Thanks very much, PatCanadian, for doing this interview!
Vancouver Sun: Metro Vancouver Woman Joins Movement to Drop US Citizenship
The author, Douglas Todd made contact with Pat, due to Pat having contacted the Vancouver Sun regarding their coverage of FATCA/US tax policy on Canadians. He also asked Pat if she could help him get in touch with other people affected by this – several other Sandboxers/Brockers have – and also at the end of the article asks people to get in touch with him.
I’m wondering (hoping!) that’s because he plans to do more coverage of this important issue. It’s a complex issue with several, if not many, facets. If you’d like to share your story, or general information about the issue, and/or suggest another article focusing on a specific aspect/s of the problem, it may well be worth getting in touch with him.
You can’t relinquish by mail. By becoming a Canadian citizen she has to say she intended to give up us citizenship. Simple. No intimidation,no cost and she’ll likely have the cln within six months. I went in to renounce but was steered more towards relinquishing. No problem as I left with my money still in my pocket. No name on list this way either. I think high numbers of renunciations look bad so they prefer relinquishments as they don’ publish those numbers I think
I didn’t relinquish by mail. I made an appointment and went in to the US Consulate in Vancouver in person. They sent papers to Washington. The columnist did not paraphrase this correctly and I have sent him an email to correct this.
In the meantime, everyone needs to contact the US Consulate, usually by email, to make an appointment in person for relinquishment or renunciation.
@DiHarv,
Here’s a list of which departments get copy of each approved CLN from DOS:
(1) US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS);
(2) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI);
(3) Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Dept of State Manual for Inter-Agency Coordination, 7 FAM 1241 http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/113465.pdf
(1) USCIS. I don’t know if USCIS publishes a public list.
(2) FBI. The FBI publishes a monthly list, which only includes renunciants. It lists the number of people but not names. In this post, “FBI Statistics Say Three Thousand Renounced US Citizenship in September and October 2012,” Eric gives the legislative background on why this list only includes renunciants. http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2013/02/09/fbi-statistics-say-three-thousand-renounced-u-s-citizenship-in-september-and-october-2012/ ]
(3) IRS. The IRS publishes a quarterly list, which includes renunciants and relinquishers. It lists the number of people and the names.
26 USC s. 6039G (d)(3)
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/6039G
UPDATE: Re (3) AnonAnon made an important correction and addition in an above comment
I sent Mr. Todd an email.
No reply yet.
Thank you for contacting them, Artic. Douglas Todd has indicated that the Vancouver Sun editors may have interest in doing more FATCA coverage from a fresh angle. We may be in touch with them to do something further in the future. In the meantime, the columnist says “Pat is one of a half dozen people who have contacted the Vancouver Sun over the issue but none were prepared to be quoted unless granted anonymity….” They used my story as the example of people impacted by the US tax issue. I was basically anonymous but I am local as well. Would you mind letting me know if you are from BC?
@ Pat
I live in BC, but not near Vancouver.
@PatCanadian, thank you for putting yourself out there and doing the interview, I hope it’s an eye opener for people – who might finally realize that it’s every day Canadians who are affected by this travesty. You came across very well. Congrats!
@Pacifica777, strictly speaking, it is the Secretary of the Treasury, not the IRS, who publishes the quarterly list in the Federal Register. Also, we know that the list is notoriously incomplete and inaccurate. So rather than saying “It lists the number of people and the names.”, I would say “It lists a number of people and some names. Both the number and some of the names are frequently erroneous.”
@AnonAnon, Good clarifications. Thanks. I put a link to your comment in my original comment.
BTW, what I meant to convey was they release the number of people they’ve named on a given quarter’s particular list, not that the number or names are accurate. I was just listing lists, but that’s a good point to bring up.
Personally, I don’t give a hoot whether they publish my name or not.
I am not going to look for my name on any list.
I have filed my terminal returns, and am leaving it at that.