Oh No! I Have a “Foreign” Pension or Employee Savings Plan and Uncle Sam is Killing Me (Part I)

“Foreign” pension or similar plans are a very common feature in the lives of US expats residing and working abroad. As used here, the word “pension” is only a general term. While pensions in the United States often refer to defined benefit retirement plans, my use in today’s blog post refers to a pension as … Continue reading Oh No! I Have a “Foreign” Pension or Employee Savings Plan and Uncle Sam is Killing Me (Part I) →

Expatriated? But Failed to File Form 8854? IRS Provides a Fix!

2020 looks promising in more ways than one. First, on a professional level I was delighted and proud to be named, for the 4th year running, to Forbes Top 100 Must Follow Tax Twitter Accounts for 2020. Please do encourage your friends and colleagues to follow me on Twitter and to subscribe to my US … Continue reading Expatriated? But Failed to File Form 8854? IRS Provides a Fix! →

Cryptocurrency and Your 2019 Tax Return – Handle With Care

It’s been no secret that cryptocurrency is in the crosshairs of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Virtual currency is one of the IRS “campaigns” and criminal investigations related to crypto already started last year. Taxpayers are being sent “educational” letters to remind them and warn them of their tax obligations when it comes to the … Continue reading Cryptocurrency and Your 2019 Tax Return – Handle With Care →

SECURE Act – Changes to Retirement Plan and IRA Rules – No More Big “Stretch”, Work Longer, Contribute More

Right before Saint Nicholas’ Christmas visit, President Trump signed the "Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020" to provide necessary funding to keep the federal government running through September 30, 2020. Included in the Appropriations Act was an additional piece of legislation commonly referred to as the “SECURE Act” (the full title is “Setting Every Community Up … Continue reading SECURE Act – Changes to Retirement Plan and IRA Rules – No More Big “Stretch”, Work Longer, Contribute More →

Repatriation/Transition Tax: IRS Announces Limited “Double Taxation” Relief

NEWS FLASH! The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today that there are limited circumstances in which it may be appropriate to provide relief from "double taxation" resulting from application of the repatriation tax under Internal Revenue Code Section 965, as amended by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). The IRS has determined that in … Continue reading Repatriation/Transition Tax: IRS Announces Limited “Double Taxation” Relief →

IRS: The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

Christmas was on our doorstep not too long ago and was marked by a time of giving and rejoicing. In the employment context, overseas employers with American staff may have been more inclined to be generous in gift-giving, as many of its US employees were away from their Stateside family over the holiday period. The … Continue reading IRS: The Grinch Who Stole Christmas →

Time to Review! Tax Issues for US Recipients of Gifts/Bequests from Foreigners

With Christmas having recently been on our doorstep, now is the time to review what tax consequences are in store for gift givers and their lucky recipients. US tax filings might be required of a US individual who receives a gift (whether in cash or property of some kind - you know, a 5 carat … Continue reading Time to Review! Tax Issues for US Recipients of Gifts/Bequests from Foreigners →

ATTENTION! Married Filing Separately? $5 of Gross Income? Must File US Income Tax Return!

Yes, that did read US$5. Not $50. Not $500……This measly number will heavily impact Americans abroad who are married to non-US spouses. In many instances, the US spouse will file separately and keep the non-US spouse completely out of the US tax picture. This may not always be the best tax strategy but in some … Continue reading ATTENTION! Married Filing Separately? $5 of Gross Income? Must File US Income Tax Return! →

IRS “Relief Procedures for Certain Former Citizens” – Hey! What About Green Card Holders?

In September 2019, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced new Relief Procedures for Certain Former Citizens that will enable certain individuals who relinquished (or are relinquishing) their US citizenship to come into compliance with their US tax and filing obligations. These lucky individuals will not have to pay the back taxes otherwise owed; nor will … Continue reading IRS “Relief Procedures for Certain Former Citizens” – Hey! What About Green Card Holders? →

Dangerous Liaisons: Foreign Assets and the US Nominee

We’ve known for some time that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been mining heaps of data provided to it by financial institutions that were the subject of non-prosecution agreements, as well as examining treasure troves of financial information from various leaks (think “Panama Papers”) looking not only for tax dollars, interest and penalties but … Continue reading Dangerous Liaisons: Foreign Assets and the US Nominee →