Monthly Archives: November 2023

Americans Abroad Aren’t Denouncing Because They Want To. They Are Renouncing Because They Feel They Have To

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Introduction/background:

Denunciation of U.S. Citizenship – From the perspective from a U.S. Senator

Renunciation of U.S. Citizenship – From the perspective of a U.S. journalist

It’s hard to have a discussion about why Americans abroad are renouncing U.S. citizenship. There are many different perspectives about renunciation. There is very little “shared reality”. Tax academics (who have the resources to know better), “pensioned intellectuals”, politicians and most journalists see this from a “U.S. resident perspective”. They don’t understand the reality of the lives of Americans abroad. But, Americans abroad are NOT a monolith. The ONLY thing they have in common is that they live outside the United States. Their circumstances vary widely. There is little “shared reality” among Americans abroad of what the issues are. AT the risk of oversimplification, I have attempted to divide “Americans abroad” into four categories (as defined below). The categorization will explain why different groups of “Americans abroad” experience the U.S. extra-territorial tax regime differently.

Hint: Americans abroad aren’t renouncing U.S. citizenship because they want to. They are renouncing U.S. citizenship because they feel they have to.

Politicians, tax academics, “pensioned intellectuals” and many journalists deal in the world of opinions. The opinions they hold are often “myths”. They are not “facts”. They are entitled to their opinions (as misguided and ignorant as they may be). They are NOT entitled to their “facts”.

This post is to describe the facts about how the extra-territorial application of the Internal Revenue Code and the Bank Secrecy Act pressure many Americans abroad to renounce U.S. citizenship. Interestingly a large percentage of those renouncing owe ZERO taxes to the U.S. government. They renounce anyway!

First, a bit of background to the problem – what is the problem and who is affected?

They do NOT meet the test of being “nonresident aliens” under the Internal Revenue Code

As SEAT cofounder, Dr. Laura Snyder explains, in the first of her 16 “working papers” describing the problems of Americans abroad:

The people most affected by the U.S. extraterritorial tax system are not a monolithic group. Some left the United States recently, some left years or decades ago. Some left as adults (some young, some middle-aged, and some retirees), while others left as children (with their families), and some have never lived in the United States (they are U.S. citizens by virtue of the U.S. citizenship of at least one parent). Some intend to live in the United States (again) in the near or distant future, while others do not intend to ever live in the United States (again). Some identify as Americans while others do not. Many are also citizens of the country where they live (dual citizens) while others hold triple or even quadruple citizenships. In referring to this group, there is no one term that sufficiently reflects its full diversity. What unites them is that they do not meet the test of “nonresident alien” under the Internal Revenue Code. Depending upon the context, this series of papers will use terms such as “persons,” “individuals,” “affected individuals,” and “overseas Americans.” The latter term has a drawback, however: it emphasizes connections to the United States while minimizing the important connections that such persons have to the countries and communities where they live.

That said, what divides Americans abroad may be greater than what unites Americans abroad!

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Canada’s Underused Housing Tax May Violate The Non-discrimination Clause In Tax Treaties

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Purpose and summary of this post:

Because Canada’s Underused Housing Tax treats nonresidents of Canada differently, based on their citizenship, the tax may violate the non-discrimination Article in many of Canada’s tax treaties (including the Canada U.S. tax treaty). Nonresidents of Canada are treated differently depending on whether or not they are Canadian citizens. For example a Canadian citizen who is a nonresident of Canada is “excluded” from the tax. But, a U.S. citizen who is a nonresident of Canada is “affected” by the tax. This appears to violate paragraph 1 of Article XXV of the Canada U.S. tax treaty (and other Canadian tax treaties).

Paragraph 1 of Article XXV of the Canada U.S. tax treaty:

1. Nationals of a Contracting State shall not be subjected in the other Contracting State to any taxation or any requirement connected therewith that is more burdensome than the taxation and connected requirements to which nationals of that other State in the same circumstances, particularly with respect to taxation on worldwide income, are or may be subjected. This provision shall also apply to individuals who are not residents of one or both of the Contracting States.

The question is what is meant by “in the same circumstances”. Relevant commentary from the OECD and from U.S. Treasury underscores that the words “particularly with respect to taxation on worldwide income” include whether the individual is taxed as a tax resident of the country or as a nonresident of the country.

Arguably all “nonresidents” of Canada are “in the same circumstances” (in relation to Canada’s tax system). Hence, “nonresidents” should not be treated differently depending on their citizenship.

Discussion and analysis follows.

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Introduction – The Hypocrisy Of Representative Brian Higgins Continues

“Good Americans should NOT have a Canadian tax imposed on them!”

This is a recent statement from Congressman Brian Higgins. Click on the following tweet to listen to a recent interview with the Congressman.

