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The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Sophia Har, Communications Director: sophia@jubileeusa.org / (o) (202) 783-3566 x101 (m) (651) 815-1818

Senate Budget Action Fails to Repeal Tax Transparency Law

WASHINGTON

Budget amendment SA 621, to repeal the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), failed to reach the the US Senate floor for a vote on Friday. FATCA was originally passed in 2010 to prevent corrupt activities and Americans from evading taxes abroad. The law requires foreign financial institutions to disclose financial information or face penalties.

"It's an unpopular idea to overturn existing tax transparency laws in the Senate," said Eric LeCompte, executive director of the financial reform organization Jubilee USA Network, which generated thousands of phone calls into the Senate in support of FATCA. "The lack of support for repealing FATCA shows how important anti-corruption legislation is to Congress."

Countries and financial institutions that sign FATCA compliance agreements with the US government agree to automatically share certain tax information. To date, over 77,000 banks and 80 countries have signed such agreements. In 2013, G8 leaders pledged to crack down on tax avoidance and improve transparency by working toward a global version of FATCA. The G20 that year agreed to automatically exchange information by the end of 2015 and called such exchange "the new standard." In 2014, 47 countries agreed to a global standard of information exchange developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

"FATCA is part of a global campaign for financial transparency," noted LeCompte.

Read more about FATCA.

Jubilee USA Network is an interfaith, non-profit alliance of religious, development and advocacy organizations. We are 75 U.S. institutions and more than 750 faith groups working across the United States and around the globe. We address the structural causes of poverty and inequality in our communities and countries around the world.

(202) 783-3566