Virginia La Torre Jeker, J.D. — US tax matters affecting international clients
Last week I blogged about how the US tax system can create serious tax problems for the international couple when one is a US person and the other is not. In order to keep things simple, it is often advised that the couple hold assets separately to avoid nasty US tax complications. However, in some … Continue reading The Perfect Storm – US Tax, Community Property & the Mobile International Couple
Readers of my blog know from previous posts (for example here and here) that unless the international couple enjoys dealing with complicated US tax matters and filings, holding title to assets jointly with a non-US citizen spouse is risky business! The well-advised keep their assets completely separate to avoid nasty US tax complications. However, this alone … Continue reading The US Tax Trap: International Marriage, Community Property and the Mobile Couple
Meet the Zuhovitzky’s, the quintessential international couple: Jonathan (a naturalized US citizen and Israeli citizen living in Germany) and Esther (an Austrian and Israeli citizen who was never a US citizen or resident). I blogged about them and the IRS’ aggressive stance on asserting so-called FBAR penalties against Jonathan for having a power of attorney … Continue reading FBAR Traps: International Couples, Powers of Attorney
Given today’s global economy it comes as no surprise that US taxpayers and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) must increasingly consider the interactions between US and foreign laws when determining the US tax consequences of a particular transaction. In today’s world, it is no longer possible for practitioners to ignore the possible implications of another … Continue reading HELP! What to do When Foreign Law Impacts the US Tax Analysis of My Case?
The ‘‘Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act of 2021’’ (the “Act”) was proposed by Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders on March 1, 2021. Like all other tax proposals I have seen in my over 35+ years of tax practice, once the bee is in the bonnet, legislation will inevitably, inexorably, eventually blossom and flourish. The Act … Continue reading What does Senator Warren’s Proposed Wealth Tax Mean for You?
A very important building block when establishing a business is selecting the best type of entity from both a legal and tax perspective. This “choice of entity classification” can make a huge difference in liability protection and tax outcome. When an international business is involved, it should come as no surprise that the complexities only … Continue reading Check-the-Box Election: Is it Really that Simple?
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!
Several of my recent blog posts set the stage showcasing the serious US tax issues that can arise for a married couple when only one is a US person and they are impacted by application of a foreign country’s community property laws. You can read these blog posts here, here and here. For example, if funding … Continue reading D is for “Domicile”, Don’t Disregard!
My earlier blog post covered some basics about Form 5472, including how the Form helps the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) learn about foreign-owned businesses in the US and when to audit them, the meanings of certain terms such as what is meant by a “reportable transaction” with a “related party”, and the situation requiring filing … Continue reading Head’s Up! Foreign-Owned Single Member US LLC: Increase in Penalties for Form 5472
I was just recently interviewed on Canadian TV in 3 different sessions covering the US tax complications when a US person and non-US person are married (US income tax, gift tax, estate tax). I am being interviewed by John Richardson, a Canadian and US attorney. John calls this phenomenon the #FBARMarriage. Some marriages don't last -- … Continue reading The #FBAR Marriage – A Troublesome Union
Virginia - US TAX TALK 