On April 7, 2021, the Association of Americans Resident Overseas submitted its comments to the Senate Finance Committee, in response to the committee's review of U.S. international tax policy, and its impact on American workers. 

Below, AARO's comments in full, as written by AARO president William Jordan; AARO vice president for advocacy Fred Einbinder; and AARO banking committee chair Paul Atkinson.

While some cities, countries and jurisdictions are beginning to relax their lockdown rules somewhat, travel bans and other restrictions continue to prevent many people from being able to meet up in anything like the way they would have in the days before the global Covid pandemic took hold last year...

(...But FATCA not directly to blame)

For more than a decade, American expats have reported finding it difficult to obtain or maintain a non-U.S. bank account while living overseas, usually owing to the banks' reluctance to have to comply with the 2010 tax evasion-prevention law known as FATCA. But a new survey confirms something many have also been saying: That even U.S. banks often don't want U.S. expat clients either.

A survey of more than 400 U.S. expats has found that more than a third, or 34%, have considered renouncing their U.S. citizenships, with those saying they've considered it most often citing "issues" having to do with U.S. brokerage accounts as well U.S. and local banking issues as their main reasons.

American citizens who are resident overseas, and who would like a chance to help to make the U.S. Internal Revenue Service better and more accountable to taxpayers, are now being invited to apply for the soon-to-be-vacated international seat on the IRS's Taxpayer Advocacy Panel.

A survey of more than 400 U.S. expats has found that FATCA, banking/investment and retirement account issues, and issues having to do with tax generally are their top three concerns.

But perhaps surprisingly, "lack of representation in Congress" came in a strong contender in fourth place, and in total, 93% of those surveyed said they "do not feel they are fairly represented in Congress," according to the Association of Americans Resident Overseas, which carried out the research last October and November.

American citizens who are resident overseas, and who would like a chance to make the American Internal Revenue Service better and more accountable to taxpayers, may wish to consider applying for the soon-to-be-vacated only international seat on the IRS's Taxpayer Advocacy Panel, currently held by suburban Paris-based Laura Snyder.

Today, Jan. 20, is Inauguration Day in Washington, D.C., when Joe Biden is due to be sworn in as the next president of the U.S.

Here, William Jordan, president of the Paris-based Association of Americans Resident Overseas – and for 30 years, until recently, a U.S. Foreign Service officer, who served in such places as Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and Algiers, Algeria  – welcomes the new administration, and pledges AARO's willingness and commitment to working with Biden and vice president Kamala Harris, "on behalf of overseas Americans"...

The Association of Americans Resident Overseas, a Paris-based, volunteer-run advocacy organization, says it’s requesting “input” from Americans around the world “on the vital issues facing you as Americans overseas”.

William Jordan, a retired U.S. Foreign Service officer who has lived outside of the U.S. for 27 of the past 39 years, has succeeded Neil Kearney as president of the Paris-based Association of Americans Resident Overseas.