesday, June 14th. Can I please get the email address for the Congress[wo/man]'s/Senator's scheduler so I can check their availability to attend?

    • The person on the phone should then give you the email address for the scheduler, which is the person in charge of booking meetings for your Senator/House rep.

    • Note: If when you call, the phone goes to voicemail or no one answers, try again another time. If you call up to 3 times and you don't have any luck email us on [email protected] and we'll see if we can help.

    3. Email your House rep's/Senator's scheduler to request they attend the meeting

    Copy and paste this template email:

    TO: [scheduler's email]
    BCC: [email protected] (important you BCC Democrats Abroad on the email that you send so we're aware that you contacted that office)
    SUBJECT: Request for Congress[wo/man]/Senator [their name] to attend Congressional Lunch & Learn on June 14th

    Dear [name of scheduler],

    My name is [insert your name here], I am a constituent living in [your country]. I heard that the Congressional American Abroad Caucus has sent your office an invitation to attend a lunch & learn on American abroad tax issues on Wednesday, June 14th. I would really like my representative/senator to attend this meeting. Are they available to attend?

    It is very important to me as a constituent living abroad that my Congress[wo/man]/Senator attends this discussion to become educated on their overseas constituents. Many of the issues constituents living outside of the United States care about most are forgotten when legislation is drafted and this discussion will give Members of Congress an opportunity to ask questions and come up with practical solutions to fix the raft of issues constituents abroad face.

    Thanks,
    [your name]

    After you've sent the email, be sure to check and follow-up within a few days if you've not received a reply (which will only take 1-2 minutes of your time):

    • If you do not received a reply from the scheduler in 24-48 hours, send a follow up email asking if they received your email.

    • If the scheduler confirms that your Senator or House rep isn't available at that time, ask if it's possible for a member of staff from their office can attend in their place.

    • Once you receive a reply from the scheduler, either way, please forward the reply to [email protected] so Democrats Abroad knows who to expect to attend the meeting.

     

    That's it! Thank you so much for helping us with this very important work. If you have any questions on this tiny action, please email us at [email protected].

    Feel free to forward this email to anyone you think is interested in helping invite more House reps to this important meeting!

    Thanks,
    Rebecca Lammers
    Chair, DA Taxation Task Force

    Thank you so much for helping us with this very important work!

    • If you have any questions on this action, please email [email protected].

    • Feel free to forward this email to anyone you think is interested in advocating for the rights of Americans abroad!

    DA Global Taxation Tax Force
    https://www.democratsabroad.org/taxation

     

    read more

    Taxation Task Force Letter to Senate Finance Committee

    posted by | Chair Taxation Task Force, DAUK DPCA Rep
    April 24, 2023

    Below is a copy of the letter from Democrats Abroad submitted to the Senate Finance Committee in response to the report "Credit Suisse's Role In U.S. Tax Evasion Schemes" released on March 29, 2023.

    Click here to download a pdf of DA's letter in full.

     

    read more
    See all posts

    Upcoming Events

    Sunday, December 31, 2023 at 03:30 AM · $5.00 USD · 449 rsvps
    Zoom

    (RECORDING) How To Catch Up On Filing US Taxes From Abroad (Streamlined Filing)


    Are you a US or dual citizen and you just found out you're supposed to be filing a US tax return every year?

    Join us for this extra special Zoom webinar on how to catch up on filing US taxes as an American Abroad using the Streamlined Filing Procedure.

    WHEN: Wednesday, February 22nd from 3:30-4:30am EST view your time zone

    $10 General Admission / $5 Concessions. Recording available. All proceeds go to Democrats Abroad

    If you are unable to attend this event you can select the recording ticket option.

    Scroll to the bottom for tickets

    The aim of this event is to explain how to get caught up on your US taxes using the Streamlined Filing Procedure. Presented by Nathalie Goldstein from MyExpatTaxes. This event will explain the basics of how to file a US return for Americans abroad and what to do if you haven't been filing.

    This session is for Americans abroad/U.S. citizens/dual citizens/expats who:

    • Filed when you first moved abroad but haven't done it for a while and need to get back on top of filing
    • Haven’t filed since you moved abroad
    • Just moved abroad and don’t know how to start
    • Just learned you’re supposed to file and want to get caught up

    Topics discussed in the session will include:

    • How many years back do I have to file?
    • When is the tax filing deadline for Americans living outside the US?
    • How much do I need to earn to file?
    • Do I have to file if I'm retired?
    • How much do I have to earn in order to be double taxed?

    Attendees are asked to please pre-submit any questions you have by using this form. The more questions we get in advance, the better we can prepare and shape the program around the things you want to learn about the most!

