Proposed Publication: Letters From Americans Abroad To Their Congressmen and Women

Professor Ronald Dworkin was influential in understanding "equality". He defined "equality" to include that individual citizens were entitled to "equal concern and respect" of legislatures. Do #Americansabroad have any concern and respect from Congress? https://t.co/jY4LN2HsRa pic.twitter.com/D9qZN5yoU2

— SEATNow.org – Stop Extraterritorial American Tax (@SEATNow_org) August 16, 2022

The “Readers Digest” Version – SEAT Seeks Copies Of Your Letters To Your Congressman And Their (Non) Response In Order To Create A “Book Of Letters”

Background – People Have Been Writing Their Congressmen and Congresswomen: Americans abroad are constantly encouraged to send letters to their Congressmen and Congresswomen requesting changes to the US tax rules impacting Americans abroad. Thousands of individuals have sent letters. In almost all cases the responses are notable only in that they reflect little awareness, understanding or concern about the impact of citizenship taxation on the lives of Americans abroad. In short, the responses indicate that Congress doesn’t care.

Objective – To Create A Book Documenting The Letters Of Individuals And The Lack Of Response To Their Letters

In 2014 Patricia Moon, as part of a submission to the Senate Finance Committee, created a fantastic 192 page book which compiled certain comments of Americans abroad in Social Media channels. That book was an amazing “Message In A Bottle” which documented the horrors inflicted on Americans abroad. That book was intended to provide a “snapshot” of the lives of Americans abroad. It was not specifically for the purpose of documenting the “Cries For Help” that individuals have written to Congress. The purpose of this book is to document those letters expressing those “Cries For Help” and lack of response. Dworkin would say that citizens are entitled to the “equal concern and respect” of the legislatures. The responses to the letters from Americans abroad suggests that citizens abroad receive no concern or respect from Congress.

What We Are Asking You To Do:

1. Find your letters to your representatives and/or letters you have written to the Senate Finance Committee. Please prepare them in a word file (deleting your hame and address if you wish).

2. Find the response from from your representative. Please delete any information that identifies you.

3. Please email both attachments to: letters at seatnow dot org

Our goal is to create a book which documents the difficulty of motivating your Congressional Representatives to acknowledge, understand and respond to the issues facing US citizens who live permanently outside the United States.

“It’s not that Congress doesn’t care. It’s that Congress doesn’t care that it doesn’t care.”

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The treatment of Americans abroad by the United States Government continues to get worse and worse.

Although efforts to achieve legislative and/or regulatory relief for Americans abroad should be encouraged, it is perfectly clear that few members of Congress are aware of how FATCA and US citizenship taxation impacts individuals, their families and country of residence.

When it comes to Americans abroad (whether expats, emigrants or accidental Americans) it’s perfectly clear that Congress neither cares nor cares that it doesn’t care. In other words the plight of Americans abroad is totally irrelevant.

SEAT supports continued efforts to achieve legislative and/or regulatory relief and appreciates the efforts of those who do so.

The only long term solution is for the United States to move to residence-based taxation which means “severing citizenship from tax residency“.

The time is soon coming when it may be necessary to launch a CBT lawsuit against the appropriate branch(es) of the US government. At a minimum this will force the US government to acknowledge the complaints of Americans abroad and defend their unwillingness to consider those complaints.

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It is anticipated that any lawsuit will be based on multiple aspects of the problems. Of relevance to the problem is that Congress will not listen to, understand or respond to the concerns raised.

This is evident in the letters individuals have sent to their Congressional representatives and the (non) responses they have received.

Therefore, we propose to create a book which will compile a collection of the letters sent to Congress and responses received by their constituents.

The purpose is to provide clear evidence that when it comes to the plight of Americans abroad that:

“It’s not that Congress doesn’t care. It’s that Congress doesn’t care that it doesn’t care.”

Americans abroad clearly do NOT receive the equal concern and respect of Congress!

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Please participate as follows …

1. Find your letters to your representatives. Please prepare them in a word file (deleting your hame and address if you wish).

2. Find the response from from your representative. Please delete any information that identifies you.

3. Please email both attachments to: letters at seatnow dot org

Our goal is to create a book which documents the difficulty of motivating your Congressional Representatives to acknowledge, understand and respond to the issues facing US citizens who live permanently outside the United States.

Finally …

You may think that your letter and response is insignificant. It will certainly become significant when it is added to a large number of letters. Please participate. Our goal is to create a message that is far greater than the sum of the parts!!!

John Richardson – Follow SEAT on Twitter @SEATNOw_org