NPS Votes 2015: Elizabeth May urges the Canadian government to stop transfer of Canadians’ private banking information to US

(OTTAWA) – Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada (Saanich-Gulf Islands), issued a letter to Stephen Harper, urging him to extend the IRS deadline for Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act (FATCA).

“The private banking information of hundreds of thousands of Canadian citizens and permanent residents is set to be transferred by Canada Revenue Agency to the IRS on September 23, 2015. This is unacceptable.

“It is a breach of privacy and an attack on citizenship, sovereignty, and access to justice for the Canadian government to allow Canadian banks to send personal financial information of Canadian citizens to another country.

“The IRS is receptive to extension requests and has already granted extensions to other countries.

“I implore Mr. Harper to act now to protect the privacy of Canadian citizens.”