SEAT Working Papers Series - Extraterritorial Taxation #7: Unlocking the Complexities and Discrimination of Citizenship Taxation Laws

January 31, 2024 - Participants include:

 

Dr. Karen Alpert - @FixTheTaxTreaty

Dr. Laura Snyder - @TAPInternation

John Richardson - @Expatriationlaw

The purpose of SEAT has been and continues to be to conduct research (including the SEAT survey), prepare position papers, make submissions by SEAT to various governments, facilitate advocacy by individuals impacted, file amicus briefs and provide a centre for educating interested parties about the U.S. extra-territorial tax regime. (SEAT's work may be found on the SEAT website.)

SEAT believes that the problems caused to Americans abroad by the U.S. extraterritorial tax regime can be ended ONLY by severing citizenship from tax residency. We encourage the United States to join the rest of the world by taxing individuals on the basis of residence and source and NOT based on the citizenship of an individual.

Part of SEAT's work has been break our research into specific issues and categories. These categories are expressed as "SEAT Working Papers". In order to make the "SEAT Working Papers" available in podcast form, SEAT co-founders Karen Alpert, Laura Snyder and John Richardson are developing a series of podcasts - featuring interactive discussion - where we distill the "working paper" into conversational format. It is our hope that these podcasts will make SEAT's content available to a larger group of people.

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SEAT Working Paper Series #2023/7 Extraterritorial Taxation #7: Inherently Suspect

The U.S. extraterritorial tax system is subject to strict scrutiny – the highest level of equal protection scrutiny. As such, it is “inherently suspect,” in violation of 14th Amendment equal protection.

Available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4465558.

The following description has been generated by AI ...

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Welcome to Episode 7, a pivotal part of our comprehensive dialogue on citizenship taxation, hosted by John Richardson. In this enlightening episode, we delve deep into the law of equal protection and examine how citizenship taxation interplays with this fundamental principle.

Our conversation focuses on the role of nationality, race, and alienage in deciphering whether laws exhibit prejudice and antipathy. Laura brings forth critically acclaimed cases that throw light on why discrimination based on nationality and the country of origin is deemed unlawful without a strong justification. The episode further scrutinizes the U.S. Extraterritorial Tax System's potential bias effects depending on an individual's nationality.

Sit back and join us as we explore the law's specific terms, the pressing government interests, and the dissimilarities between a general assumption of equality and concrete reasons justifying the present situation. Listen in for a better comprehension of inherently suspect laws, including nationality-based discrimination.

This academic discussion dissects historical rulings and current opinions about citizenship-based taxation from various courts of justice, including the Supreme Court of Canada and the Federal Court of Canada. We also probe into how citizenship-based taxation transformed from a mere prerequisite for employment eligibility into a governmental tool for behavior control.

Moreover, we examine how taxation, a topic primarily associated with revenue generation, intertwines with justice, fairness, and societal organization. Finally, we touch on the controversy surrounding nationality-based taxes in the US and the financial implications of the American extraterritorial taxation policy on overseas American citizens, stimulating thoughts on a need for policy reform.