HELP! What to do When Foreign Law Impacts the US Tax Analysis of My Case?

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? →

Foreign Foundations — What are they for US Tax Purposes? Should I Care? Recent Court Case Lays it Out

Today’s post looks at the case of Rost v United States, No 119-CV-0607-RP 2021 BL 435976 (WD Tex., Austin Div., September 22, 2021). In the Rost case, the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") assessed close to USD597,000 in civil penalties for a US taxpayer’s failure to file IRS Forms 3520 and 3520-A, information reporting with regard … Continue reading Foreign Foundations — What are they for US Tax Purposes? Should I Care? Recent Court Case Lays it Out →

Americans Abroad: Sale of “Principal Residence”, Gain Exclusion, Unforeseen Circumstances & COVID-19

Section 121 of the US Internal Revenue Code allows for the exclusion of up to $250,000 ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly) in gains arising from the sale of a "principal residence." The exclusion applies whether the residence is located Stateside or overseas. The tax law has very specific rules. Aside from the fact that … Continue reading Americans Abroad: Sale of “Principal Residence”, Gain Exclusion, Unforeseen Circumstances & COVID-19 →

Rich Americans…. Time to Wake Up!

Rich Americans (or foreigners with US assets), it's time to wake up and smell the coffee! Why? I am seeing more and more individuals with influence pushing for a change in the US tax laws so that wealth inequality becomes a thing of the past. Whether you agree with this position is not the point … Continue reading Rich Americans…. Time to Wake Up! →

Clash of the Titans: Can we Harmonize US Tax and Shariah Laws?

Recently, I was asked by Islamic Finance News, a leading provider of news in the Islamic financial world, to write an article addressing a largely unexplored topic. What is it? Why is it essentially uncharted and not discussed? The topic involves the unique impact on financial and other transactions when US tax and Shariah laws … Continue reading Clash of the Titans: Can we Harmonize US Tax and Shariah Laws? →

The Flexible “Foundation” – It’s Becoming a Thing!

Recently I was asked by another tax professional to discuss all things related to an entity called a “foundation” and I realized it would make for an interesting tax blog post. A foundation is a creature of a country’s statutory law, but foundations are not well understood in common law jurisdictions, such as the United … Continue reading The Flexible “Foundation” – It’s Becoming a Thing! →

Handle With Care: How Sharia Law and U.S. Tax Law Affect the Foundations Regime in the United Arab Emirates

Proud to announce publication of my article Handle With Care: How Sharia Law and U.S. Tax Law Affect the Foundations Regime in the United Arab Emirates in Tax Notes International (TNI) Vol. 98 No. 5 May 4, 2020. Available at no cost on SSRN. The article discusses the US tax treatment of the newest "foundations" … Continue reading Handle With Care: How Sharia Law and U.S. Tax Law Affect the Foundations Regime in the United Arab Emirates →

Timing is Everything: The Market is in Freefall Creating a Window of Tax Opportunity – Make Your Gifts Now

The US gift tax is a tax imposed on the transfer of property by way of gift. The giver of the gift (the donor) is the party who must pay the tax. Generally, any transfer to an individual without receiving something of equal value in return (measured in money or money's worth) is treated as … Continue reading Timing is Everything: The Market is in Freefall Creating a Window of Tax Opportunity – Make Your Gifts Now →

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 →

Life Gets Complicated When a Foreign Country’s Laws Impact US Tax

Transactions now span the globe with the tap of a key on an I-Phone; families are multi-national, with many living in different parts of the world at different stages in their careers and lives; virtual currency has become official legal tender in at least one country, the United States has de facto imposed enforcement of … Continue reading Life Gets Complicated When a Foreign Country’s Laws Impact US Tax →