Joey Pinz Discipline Conversations

#859 Gabriel Morrow: ⚖️ Fighting the System: One Man’s Tax Battle

• Joey Pinz • Episode 859

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🌍 What happens when a “normal guy” takes on a complex system—and refuses to back down?

In this compelling episode, Joey Pinz sits down with Gabriel Morrow, a U.S. expat living in Canada, who shares his ongoing battle navigating IRS complications while living abroad. What started as a simple tax issue quickly evolved into a deeper fight—raising questions about fairness, transparency, and how systems impact everyday people. 

Gabriel opens up about moving from Tennessee to Ontario, building a life with his wife, and unexpectedly becoming an advocate for millions of Americans living overseas. His story blends persistence, faith, and a willingness to challenge the status quo—even when answers are hard to find.

🔥 Top 3 Highlights:

  • ⚖️ A real-world look at expat tax challenges most people don’t understand 
  • 🌍 The emotional and financial realities of moving abroad 
  • 💡 Why asking for help can change everything 

This episode is about resilience, standing firm in your beliefs, and pushing forward—even when the system feels stacked against you.

 

 

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SPEAKER_01

Gabriel Morrow. Very interesting conversation with Gabriel. He's from Tennessee. He uh moved to Ontario, Canada, has a big uh issue uh and is fighting for expats that have to file uh US taxes in other countries. And uh he had some complications there, some issues there. Very interesting conversations. He had some uh very interesting conversation with him and kind of his fight to get there to where he is. Um he has something very, very common uh in common with the Pope. I wonder what you think that is. But very discussion, very great discussion with Gabriel. He uh he's intriguing, he wants to fight for what he he believes in. Uh, and uh I was I was comforted and surprised by a lot of his answers and where he is now. The conversation did get cut off uh at one particular point. He had a he had a family emergency he had to run off to. Uh, but still, I I think there's some uh um I really enjoyed the discussion with him and uh his feedback and and learning from others. Thank you, Gabriel, and thank you for watching and listening. Hi, I'm Joey Pins, and here's my 45-second introduction. After starting my business in the 90s, I started developing poor habits of eating in my diet because of working way too much. Before you know it, I found myself 340 pounds. The doctor told me if I don't lose the weight, I'm not gonna see my daughter graduate. Took the next seven months, lost 130 pounds. People think there's some secret. Ask me, how'd you lose that weight? Like there's some secret. There is no secret. How'd I lose the weight? Just one word discipline. I've had other successes in life, and I attribute them all to discipline. Now I'm not the king of discipline, but I believe that it can help all of us. Friends, colleagues convinced me to start a podcast. The podcast mission, how do we better ourselves and society? I talked to interesting people in health, fitness, sport, wellness, business, technology, science, art and culture. And I eventually asked them how discipline plays a role in their life. Podcast Vision, growth through learning from others. Be yourself, Gabriel Merrill. Dick Morrow, thank you so much for your your time today. I'm very excited to talk to you. You're in Ontario, Canada now. What do you miss most about Tennessee?

SPEAKER_02

I mean, I I do miss my family somewhat. I mean, I'll admit I've had a crazy, crazy issues with them, but I do miss them.

SPEAKER_01

Mostly family?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. I also do miss uh, well, there's a little restaurant of that sells French fries in Tennessee. Central Park's the name of it in Cleveland, Tennessee. I definitely miss that. Believe it or not. I mean, they made some of the best French fries I've ever eaten, so next time I go there, I'm gonna get some.

SPEAKER_01

But this fast-paced MSP landscape. How do you stay ahead? Introducing MSP Influencer.com, your ultimate hub for MSP news, insights, and community connection powered by Forza Dash. More than 75,000 MSP subscribed to our MSP Influencer Alt Weekly newsletter. Staying informed and ahead of MSP trash. Offer insight, MSP, X, MSP, Fort, MSP, MSP, MSP, 2000. MSP Insport.com to grow their business and expand their network. MSP Insports.com, where today's MSP leaders connect, collaborate, and conquer. All powered by the Fort platform, helping MSP vendors work effectively with MSPs and helping MSPs grow. Well, you're up there in Ontario, they just put gravy on their French fries. They call it something else, poutine. But uh, do you like it that? Do you like that?

