Congress is in the process of developing important, transformational policy that will strengthen communities and advance opportunities for all Americans. We Americans who live outside the United States must be included. Those in the best position to persuade Congress to do that are constituents, so we are zooming them together to talk about tax reform for Americans abroad.
Constituents Abroad Zoom Project
Democrats Abroad is organising zoom calls for 12 mission-critical members of Congress with their constituents living in places around the world, to talk about tax reform for Americans abroad.
The DA Taxation Task Force has been working for many years to outline the problems caused by the U.S. taxation of Americans living, working and already paying taxes in other countries. We have shared our research, presented our positions and outlined our reform recommendations in hundreds of meetings over time, waiting for a moment like this when legislation suited to accommodate our reforms - the infrastructure bill - is to be introduced. Fundamental elements of the legislation are being developed in the Ways & Means Committee during the next six weeks. Outreach at this time is critical.
Constituents are the keys that open doors, hearts, and minds to our issues
No data that our tax advocacy team has to offer can illustrate the burden the tax code places on us as well as the stories these members hear from Americans abroad who vote in their district.
We have selected 12 Ways and Means Committee members whose support is essential to getting our reforms included in 2021 legislation. To emphasize the importance of these reforms, we will host a conversation for them and their constituents abroad so share their expat tax stories. Members of Democrats Abroad who vote in their districts are being personally invited.
Constituents will demonstrate that although our lives have taken us abroad, we remain proud Americans. We value our U.S. citizenship. We vote. And we pay as much attention to U.S. politics and policy as the average citizen, if not more. We need Congress to understand who we are so that they can 1) provide relief from provisions in the U.S. tax code that discriminate against us and 2) strike a better balance in policy making between discouraging and apprehending tax cheats - which we strongly support - and caring for the welfare of ordinary Americans living abroad.
We need relief that only Congress can provide to eliminate double taxation, remove barriers to banking, saving and investing and simply filing from abroad. This project is a critical component of our strategy to persuade Congress to include tax reform for Americans abroad in legislation being enacted this year.
More information for constituents about the zoom events is here as a PDF file and here as a WORD Doc.
Questions? [email protected]