Policymakers in New Zealand are working on “enabling” legislation to comply with the latest addition to the sprawling U.S. tax regime, which authorities there admit would likely conflict with the nation’s Bill of Rights, the Human Rights Act, privacy rights, anti-discrimination protections, and more. Around the world, the trends are similar, with individual rights in government crosshairs owing to FATCA. However, outrage over the draconian U.S. tax scheme is escalating quickly as well.
The above is part of the article New U.S. Tax Law Trampling Rights in New Zealand and Beyond in the New American.
New Zealand is introducing “enabling” legislation to allow FATCA to trample individual rights.
Analysts say it appears that policymakers are hoping to get the regime in place before anybody notices and a massive
public outcry kills it.
Unfortunately, for our friends in New Zealand, I think there is even less awareness than there is in Canada. However, the author concludes:
Outrage is building — and analysts say the effort to stop the new out-of-control regime is likely just getting started.