SPEAKER_02

Um I mean, I've tried it before. It's not really my preferred way of eating wise, but I mean everybody's different. I mean, a lot of people here like it. I I think uh one of the biggest surprises that I've noticed from moving here is that everybody loves ketchup. For some reason, I think Canadians eat more. I think my wife eats more ketchup than my entire family in the States does. I mean, I'm not saying that to say anything bad about her. I'm just as an example.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, they like for and they put vinegar on their French fries too, white vinegar sometimes.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I mean, I don't know about that. I know they do uh ketchup chips and vinegar chips and ketchup chips, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, yeah. And now you miss your family, but you've made a new family there. Tell me you you I think it was like you got married, it was Valentine's Day, and then her birthday, I believe, all in the same week.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it's a heck of a week, you could say.

SPEAKER_01

Tell me about it.

SPEAKER_02

Well, let's see. Uh we got married on February the 12th of 2020. February the 13th is her birthday. February the 14th is Valentine's Day, so that's a little bit of an interesting week.

SPEAKER_01

Very interesting, I would say. Some big big changes there in your life. Good for you. Yeah. So that was six years ago. So why did you move from Tennessee?

SPEAKER_02

Well, I moved to from Tennessee. I mean, we talk about like uh your show's mostly about like responsibility or whatever it is. I I can't remember the term you use, but I mean I originally moved to Tennessee because of money reasons. Mainly I wanted to move with my wife, and moving to the states is a little bit harder to do from a financial standpoint than moving to Canada, especially with if you go on the spouse route, you have to have certain proof of income. Medical also becomes a factor. If you move to Canada, the government of Canada takes care of most of your medical expenses. It's not the case if you move to the states, you have to pay medical and stuff, so there's a it was just financially easier to move to Canada.

SPEAKER_01

So you made the financial decision to move there. You got married there when you moved there, because you weren't married before you got there, correct? You said in February.

SPEAKER_02

Well, I got married in February of 2020 and I stayed in the States for a little while. I didn't mail in the application for moving to the to move to Canada and stuff. But I basically uh I stayed in Canada for the most part, or in the States for the most part, until September of 2020 when I basically came back to Canada with my wife. And I basically stayed there permanently at the time. I got permanent residency in 2021, January of 2021.

SPEAKER_01

Something pretty big happened a couple of months after that, um, in the whole world.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, as well. Big stuff happened in March of 2020, right? Not long after I got married. It was probably big things happened March March 15th or so of 2020, whenever COVID hit. Tell me what that was like technically. I mean, I was in Cleveland, Tennessee for a part of it. I mean, I was working at my prior job at Walmart and stuff at that time. And uh at the time, I mean, we had the mask mandates, we had uh everything that you typically see, but at the time uh it wasn't that big of a deal initially. I mean, I just kept working. I mean I kind of uh didn't see the virus as a big deal, I or whatever, it didn't really change the way I acted for the most part. Um then uh a few months later I took a leave of absence from Walmart because they had that option. And I continued onward to uh my wife came down from the Canada at that stage and we moved on from there and just continued to go uh she after she came back down to from Canada, I basically stayed here with her for a while, and then whenever she went back to Canada, I went with her and stayed in Canada ever since then pretty much. And now it's home for you.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, it's basically my home now. So why stay there? What what what is your you have a very big issue right now. Who what's happening, why you're staying there, why you're not coming back to the states, correct?

SPEAKER_02

Well, I mean, I'm not against coming back to the states. One of the big reasons I stay here is because my wife's here. I can't really move her to the states right now. I don't have the money for that. Financially, it's a it's time consuming and there's a lot of hassle there. So that's one reason I'm staying here. The other reason, of course, is the situation with the IRS. I know once the media starts covering it, it's going to be a big, big thing. But right now, the mainstream media has largely been ignoring it for the time being. Ignoring what exactly, Gabriel?

