Dear Mr. President, please help us end the double taxation of Americans abroad

The letter below was delivered to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue earlier today.

Dear Mr. President,

First, we wanted to congratulate you for your 80th birthday! Millions of Americans abroad also look forward to joining you this year in celebrating the 250th birthday of a great nation created to protect the rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

In this historic moment, we thank you for your campaign pledge to end the unfair double taxation of Americans abroad – and ask you to make that campaign pledge a reality in this election year.

Patriotic Americans abroad still find ourselves shackled with unreasonable bureaucratic and financial burdens—just for living abroad. The toxic cocktail of double taxation, Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), and Foreign Bank Financial Accounts Report (FBAR) reporting obligations, combined with draconian penalties for non-compliance, has tragically already led more than 50,000 Americans to renounce their U.S. citizenship. Many others still pay thousands of dollars to accountants every year to comply with U.S. rules even though the vast majority never owe any U.S. tax at all.

The National Taxpayer Advocate and many others have repeatedly documented this injustice. Only one other country, Eritrea, imposes such an unfair tax and compliance burden on its citizens.

The good news: Congressman Darin LaHood responded to your pledge and has worked closely to draft the Residence-Based Taxation for Americans Abroad Act with our help. Since the bill was originally introduced in the 118th Congress, he and Senator Todd Young have been working hard to perfect the legislation and reintroduce it as fast as possible.

Where we need your help: Mr. President, we need your help to introduce a sense of urgency to pass this promised legislation. There is no good reason this needs to take another year.

We proud Americans abroad are a powerful force for promoting American interests internationally. We act as informal ambassadors who project our nation’s strength, values, and leadership around the globe. We help American businesses compete globally. Ending double taxation is long overdue. The Residence-Based Taxation for Americans Abroad Act will help us and American businesses and end the tragedy of Americans abroad renouncing their citizenship in order to be able to live normal lives.

Thank you for helping!

We stand ready to help you in any way we can.

Respectfully,

Brandon Mitchener, Executive Director, Tax Fairness for Americans Abroad (TFFAA)

Marc Zell, Chairman, Republicans Overseas Israel, TFFAA Board member

Doris Speer, President, Association of Americans Resident Overseas, TFFAA Board member

Pete Sepp, President, National Taxpayers Union, TFFAA Board member

Fabien Lehagre, President, Association of Accidental Americans, TFFAA Board member

Johanna Dishongh, US Liaison, Federation of American Women’s organizations Clubs Overseas (FAWCO), TFFAA Board member

Laura Snyder, President, Stop Extraterritorial American Taxation, TFFAA Board member

Jackson Cox, President, American Association of the Indo-Pacific, TFFAA Board member