Virginia La Torre Jeker, J.D. — US tax matters affecting international clients
Many people do not think about the possible US tax planning techniques available to them before they become taxed as US “residents”. Once taxed as a US "resident" (e.g., a green card holder) the individual must clearly understand they are liable for US income tax on their worldwide income, in the same manner as a … Continue reading US Tax Planning Before Immigrating to the United States
When a US person has any involvement in any way with a foreign trust, extreme care is required to make sure that all of the strict US tax filing responsibilities are met. Surprisingly, for US tax purposes, a trust can be treated as “foreign” even if it is created in the US under US laws. … Continue reading Double Whammy – US Owner and Beneficiary of Foreign Trust Held Liable for 2 Separate Penalties! Failure to Report as “Owner” and Failure to Report as “Beneficiary”
Many parents establish a trust for their children and intend that the trust be a domestic (US) trust. Often, this will be a testamentary trust. That is, one that comes into being upon death of the testator, created pursuant to a Last Will & Testament. Many parents struggle with the decision as to who to … Continue reading Selecting a Trustee for Your US Trust – What About a Foreign Family Member?
Many individuals have questions about the US tax consequences of foreign (non-US) assets inherited from a non-US individual who has passed away. They want to know whether US tax reporting is required, or if they must pay US tax on the inheritance. Some ask about the US tax upon a later sale of the inherited … Continue reading US Person Inheriting Assets from a “Foreigner” or Through a Foreign Trust
On November 5, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) made life more difficult for taxpayers who may have missed some foreign information return filings. The IRS quietly revised one of the four options to correct for missing information returns with respect to a US taxpayer’s interest in any offshore/foreign assets and holdings (e.g., Form 8938, Form … Continue reading IRS Stealth: Delinquent Information Submission Procedure Penalties May Apply Without Considering “Reasonable Cause” Statement
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is looking for money. As part of the hunt, it has instituted various “campaigns” (full list here) aimed at areas in which there is greater taxpayer noncompliance that may involve significant tax dollars and penalties. One such campaign involves the failure by a US person to file complex information-reporting tax … Continue reading Foreign Trust Forms 3520 and 3520-A Penalties: A Potential Gold Mine for the IRS
Most tax practitioners and wealth planning professionals have heard of the “foreign grantor trust” (FGT) but many are unsure of what it is, how it works, or what it can accomplish in US tax planning. My post today provides an overview. The use of a so-called “foreign grantor trust” is a traditional planning technique that … Continue reading Using a “Foreign Grantor Trust” – I Heard of it, but Hmmmm … I Want to Know More
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!
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!
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
Virginia - US TAX TALK 