Virginia La Torre Jeker, J.D. — US tax matters affecting international clients
Giving a significant amount of investment assets to one’s children used to be a popular tax strategy, since it permitted the income earned on the investment to be taxed at the child’s presumably lower tax rate. Congress, in its kind-hearted way enacted the so-called “kiddie tax” in 1986 to prevent parents from abusing this strategy. … Continue reading Your Children, Kiddie Tax and US Tax Reform – Tax, Tax, Tax the Kiddies!
I have written a few blog posts on the thorny side of filing US income tax returns, FBARs and various information returns when one is married to a non-resident alien (NRA) spouse. It may be helpful to read those posts here and here before embarking on this one as the earlier posts set out some … Continue reading Tax Court, IRS Speak with Forked Tongue? Section 6013(g) Election to Treat Foreign Spouse as US “Resident”
Former US citizens or long term permanent residents who are giving up (or previously gave up) their US status, have far more than just the "Exit Tax" to worry about. They must also consider the impact the expatriation will have on their US family members and other intended US beneficiaries. I'm still waiting for more … Continue reading Gifts & Bequests from Former Americans – Beware that Trojan Horse
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 work frequently with 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
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?
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…
As many will remember, the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP) closed on September 28th with the promise that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) would issue new guidance on voluntary disclosures made after that date. The guidance just arrived in the form of a 5-page Memorandum by Kristen B. Wielobob, Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement, … Continue reading It’s Finally Here: The IRS Bible for Voluntary Disclosures
Over the summer, I blogged about the newly formed “Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement”, or the “J5”, for short. Five countries form this international coalition: Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The goal of the J5 is to combat transnational tax crime through increased collaboration; in other words, these … Continue reading Newest Targets: “Enablers” and “Cryptocurrencies”
My blog post containing tax-saving tips for the filing of a US income tax return when one is married to a non-resident alien spouse is here. It will be helpful to read that post before embarking on this one as it sets out the basics and provides the income tax rates and brackets for the 2018 … Continue reading Married to A Non-US Spouse? Use of “Resident” Election, Filing FBAR and Form 8938