The background …

As discussed here, Canada has a number of “Vacant Home Taxes“. Canada’s Underused Housing Tax is taxation based on citizenship and/or immigration status. (It is NOT based on “tax residency” and “tax residency” is irrelevant.) Notably the United States is the only major country in the world that makes citizenship and/or immigration status a sufficient condition for “tax residency”. In fact the United States imposes worldwide taxation and FATCA compliance on a approximately one million Canadian residents. Nevertheless, Congressman Higgins is certain of the injustice of Canada’s imposition of a citizenship based tax on U.S. residents. (The fact that the tax is based on property located in Canada appears to him to be irrelevant.) Furthermore, he seems intent on NOT acknowledging that:

“Good Canadians should not have an American tax imposed on them”.

Apparently what’s okay for the USA is somehow not okay for Canada.

But, hypocrisy aside …

Congressman Higgins’s objections hopefully will generate a discussion of the injustice of citizenship taxation generally. While ignoring the fact that the U.S. citizenship tax regime imposes direct U.S. taxation on the Canadian source income of millions of Canadian residents, Congressman Higgins is certain that Canada’s tax (which affects at most a few thousand Americans) violates the U.S. Canada tax treaty. In other words, Congressman Higgins’s hypocritical position appears to include:

“Only the United States has the right to impose taxation on the residents of other countries under the principle of citizenship taxation“.

In the spirit of affirming that Canada’s citizenship tax on Americans is in violation of the principle that only the United States has the right to engage in citizenship taxation, Congressman Higgins appeared as a witness before a Canadian Parliamentary Committee to discuss Canada’s Underused Housing Tax. The hearing took place in June 2023. During the hearing he raised the spectre of two possible legal challenges to Canada’s threat to the (presumptive) U.S. monopoly on citizenship taxation. The claim that Canada’s Underused Housing Tax violates the “non-discrimination” Article of the Canada U.S. tax treaty (and other Canadian tax treaties) is the subject of this post.

Food for thought:

The non-discrimination clause in the standard tax treaties suggests that certain kinds of citizenship taxation may be inappropriate. (How this reality bears on the question of U.S. citizenship taxation generally will be the subject of a separate post.)

Outline:

Part A – About Canada’s Underused Housing Tax
Part B – Representative Brian Higgins June 5, 2023 testimony to Canadian Parliamentary Committee – Includes “potential violations”
Part C – Thinking about the “non-discrimination” clause – A basic analysis
Part D – What does U.S. Treasury’s Technical Explanation suggest?
Part E – What about Canadian tax treaties with other countries? – Considering the Canada UK treaty
Part F – Appendixes – Various Tax Treaties

Part A – About Canada’s Underused Housing Tax

The statute and regulations are here. S. 2 of the statute deems certain individuals to be “excluded owners” of residential property. Those “excluded” from the application of the Act are defined to include:

(b) an individual who is a citizen or permanent resident, except to the extent that the individual is an owner of the residential property in their capacity as a trustee of a trust (other than a personal representative in respect of a deceased individual) or as a partner of a partnership;

To put it simply: Canadian “citizens” and those with the legal status of being “permanent residents” of Canada are excluded from the application of the statute. They are not subject to the tax. Those who are NEITHER Canadian citizens NOR permanent residents of Canada are (depending on the occupancy of the property) subject to the tax. This means that (in general) U.S. citizens, living in the United States, are subject (as”affected” owners) to the statute and may (depending on the occupancy of the property) be required to pay the tax.

To simplify the application of the law:

Canadian citizens and permanent resident owners (regardless of whether they are tax residents of Canada) are not subject to the tax.

U.S. citizens (who are neither Canadian citizens nor permanent residents) are subject to the tax.

To simplify the context:

Imagine four neighbors living in Buffalo, New York. They all drive Ford trucks. They all drink Budweisers. They all watch the Buffalo Bills on Sundays. They all work for the same company. They all file taxes jointly with their spouses. They all own seasonal homes (in their names only) located in Fort Erie Ontario, Canada (where they become “neighbours” instead of “neighbors”. Interestingly and completely arbitrarily, Canada’s Underused Housing Tax may or may apply to them. Let’s see how the tax might affect each of them.

Neighbor 1: Neither a Canadian citizen nor permanent resident of Canada – subject to the tax

Neighbor 2: A dual citizen of Canada and the United States – NOT subject to the tax

Neighbor 3: A U.K, citizen who has the legal status of “permanent resident” of Canada, but also a U.S. Green Card holder – NOT subject to the tax

Neighbor 4: A U.K. citizen living in the United States on an L visa – subject to the tax.

Notice that all four of these neighbors live in Buffalo, New York and are NOT tax residents of Canada. Neighbor 2 (Canadian citizen) and Neighbor 3 (permanent resident of Canada) are NOT subject to the tax. Neighbors 1 and 4 (neither Canadian citizens nor permanent residents of Canada are subject to the tax).

Part B – Representative Brian Higgins June 5, 2023 testimony to Canadian Parliamentary Committee – Includes “potential violations”

Excerpt from his testimony:

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