SPEAKER_01

Tell me what the issue is.

SPEAKER_02

Well, they've been ignoring uh several things. I mean, one of them like that usage of that low-income tax clinic outside the United States. I'm the only taxpayer to have used one outside the United States.

SPEAKER_01

I'm sorry, I don't I don't know what you mean. Explain. Let's deep dive into that. What the what now?

SPEAKER_02

The low income tax clinic.

SPEAKER_01

The low income tax clinic.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, that's one thing that the mainstream media is ignoring. And what is it? Well, I know you know a bit about how bad the tax code is for Americans abroad from your prior chat with Anthony. I'm pretty sure you know that. But I used a legal loophole to help with my taxes because uh in 2021, it helps go back to 2021 to understand it. Because in 2021, I moved to Canada and I'd go about following my 2020 return here in Canada, and I had wages from the states and unemployment income, things like that. So I was expecting a refund, okay? Now, no refund came in 2021, so I just assumed it got lost in the mail. I mean, mail service international was delayed because they had so many COVID restrictions. I mean, it took six months to get a letter that should have taken two weeks pre-COVID. So mail was a total disaster. So I'm like, it's lost in the mail. I'm not gonna deal with it. Nobody wants to call the IRS in 2021 with the long wait times on the phone stuff. So I'm like, it ain't worth it. It's only $1,800, is what I was thinking at the time. So I just put it in the backbone and didn't think about it. But unbeknownst to me, there was two problems with the tax return that year. One, they flagged it as possible I didn't need theft refund fraud because someone was they had seen a return where I was trying to mail my return to Canada, which and before that it was always direct deposited. So their their fraud systems went, wait a minute, something ain't right here. The second thing that happened was somehow or another they misplaced my return. I don't know how they did that or whatever, but apparently they misplaced it. So those two things happened there. But again, I didn't think anything about it. I'm in Canada. Past forward to 2022, I file my tax return again. I'm not expecting a refund or anything from the IRS, so I just mail it in and move on to with my life. 2023, I have a settlement with a from uh legal issues in the states, and I'm expecting a refund in 2023, but the IR but the uh HR block switches to this e-filing system, so I have to put in an identity theft protection pen. And I don't know nothing about what they mean by why do I have no need a pen? So they had me call the IRS to figure out what this pen was about, and that's whenever I first found out that something was wrong with my 2020 refund, and what I thought was lost in the mail was actually IDT refund fraud and all this other nonsense. So I spent a little bit of a lot of money.

SPEAKER_01

One second, sorry, but back in 2020, you said that they misplaced it and it was detected for fraud. How can they detect it for fraud if it was misplaced?

SPEAKER_02

Well, apparently, somehow they had two errors on the return. They could they uh originally flagged it as possible IDT refund fraud, and on top of that, somehow the original return got lost. Now, how they do that, how they can do both of those, don't know, but they did. Maybe you can ask Anthony how they do both of those. I mean, that it but apparently they did both of those on that particular tax year.

SPEAKER_01

So you're having these issues with the IRS. So does this happen often? Well, the the big complication, of course, is COVID, right? Because it stopped mail and it it disrupted all that. But typically, when when Americans move to Canada, they still have to continue to file taxes in the U.S. I didn't know this.

SPEAKER_02

I mean, yeah, that's pretty common. I mean, as long as you earn any income and you're a U.S. citizen, legally you are supposed to file tax returns.

SPEAKER_01

You still kept your U.S. citizenship. You didn't become a Canadian citizen.

SPEAKER_02

Well, I'm a permanent resident. I haven't became a Canadian citizen yet. I'm not sure. Even everything that's going on right now, I'm waiting to see how this legal stuff resolved around me.

