The new Taxation Task Force has been hard at work behind the scenes for the last 3 months, and we're ready to share our plans for the rest of the year.
We have developed a 5 step plan that is aimed at helping us get legislative results for Americans abroad sooner rather than later.
Our tax (1) survey for Americans abroad launches on April 5th. We encourage all Americans abroad to complete the survey, to help us capture an up to date picture on what filing taxes from abroad looks like and how FATCA is impacting Americans abroad ability to bank. The survey serves two main purposes:
- To be used as an advocacy tool, to share up-to-date data with Congress with what's going on with Americans abroad and the tax and financial access issues we face.
- To help inform the Taxation Task Force what issues are impacting the most Americans abroad and causing the most pain. This will help us to (2) prioritize issues and to better inform our policymaking.
This is why it's SO important that ALL Americans abroad fill out the survey, so we hear from a wide range of views around the world, and so it better informs us of what you want the Taxation Task Force to do the most. The results of the survey will be analyze to create a report that will be shared on the Democrats Abroad website, with the Congressional American Abroad Caucus, and Members of Congress. The survey closes on April 30th, so be sure to fill out the survey before it closes.
Once we have analyzed the survey results, and compiled the report, we will present our findings and recommendations to the Democrats Abroad Executive Committee who will then sign off on and (3) approve policy.
With clear goals and a mandate from Americans abroad, we will then work to (4) develop an advocacy & Congressional outreach plan. This plan will include creating constituent groups - people who vote in the same congressional district. These constituent groups don't have to be large groups of people, 2-6 people per group is enough to make an impact. The TTF will provide a framework and support for these groups to guide them with reaching out to Members offices, arranging meetings, preparing briefing papers to share, and providing talking points to aid group members in conveying the challenges and urgency.
In parallel to constituent outreach, the TTF will continue to engage with Members of Congress on the Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees, the key tax writing committees, on introducing legislation.
With our new framework we will also reach out to other American abroad organizations, think tanks, and groups and organizations with common advocacy goals to (5) create a coalition of allies who back the same legislation and seek the same solutions for our common issues.
We are very excited to share this 5 step plan with the public and look forward to achieving legislative relief for Americans abroad tax and financial access issues sooner rather than later.
If you have any questions on the 5 step plan, please don't hesitate to reach out to the Taxation Task Force by emailing [email protected]