    Please note, we can't guarantee we will be able to answer all questions submitted before, during, or after the event, but we will try to answer as many questions as possible. 

    Add event to calendar

    Apple Google Office 365 Outlook Outlook.com Yahoo

    Sign up to attend the other events in the Democrats Abroad Tax Webinar Series

    • Feb 15 - How To File The FBAR RSVP here
    • March 1 - Investing For Americans Abroad RSVP here
    • March 8 - Retirement & Taxes For Americans Abroad RSVP here

    The fine print:

    • No refunds are available.
    • We can't guarantee we will be able to answer all questions submitted before, during, or after the event, but we will try to answer as many questions as possible.
    • This event is closed to the press.

    Please click here to add yourself to the Democrats Abroad Taxation Task Force mailing list to keep up to date with the actions and upcoming events.

    Disclaimer: Democrats Abroad cannot provide individual tax advice. We are not tax lawyers, accountants or advisers. Please consult a professional tax adviser/accountant/return preparer when addressing your personal tax matters.

    We recommend the IRS Tax Return Preparer Directory to find a service provider who meets your needs and budget, though buyers need always beware. Democrats Abroad suggests Americans abroad in need of tax advice consult the IRS Tax Return Preparer Directory to find an advisor or tax return preparer near you or providing online services: https://irs.treasury.gov/rpo/rpo.jsf

    RSVP
    Sunday, December 31, 2023 at 03:30 AM · $5.00 USD · 625 rsvps
    Zoom

    (RECORDING) Investing For Americans Abroad


    Looking to invest but not able to find a brokerage account or worried about double taxation?

    Join us for a frank conversation on investing as an American abroad.

    WHEN: Wednesday, March 1st from 3:30-4:30am EST view your time zone

    $10 General Admission / $5 Concessions. Recording available. All proceeds go to Democrats Abroad

    If you are unable to attend this event you can select the recording ticket option.

    Scroll to the bottom for tickets

    The aim of this event is to cover topics of investing for Americans abroad. Presented by Robert Levitt of Levitt Capital Management. Please note, this session will focus on European Union regulations but will cover basic investing principles applicable anywhere.

    It is really difficult for Americans abroad and dual citizens (particularly in Europe) to find ways to invest their money in the country they live in as well as in the United States. We often feel like we're stuck in a rock and a hard place, unable to open an investment account in some cases and save for our futures. 

    This session is for Americans abroad/U.S. citizens/dual citizens/expats who want to learn about the investment options available for Americans abroad, particularly in Europe. 

    Topics discussed in the session will include:

    • What you can and cannot do with investments in Europe.
    • Types of accounts you can have, individual, retirement
    • How do you open a brokerage account if you are a US person living in Europe?
    • Do you need to keep a US address and phone number?
    • What is the difference between a European bank or brokerage firm versus an American one.
    • What are the concerns with investment in European packaged products (PFIC)
    • What are the concerns with investment in US investment products, such as ETFs (Mifid II)
    • Do individual countries have different savings programs? (ISA, PEA)

    Attendees are asked to please pre-submit any questions you have by using this form. The more questions we get in advance, the better we can prepare and shape the program around the things you want to learn about the most!

    Please note, we can't guarantee we will be able to answer all questions submitted before, during, or after the event, but we will try to answer as many questions as possible. 

    Add event to calendar

    Apple Google Office 365 Outlook Outlook.com Yahoo

    Sign up to attend the other events in the Democrats Abroad Tax Webinar Series

    • Feb 15 - How To File The FBAR RSVP here
    • Feb 22 - How To Catch Up On Filing US Taxes From Abroad RSVP here
    • March 8 - Retirement & Taxes For Americans Abroad RSVP here

    The fine print:

    • No refunds are available.
    • We can't guarantee we will be able to answer all questions submitted before, during, or after the event, but we will try to answer as many questions as possible.
    • This event is closed to the press.

    Please click here to add yourself to the Democrats Abroad Taxation Task Force mailing list to keep up to date with the actions and upcoming events.

    Disclaimer: Democrats Abroad cannot provide individual tax advice. We are not tax lawyers, accountants or advisers. Please consult a professional tax adviser/accountant/return preparer when addressing your personal tax matters.

    We recommend the IRS Tax Return Preparer Directory to find a service provider who meets your needs and budget, though buyers need always beware. Democrats Abroad suggests Americans abroad in need of tax advice consult the IRS Tax Return Preparer Directory to find an advisor or tax return preparer near you or providing online services: https://irs.treasury.gov/rpo/rpo.jsf

    RSVP
    See all events