SPEAKER_01

I didn't realize that. Okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_02

But it's but like I said, back in 2023, continuing the story, yeah, I had spent I had that issue with the fraud flag. So I called the IRS and managed to get that part of it resolved on the phone and got 2021, 2022, and 2023 tax returns resolved. But I couldn't get my 2020 return resolved, no matter how much time I spent on the phone. So by January 2024, I'm thinking I need to talk to a lawyer because I don't know what else to do to get the 2020 refund resolved. I mean, so I started looking into the law and thinking, okay, how do I get a lawyer? I tried calling everybody. I tried calling Anthony, he was busy, I tried calling other people.

SPEAKER_01

Anthony Parents, yep.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I tried calling other people. Most of them were busy, andor they wasn't going to go to court over no $1,800 or whatever because that's just such a small amount of money. They didn't see it as worth their time. So at that stage, I started looking at the laws and I started thinking, okay, Americans are broader taxpayers, and there's and the laws didn't really come about, they came about haphazardly. So I'm thinking, what laws exist in the state as a taxpayer that I may be able to use to help me? And that's whenever I came across the Low Income Tax Clinic Act.

SPEAKER_01

Low income cost clinics act. I don't know anything about that.

SPEAKER_02

Low income tax clinic act. And that act was originally set up as a way to teach student lawyers how to become uh like give them experience in the real world so they could have ex so they'd like know what it's like to represent clients, but also be under the supervision of an actual lawyer, so so that they could see the day-to-day work and get get get experience before they went out and represented people. That was what the act was originally set up for. And slowly it became pretty popular in the states. It eventually spread to where it's almost universal in all 50 states. But for whatever reason, it never spread outside the United States, mainly, I guess, because of complexity or there was never really a demand or a need for it or whatever, or no one ever questioned it. But in this case, I happened to be the first one to actually say, wait a minute, why can't I use this? So I called around these tax clinics. Originally I called the one in Tennessee because part of my tax year 2020 took place in twenty in Tennessee, so I thought they would represent me, but they suggested I reach out to someone at the border. So I thought I was calling the tax clinic in Washington, D.C., but really it was a tax clinic in Washington State. And I managed to get a lawyer, a student lawyer to represent me. And they took it on a case-by-case basis, and I know based off the reporting requirements for this low-income tax clinic law, there is a non-shareable government report that they're concealing tied to me using the clinic. And that's one of the issues that I have right now is trying to get a hold of that government report.

SPEAKER_01

Fascinating. Is this an issue a common issue with expats?

SPEAKER_02

Well, I mean, it depends on what you mean by common. Is there is it common to have tax problems with the U.S. government as an expat? Yes. Is it common to have the specific legal questions I have now? No, it is not. I'm the only one with these unique legal problems.

SPEAKER_01

How does that make you feel that you're the only one there? Does it uh less chance of you getting it resolved?

SPEAKER_02

I don't know. I mean, I think I'll get it resolved. I mean, it's an I mean you can't the government can't conceal the report forever. You governments can keep secrets, but they can't keep them secret forever, especially if it's a big secret. And I know uh I mean there's one other person, it's funny, I prayed for God to create me a job in 2022, 2023. That was one of my big prayers. And I do have legal questions about a certain job person that's indirectly tied to all this, but there's something else. There is one other person I know of with unique legal questions about around the IRS that no other American abroad has. And can you guess who that is?

SPEAKER_01

I can't.

SPEAKER_02

The Pope.

SPEAKER_01

The Pope.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Explain. Well, he's the first US citizen to uh to actually be a Pope. That's right. No other US citizen's ever been a Pope at the same time. So he's subject to taxation under the U.S. tax law while also being the head of state of the Vatican. And so he's kind of a unique, there's unique issues around him.

SPEAKER_01

There isn't. Generally, churches are non-taxable.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, so there's legal questions all over the like is the Pope taxable?

