Virginia La Torre Jeker, J.D. — US tax matters affecting international clients
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) just issued Notice 2021-18. This is the geographical list that spells out adjustments to the foreign housing exclusion available for many US persons living abroad. These limitations are made on the basis of geographic differences in housing costs relative to housing costs in the United States. The ability to deduct … Continue reading Where Do You Live? Understanding Foreign Housing Cost Amounts
Please spread the word and share this news. I will be making FBAR matters simple in a cost-effective live online training session along with my colleague, Jimmy Sexton, LL.M. a fellow international tax expert. Whether you are preparing your own FBARs or those of your clients, the truth is that some FBAR situations are simple … Continue reading REMINDER: Wondering if You (or Your Clients) Need to File an FBAR or Have Been Preparing Them Correctly?
As many will remember, the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP) closed on September 28 2018 with the promise that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) would issue new guidance on voluntary disclosures made after that date. The guidance arrived on November 20 2018 in the form of a 5-page Memorandum (IRS Memorandum LB&I-09-1118-014) (“Memorandum”) by the … Continue reading Want Protection from Criminal Prosecution for Tax Noncompliance? IRS Provides Only One Way
As all my readers know, the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) has been requiring US taxpayers to report certain foreign financial accounts and retain detailed records about them. Failing to file or to properly report all foreign accounts on the notorious “FBAR” (FinCEN Form 114, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts) can result in very high … Continue reading No IRS! The Sky is NOT the Limit….MAJOR FBAR WIN! Penalty is Per FBAR Form, Not Per Account
There’s a new law on the books and it does not bode well for, among others, those with foreign accounts that have not been properly reported to the Internal Revenue Service. The “Combating Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing, and Counterfeiting Act of 2019” (the “Act”) became part of the reconciled National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal … Continue reading Your Foreign Bank Records – IRS Now Has Much Easier Access
It’s finally here! We now have a new law mandating creation of a national database of beneficial owners of US businesses (and foreign businesses registered to do business in the US). It’s been a long time in coming and is being hailed as a huge anti-corruption and anti-money laundering reform . There have been several … Continue reading Bye-Bye Shell Companies! Beneficial Ownership Reporting Now Required by the USA
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
Imagine you are an American taxpayer living overseas. Like so many other Americans you are facing financial hardships wrought by COVID-19. You have a car loan you cannot pay and mounting credit card debt. Like an angel from above, your creditors agree to forever forgive some of the amounts you otherwise owe them. You cannot … Continue reading What a Mess: Debt Forgiveness and the American Abroad
The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released instructions to the draft 2020 Form 1040 on Oct 23rd. It may be recalled that a virtual currency question was introduced for the first time on the 2019 Form 1040 on Schedule 1. Not all taxpayers are required to complete Schedule 1. Now, the 2020 Form 1040 places the question … Continue reading Virtual Currency: IRS Sheds More Light for 2020 Tax Returns
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
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