Virginia La Torre Jeker, J.D. — US tax matters affecting international clients
My earlier blog post gave a head’s up to married couples about US tax issues that can arise when assets are owned jointly with a spouse who is not a US citizen. A follow-up blog post detailed the US Gift tax rules that apply when assets are held jointly with right of survivorship (WROS) by a US/non-US citizen … Continue reading Estate Tax Nightmare: Joint Ownership of Property with A Non-US Spouse
My earlier blog post gave a head’s up to married couples about jointly owned assets when one spouse is a non-US citizen. Virtually every aspect of the US tax rules are impacted by such joint ownership - income tax, gift tax, estate tax, tax information reporting and FBAR reporting under the Bank Secrecy Act. Today's post provides … Continue reading LOVE SCHMUV! Just K.I.S.S. (Keep It Separate Sweetheart) – US Tax Perils of Joint Ownership
I know many married couples of mixed nationality, when one spouse is not a US citizen and the other has such citizenship. Without due consideration to the US tax issues, spouses often hold title to bank accounts, brokerage accounts and real property as joint tenants with right of survivorship. Joint ownership often comes about even … Continue reading A Big Mistake – Joint Ownership of Assets With Your Non-US Citizen Spouse
Part I of this blog post examined some of the rules regarding the US estate tax and how it applies to non-US persons (noncitizen/nonresident). Unfortunately, the US estate tax often catches the nonresident alien family by surprise and when it does, it bites hard. Remember, the "nonresident alien" will include an individual who has expatriated (e.g., … Continue reading Foreign Individuals: US Estate Tax Reform Passed You By (Part II)
For those of you who have been sleeping too much the past few days, let’s wake up and learn a bit about the face-off in Washington DC over the border security wall. Right now, there’s no federal budget in place and funding for many government agencies has disappeared, resulting in partial shutdowns for some, including … Continue reading SHUTDOWN… Last IRS Agent to Leave, Please Turn off the Lights
Bloomberg reports that next year, the US may be put on the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) “blacklist” of tax haven countries alongside such notables as Guam and Trinidad and Tobago. The move comes as numerous countries continue to question the United States’ adamant refusal to participate in the international information exchange program, … Continue reading Happy New Year – US to be Blacklisted as a Tax Haven?
What Every Overseas American Investor Must Know …. Many American investors are confused by sales pitches of expat investment advisors who are most often completely unfamiliar with US tax laws. While it is true that no tax may be payable in the fund's jurisdiction (Isle of Man, Guernsey or the UAE, for instance), significant US … Continue reading US Tax Disaster – Investing in Offshore Funds, Life Policies, Portfolio Bonds
I was hoping that tax reform would have done away with, or at least modified, the troublesome provisions surrounding the PFIC or so-called “Passive Foreign Investment Company”. This was not to be and it prompted me to review the PFIC rules and count the ways they cause trouble! What is a PFIC? A PFIC is … Continue reading PFICs – The Fairytale Definition That Lives Happily Ever After…
Part I of this blog post explained how Form W-8BEN is used for so-called Chapter 3 income tax withholding purposes covering topics such as the types of income subject to US-source withholding when paid to a foreign (non-US) person; exemptions, length of time for validity of the Form. It also provided an overview of how … Continue reading PART II – Forms W-8BEN & W-8BEN-E: What Are They Used For? Which One Must I Complete?
Lately, I have been fielding many questions about Form W-8 BEN, it’s brother, Form W-8BEN-E, and related family members Forms W-8ECI, W-8IMY, and W-8EXP. What are these things? And why are they giving you such a headache? Let’s set out some basics one step at a time. Today’s blog post will detail all the nuances … Continue reading PART I: What is Form W-8BEN, What is it Used For, Must I Complete It?
Virginia - US TAX TALK 