SPEAKER_01

Is he not taxable? I never considered the Pope as an expat, but I guess he is. Yeah, it's true. He's from Chicago, right?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, yeah. But he, I mean, he it is interesting that me and the Pope both have legal issues with the IRS. Minds related to a government job where I paid for God prayed for God to create me a job. And I mean, there's just something going on. I think there's a higher power involved in all that. That's the only explanation I can have for the craziness around it all.

SPEAKER_01

So as we sit today, Gabriel, it's still unresolved, correct?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it's still unresolved. I mean, right now I'm still going on podcasts. I'm supposed to possibly be on a radio station here shortly with it. That'd be my first time on radio. Mostly my appearances have been limited to letters to the editor and podcasts. Mainstream media hasn't been willing to bet the story or do much yet. So there's that.

SPEAKER_01

You mentioned you've been praying for a job. How is that coming?

SPEAKER_02

Well, that's probably the most interesting thing about it because whenever at the same time I was using this tax clinic, there was a job posting opened up at the IRS for the taxpayer advocate panel international position. And I applied for that job posting, but there was a slight error on the job posting. The international option was not selectable, but instead of pulling the job posting, they just told everyone to select a state and then click on any click on any state and just put in the uh options where you select where you can type up something that you're applying for the international position. So that's what I did, but that's not a valid job posting, which normally wouldn't be a problem. But I also have this unique issue with my taxes going on around this gov around this government report, this low income tax clinic. So some so that's kind of created a lot of legal questions about that job. No, why not look for something there sorry and that may be the job God is creating for me.

SPEAKER_01

Interesting. Why not find something there local in Ontario?

SPEAKER_02

And I found jobs here too, and so if I work part-time jobs at places and by now I'm in a small, smaller town, so there's not as much work here. But I mean I've been trying to do that well, but it's kind of hard whenever you d whenever there's not very many jobs up north, especially in the area that I'm used to working, retail. I mean, the economy here is more of a mining and government work type of area, and I don't really have the degrees for mining or or interesting physical health attributes for that either. I mean, my back's got I've got scolielsis, so that's a bit of a problem. But uh, yeah, I mean there's uh there's limits to the job market's not really the best up north.

SPEAKER_01

What if discipline wasn't about punishment, but about unlocking your best self? I spent two and a half years writing discipline for greatness because discipline changed my life. And I know it can change yours too. This isn't a theory. Inside you'll find real practical steps you can use immediately to focus better, build stronger habits, reduce stress, accomplish your goals, and bring more balance to your life. Whether you're trying to get healthier, improve your career, or simply feel more control. This book gives you the framework. Start today. Grab your copy of Discipline for Greatness at JoeyPins.com/slash book. Thank you. So the current issue that you're having, the outstanding issue that you're fighting for right now, is solely the issue of this one tax return from 2020. Everything else has been resolved. And you the 2020 tax issue still has not been resolved, correct?

SPEAKER_02

Well, I mean, I've resolved the 2020, but now I'm fighting for this government report and I'm fighting to deal with legal questions. I have lingering secondary legal questions related to the original return. And the reason they give you for not replying is what? They don't give me a reason. Whenever I email people about it, or whenever I do FOIA requests, I get very interesting Freedom of Information Act responses. I mean, even Anthony will tell you that some of the responses that he's seen with the FOIA, he said on one of his calls that it was very shady from the IRS, from what the IRS was doing and stuff. So I mean, I mean, realistically, I'm no lawyer. I mean, you could probably ask Anthony a lot of those questions himself. He might give you a better idea of what these all these weird legal questions around me are, but I know a lot of lawyers are scared of the legal issues. I've had one lawyer say that I'd be a great client financially, but I think he's scared of political fallout if he was to take this to court. Explain. What's the political fallout?

SPEAKER_00

I mean, it's an IRS question.

