ACA Welcomes Statement from Vice President Harris on Issues Affecting U.S. Citizens Living Overseas.

American Citizens Abroad (ACA), a non-profit, non-partisan association welcomes Vice President Harris’ recognition of the unique challenges faced by Americans living overseas and her commitment to work in partnership with the community to address these issues if elected President. 

In a letter addressed to Americans abroad Vice President Harris Letter to Americans Abroad - Democrats Abroad , Vice President Harris stated that she takes the concerns of U.S. citizens overseas seriously, "whether it's improving access to consular services, addressing the complex challenges you face with banking, taxation, and financial services, or ensuring equal treatment in immigration and citizenship processes."

A serious issue for the 5 to 6 million U.S. citizens living overseas is tax policy. For over 20 years, ACA has been advocating for the adoption of residence-based taxation (RBT) which addresses this issue. “As stated previously, it’s important for both major party candidates seeking the presidency and Members of Congress to commit to a tax policy that treats hard working Americans overseas fairly,” said Marylouise Serrato, ACA Executive Director.  “While often overlooked by U.S. policymakers, Americans overseas represent an engaged and informed voting block of over 5 million strong. We look forward to working with the next Administration to address these important issues,” added Jonathan Lachowitz, ACA Chairman.

ACA was recently quoted in the media stating that, "Often, the compliance costs for filing tax returns can far exceed the actual taxes that Americans owe. … It makes it very difficult and complex to file, and it also limits the ability of a lot of Americans to invest and live when they’re overseas."

Previous bipartisan support and concrete policy proposals demonstrate there is a path forward for addressing this issue. ACA is well-positioned to advocate for RBT and will continue to educate and inform policymakers on its benefits. Headquartered in Washington, DC, ACA, through its political action committee, is a registered lobbyist. For those interested to know more or join ACA in this effort, please visit:  Join/Renew - American Citizens Abroad

Contact: Marylouise Serrato +1 (202) 322-8441 marylouise.serrato@americansabroad.org