US Person – Made a “Loan” to a Foreign Corporation?

What happens if you make a loan to a foreign (non-US) corporation and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) later determines that the “loan” should not be treated as a “loan” for US tax purposes?  Instead, the IRS says it should be treated as if you made a capital contribution to the corporation and therefore had … Continue reading US Person – Made a “Loan” to a Foreign Corporation?

Foreign Corporate Tax – How Will it Impact the US Taxpayer of a CFC or PFIC?

While the focus of today's post is how the United Arab Emirates (UAE) forthcoming Corporate Tax (CT) may impact US persons who are shareholders in a so-called Controlled Foreign Corporation (CFC) or Passive Foreign Investment Company (PFIC), the analysis applies equally to other jurisdictions which impose tax on the corporate entity.  We examine today the … Continue reading Foreign Corporate Tax – How Will it Impact the US Taxpayer of a CFC or PFIC?

Overview: The Disregarded Entity & Check-the-Box

What Is a Disregarded Entity? How is it Used in US Tax Planning? Certain business entities can be treated as “nonexistent” for federal income tax purposes.  That is, from a US tax perspective, they are simply “disregarded” and the entity is ignored by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).   For other purposes, the entity is not disregarded, … Continue reading Overview: The Disregarded Entity & Check-the-Box

Timely US Tax Filings:  What are the Rules for Taxpayers in Foreign Countries?

Quite often, US taxpayers living in a foreign country are faced with tight deadlines for timely filing of tax returns, refund claims, documents and the like with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)  before the statute of limitations expires.  They are often confused as to how to send these physical documents to the IRS and be … Continue reading Timely US Tax Filings:  What are the Rules for Taxpayers in Foreign Countries?

FBAR Traps: International Couples, Powers of Attorney

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

Timing Considerations for Expatriation, Tax Compliance and Form 8854

I invite readers to enjoy my article, copied below, recently published by Bloomberg Tax in the Daily Tax Report.  Reproduced with permission. Published January 7, 2022. The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. (800-372-1033) http://www.bloombergindustry.com It is online here.   My blog post today contains additional input with a link to a podcast on this topic with US … Continue reading Timing Considerations for Expatriation, Tax Compliance and Form 8854

FBAR – Fifth Circuit, Non-Willful Penalty Multiplies “Per Account” in Bittner Case

Ka’Ching! It’s a win for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)! At the end of November, in United States v. Bittner, (No. 20-4059, 5th Cir. 11/30/21), the Fifth Circuit overruled the lower court and held that the FBAR non-willful US$10,000 penalty applies on a per account rather than a per form basis.  The taxpayer was hit … Continue reading FBAR – Fifth Circuit, Non-Willful Penalty Multiplies “Per Account” in Bittner Case

IRS Determined to Collect FBAR Penalties  – “We Have Ways of Making You Pay” … Even if Your Money is Outside the US

The case of US v Schwarzbaum (decided October 26, 2021), discussed in today’s blog post, serves as a harsh reminder of how far the US government will go to collect FBAR penalties. The importance of posting about this latest development is to underscore how aggressive FBAR penalty collection efforts are now becoming.  Of course, this case … Continue reading IRS Determined to Collect FBAR Penalties  – “We Have Ways of Making You Pay” … Even if Your Money is Outside the US

Caught in the US Tax Trap: Part I How Does a Non-US citizen Become a US “Resident” – Taxed on WORLDWIDE Income?

US “residents” are subject to tax on income derived from all sources. That means they are subject to tax on their worldwide income regardless of the source of that income.  So, for example, dividends earned from a French company are taxable, as is gain on the sale of rental property located in Hong Kong; prize money won … Continue reading Caught in the US Tax Trap: Part I How Does a Non-US citizen Become a US “Resident” – Taxed on WORLDWIDE Income?

IRS Made a Big Announcement – So, Can a Taxpayer Now Rely on IRS FAQ’s?

Despite the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recent announcement, it seems to me that the answer is still “Well, it depends!” Here’s my take on the what the IRS said, which to be honest, was just a bit more clear than mud. Taxpayers and tax pros should always look first to whether the FAQ is published … Continue reading IRS Made a Big Announcement – So, Can a Taxpayer Now Rely on IRS FAQ’s?