SPEAKER_02

I believe it's that job posting. That job posting. I mean, Congress created a job that basically where they solicit advice on how to improve the tax code and make the tax code better from the typical uh American. That's what those 75-panel jobs were originally set up as was to be uh basically give the average person a voice while also allowing them to travel and stuff. They estimate maybe 300-375 hours a year of time would be dedicated to volunteer work where you'd be taking feedback from people in your area and or whatever to try and give feedback to the Congress on how to improve the tax code. That's fine and dandy until there's legal questions about the job itself. When there's legal questions about a job that's sole purpose is to give advice to Congress about how to improve the tax code, how does what happens to that job?

SPEAKER_01

So is there a legal obligation on the part of the government if they put up a job posting and then don't hire for it or realize they did a bad job of describing it or like what what's what are the ramifications of something like that? Do you know?

SPEAKER_02

Um, I mean, realistically, based on prior court Supreme Court rulings, they uh I mean technically they could pull the job, but I mean, even if they pulled the job, they can't change the fact that I applied for a job like that. And they can't change the fact that that I have fought for that government report or the impact that that will have on Americans abroad. So even if they change the law and decide that they want to pass a law where that job never existed, they can't change history. You can change the laws, but you can't change history. And having that kind of thing attached to your head, I don't know what the impact of that will be. There may be security concerns of being the first taxpayer to use this. There may be some lunatic out there that wants to shoot you over that crap. There's there's all sorts of crazies in this world. But I mean, you can't really predict the outcome of that, and that's why the lawyers are scared to get involved with it.

SPEAKER_01

So, what's best case scenario here, Gabriel? Let's say, let's assume somebody who has the answers to all these questions is listening and they give you a call. What's the best case that could happen?

SPEAKER_02

Well, the best case would be realistically pushing it to Congress because I have a feeling pushing what to Congress the legal questions about this job and this government report, because I believe only Congress will be able to give me the answers to what ultimately will happen with this or how this happens.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, so let's go over this again because I'm missing something. So there was a job description uh posting that was put out. You applied for it, and there's questions about it, and there's a report as well that you have questions about. So let's start with the job with the job. The job posting was put out, you applied for it, you never heard back, you're not sure what the status is of it.

SPEAKER_02

I mean, I heard back and they lied to me about what the about the job posting. What how did they lie? Well, they said the international position was selectable in the emails they sent me.

SPEAKER_01

I see.

SPEAKER_02

Which which is funny because in the public post they made, it was not selectable. So either the email is a lie or the public post is a lie, but they both can't be true.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. Well, you could see that could be just a technical glitch. That could be a tech, you know. I mean, that's a lie is a really blatant thing, you know. Maybe it could just be an over oversight. You think that's one of that. It's a it's an oversight. I'm in the tech business, you know. Sometimes things aren't set up correctly, or whatever it may be. So the issue of that itself, you applied for it, they they responded to you. Have they closed it? Have they hired somebody for it?

SPEAKER_02

Well, they hired someone for it right now. His name's John Schumacher, and technically me and him are talking and stuff, and he's helping me out somewhat. Oh, good. Now, on its own, that's not really that big of a deal. I mean, you can't sue over that typically.

SPEAKER_01

It wouldn't seem there's any real wrongdoing there, that's for sure. And the other issue is the report, some report that the remote.

SPEAKER_02

I'm the only taxpayer to have used a low-income tax clinic outside the United States. There is a government report that details information about my case, like how I had to fall separately, about my income following requirements, and what they did to help me, like follow another return, everything that they there's a report out there that details my case. I know this from the Freedom of Information Act documents I got from one lawyer, but there's questions about that government report. It didn't show exactly what's in the report, but there's questions about it.

SPEAKER_01

And you can't get this report? You've asked for this report.

SPEAKER_02

I've asked for this report. I've asked my congressman to look try and get this report, but they never really helped me. It's hard to get a hold of your congressman.

SPEAKER_01

So getting this report will do what for you? Let's say you can get it.

SPEAKER_02

Well, I believe it will show to Congress in a form that's easy to read exactly what the average American abroad has to put up with when they do their when they do their income taxes, which would be very helpful for tax reform.

