Virginia La Torre Jeker, J.D. — US tax matters affecting international clients
The US Supreme Court just agreed to resolve the split in the circuit courts whether the FBAR $10,000 civil nonwillful penalty is to be applied on a “per account” rather than “per form” basis. By granting certiorari to Mr. Bittner, a taxpayer who petitioned the Court to review his case, we will finally have a … Continue reading US Supreme Court to Decide: FBAR Penalty, $10K per Form or per Account?
Recently, I presented a webinar for tax pro’s earning CPE credits; the topic involved our favorite character, Mr. FBAR. The FBAR, Form 114, is more formally known as the Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts. The webinar will be available soon as a CPE credit "self-study" program. Send me an email if you wish … Continue reading US Residency “First Year Election” and FBAR – The Devil is in the Details
My earlier blog posts discussed the split in the circuit courts whether the FBAR $10,000 civil nonwillful penalty is to be applied on a “per account” basis rather than “per form”. The crux of the matter involves conflicting statutory interpretations by the 5th and 9th circuit courts of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) (31 U.S.C. … Continue reading Solicitor General Wants US Supreme Court to Decide Whether the FBAR “Nonwillful” Penalty is “Per Form” or “Per Account”
Can a presidential pardon forgive FBAR penalties? Maybe Paul Manafort Jr. thinks so! Despite notice and demand for payment, he is not paying US$2.9 million in “willful” FBAR penalties assessed against him. The US government just brought an action in the southern district court (West Palm Beach division 4/28/2022), to collect the outstanding civil penalties … Continue reading FBAR – It Gets You in the End, Presidential Pardon Notwithstanding
A very recent FBAR case teaches us a few things. My colleague, attorney John Richardson, noted this after reading the case: "When charities need to raise money they will often have a bake sale or an auction. When the US government wants to raise money it uses an 'FBAR Fundraiser'". Readers, draw your own opinion! … Continue reading Recent FBAR Case: IRS Seeks “Willful” Penalty $8.8M Without Much Regard for the Facts
The Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) contained in Title 31 of the United States Code, requires that every year US persons must report certain foreign financial accounts, such as bank accounts, brokerage accounts and mutual funds, to the Treasury Department and to keep certain records with regard to these accounts. The reporting is done by filing … Continue reading Oops… Made a Mistake on an FBAR?
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) just issued a damning report on FATCA: Additional Actions Are Needed to Address Non-Filing and Non-Reporting Compliance Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (Report # 2022-30-019 4/7/22), available here. The TIGTA audit was undertaken to evaluate IRS efforts to actually use the reams and reams of … Continue reading Treasury Inspector General Says FATCA is a Big Fat Flop ….So Far
My earlier post set out certain details about the responsibility for a trust to file the Report of Foreign Financial Accounts (Form 114), or FBAR, with respect to foreign accounts it owns or is deemed to own under the FBAR rules. Today’s discussion covers the situation when trustees, trust beneficiaries and grantors (i.e., the trust … Continue reading Looking for Mr. FBAR: FBAR Filings for Trustees, Beneficiaries & Trust Grantors
My latest article on our good friend, Mr. FBAR, is copied below in full, as published by Bloomberg Tax February 21, 2022 in the Daily Tax Report Reproduced with permission, The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. (800-372-1033) http://www.bloombergindustry.comResponsibility for filing the Report of Foreign Financial Accounts Form 114, or FBAR, is governed by the rules … Continue reading Looking for Mr. FBAR: When Does a Trust Have a Duty to File?
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
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