THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
American Citizens Abroad (ACA) has written again to Congressional leadership and the US State Department asking them to provide clarification on how American taxpayers living and working overseas can avail themselves of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.
ACA previously sent letters on April 12 and May 18 stating that, since Americans resident overseas are subject to the same US taxation requirements as US stateside residents, they should have access to the same healthcare opportunities, including free and expedited access to vaccines developed against Covid-19.
ACA has asked for clarification from the US Government and US State Department on opportunities that Americans may have for vaccinations at US Embassies and Consulates in their countries of residence in light of the Biden Administration’s promise to vaccine all Americans and most recently the Administration’s decision to make available 80 million doses of surplus vaccinations to foreign countries by the end of June.
“The U.S. State Department last month reported that it had already shipped doses to embassies and consulates in 220 locations worldwide to vaccinate its own diplomats and other employees, and the same access should be made available to US taxpayer residents,” said Jonathan Lachowitz, ACA Chairman.
ACA’s letter suggests that vaccinations could be provided through US Embassies and Consulates. President Biden’s press secretary Jen Psaki said the US government had not “historically provided private health care for Americans living overseas, so that remains our policy,” however representatives from the US State Department have contacted ACA indicating that they are looking into the issue.
Marylouise Serrato, ACA Executive Director, said: “The issue has picked up media attention and it once again highlights the inherent problems associated with a system of taxing US citizens on their income earned overseas even when they are already paying taxes in the foreign jurisdiction in which they live and work.”
ACA’s website www.americansabroad.org highlights numerous areas where US tax policy and government programs are not designed to meet the needs of Americans who live and work overseas; from the inability to create IRS online accounts, the loss of US Social Security Benefits due to the Windfall Elimination Provision, the inability to easily access taxpayer funded government agencies and programs, the list is long. “One simple way forward is to join the rest of the world and adopt. RBT would tax Americans overseas on the income they earn in the United States but would not tax them on the income they earn overseas in the country of their foreign residency where it is already taxed,” said Serrato. “RBT can be done without costing the government revenue, without creating loop-holes for tax evasion and without making anyone else worse off,” she added.
ACA is a non-profit, non-partisan exempt organization representing the millions of Americans that live and work overseas, particularly on the subject of Residence-based taxation (RBT).