SPEAKER_01

So that's your big stance, Gabriel. It's just the way that expats have to file, it's cumbersome, it's hard to get questions, it's hard to get access, it shouldn't be this difficult.

SPEAKER_02

No, I mean it shouldn't be this difficult, honestly. I I mean the tax code is a total, complete mess.

SPEAKER_01

By design, though, right? Because they don't they don't want it to be simple, otherwise you could do it yourself.

SPEAKER_02

Well, I mean, really, it's the HR block of the world and enter it, Tobotax. These companies are the ones that really benefit the most from the way the tax code is. What they usually do is they charge you for to do the your taxes, then they go to Congress and lobby to keep your taxes complicated, so you pay them more money.

SPEAKER_01

So you describe yourself as a normal guy, you're you're a really smart guy, you're focused. I appreciate your time today, but what keeps you fighting this fight? Gabriel.

SPEAKER_02

Well, I mean, I guess the main reason I keep fighting is just the fact that I mean, that's what I've always done. I mean, I I've I fought the Canadian government to try and move to Canada to be with my wife. I mean, I guess if I'm not fighting, I'd what would I be doing? I mean, that's that's just something you do. You keep fighting for what you think is best and trying to make the world a better place.

SPEAKER_01

What what what has this journey taught you about asking for help?

SPEAKER_02

Well, I mean, it's taught me that don't be afraid to ask for help. I mean I mean, you never know whenever asking for help could change your life. I mean I mean I mean, all it takes is one phone call to say a tax clinic and you might create a government report or something that helps people. Or asking a simple question at the airport, like, can you help me uh find my way somewhere? Could be the difference between you missing a plane or not missing a plane. So don't be afraid to ask for help. That's a that's a something everybody should be able to do, regardless of how well off you think you are, or how knowledgeable you think you are, you shouldn't be afraid to ask for help.

SPEAKER_01

So do you think the system is broken, Gabriel, or it's just misunderstood? Or maybe both.

SPEAKER_02

Honestly, it probably is a bit of both. I mean, some pe some of it's misunderstood, some of it's broken. I mean, there's a misunderstanding that people think that the IRS is just out to get them. A lot of people probably think that, but that's not really the truth. I mean, there's a lot of nice people at the IRS that I've talked to. Most of them are just overworked and stressed.

SPEAKER_01

Right.

SPEAKER_02

And by the same, by the same token, it is woken too because the laws themselves are so complicated, even the people working at the IRS, they're victims of the IRS themselves in their own way because they're having to enforce a tax code that they don't fully understand.

SPEAKER_01

So what would be what would be fair? So let's say you we put you in charge of the expat tax system. What what should that look like?

SPEAKER_02

I mean, realistically, if I could pass any tax bill right now and completely change the tax code, I would look at HR 25, the fair tax, because it removes the ability of Congress to pass an income tax and replaces it with a national sales tax, but it also gives a probate to people who are poor or to people up to a certain income so to cancel out the taxes on people earning up to the poverty level. But I think that would be the best tax because it prevents Congress from deciding what you do with your money or giving incentives on how you spend your money, and you get to decide what you do with your money and how you spend it. Right now, if Congress wants to, they can pass a law that says anyone named Joey is going to get a 10% tax credit on buying a house. I'm for that. Well, that gives that gives everyone who's named Joey an incentive to buy a house, but it kind of punishes anyone who isn't named Joey.

SPEAKER_01

That's right, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

So that's not really a fair tax system. And I don't think Congress should be able to pick winners or losers using the tax code. So if you can get rid of that incentive, it makes it a lot easier to police the government and what they do. Also, it reduces the number of taxpaying payers that have to report because now instead of be every taxpayer filing a tax return, it would be the places that sell products that would have to deal with the taxes. Like that would be Walmart or Stam's Club or Amazon, places where you buy products, they would be the ones collecting and paying the tax. And they don't have as much of an incentive to defraud the tax system. So overall, the fair tax would be a lot easier to administer and a lot easier to enforce and a lot simpler than the current tax system.

SPEAKER_01

Good for you. So where do you see this going, Gabriel, over the next five, ten years? Think it's gonna get better? Are you optimistic?

SPEAKER_02

I do think it's gonna get better. I mean, the tax code has gotten so messed up and so convoluted and crazy, I don't think it can get much any worse. I mean I I see it can only I only see it as being able to get better just because once you get to walk bottom with an with a tax code as bad as that, there's only one way to go and that's better.

SPEAKER_01

Hmm. Hmm. So what has I asked you if you were optimist through all this, you know, through you're still able to talk to some people, you can't get all the answers you want, but you're able to talk to some. Are you more cynical about the system? Are you more optimistic about it?

SPEAKER_02

I mean, it depends. Like, uh, am I optimistic that the system can change? Yes. Am I optimistic about resolving my situation and getting answers to my situation? I am. I mean, I've seen a slow signs of it moving slowly. Like, I mean, I get a new Freedom of Information Act document that answers a few questions, maybe it raises more questions. I get a new lead on someone who might be able to help me here and there. I get access to, say, someone at a radio station, like I recently got, that might be able to help me. So slowly I am getting somewhere.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and you keep fighting. Good for you. Good for you, Gabriel. Is there something that you believed in strongly 10 years ago that you no longer believe now?

SPEAKER_02

I used to believe that America that the America was built around the concept of no taxation without representation. And I thought I used to believe that that was what the American Revolution was about. But nowadays I'm not really sure. I mean, my belief in what America, the American Revolution was about, and just about American history in general has shifted a lot since I moved to Canada. I mean, nowadays I think if the King George or whoever was the king at the time of the American Revolution was around today, he would probably be laughing at the United States government saying, Look what you did. You complained about my little tea tax, and look what tax system you have.

SPEAKER_01

That's a really good point. It's a really, really good point, yeah. Yeah. Is there a question, Gabriel, you wish more people would ask you?

SPEAKER_02

I mean, not that I can think of. I mean, I mean, I'm open to answer anyone's question, but I mean, I haven't really met people who would who wouldn't ask a question. I mean, it'd be nice if more people listened to podcasts I was on and stuff. Surprisingly, despite my claims and how many I've been on, not very many people have listened to them.

SPEAKER_01

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SPEAKER_02

Moral. I mean, I'm learning a lot myself about how, well, I mean, historically, I'll admit I've not always had the most discipline in my life. I mean, I've had a bad habit of eating drunk food, things like that. So I would say I've definitely not had enough discipline. And in some ways, I've learned with my health issues that that's where that leads you. But I mean, I'm also starting to learn how to actually have discipline. Like, I mean, a good example is I'm I'm learning like how to say no to people more whenever I don't whenever and how to be more strict with people. I'm learning to stand up to people like my own family. They don't believe me with my taxes and the legal questions around them, but I've learned to just stand up to them and say, This is true. Now, a lot of them don't still don't believe me, but they've at least stopped stopped, started acting more different toward me at least.

SPEAKER_01

Good. As a child, was discipline instilled in the household? Was it talked about? Was it just assumed? Was it demonstrated?

SPEAKER_02

Um, I mean, as a child, it wasn't really uh demonstrated as much. But uh I mean it wasn't really demonstrated as a child to me.

SPEAKER_01

And you think that's carried on till now?

SPEAKER_02

Um yeah, to a degree.

SPEAKER_01

Thank you for listening and or viewing Joey Pins Discipline Conversations. Please share this episode with one or two of your friends who you think may benefit from the episode. Our website, www.joeepins.com. There you find lots of resources, and you could join our mailing list. Please follow us on all our social media Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Podcast information, the video version of our podcast is on YouTube. Please subscribe. Audio is on all major podcasting platforms. Please follow them. And if you like it, please consider giving five star rating. Would really appreciate that. Thank you again for listening or watching Joey Pin's Discipline Conversations.