Billionaires Income Tax On the Way & Covered Expats are Hit Hardest of All

If you or your clients are really (really) wealthy (more than $100 million in annual income or more than $1 billion in assets) and thinking about expatriation (relinquishing US citizenship or a green card as a long-term resident), the time is now.  Even if not super wealthy, the newly proposed Billionaires Income Tax should serve … Continue reading Billionaires Income Tax On the Way & Covered Expats are Hit Hardest of All

Tax Planning – “Foreign/International” Annual Inflation Adjustments Coming in 2024

Revenue Procedure 2023-34 was released by the IRS on November 9, 2023.   It provides full details about the annual inflation adjustments that are important in the world of US tax and impact over 60 tax provisions in the Internal Revenue Code ("Code"), including tax rate schedules and many other tax changes. Tax pro’s have been … Continue reading Tax Planning – “Foreign/International” Annual Inflation Adjustments Coming in 2024

Foreign Partnerships with a US Partner? Some Planning Ideas

An earlier blog post explained how easy it is for the foreign person to fall into some nasty US tax traps when entering a foreign partnership with a US person.  Even if that foreigner never sets foot in America and works solely from the foreign location, he can end up paying US taxes. In addition, … Continue reading Foreign Partnerships with a US Partner? Some Planning Ideas

Tax Court Petition Filed Late? Taxpayer Beats the Clock with Third Circuit Decision

You may remember from my last post that for the Swiss (I know them so well, being married to one for almost 4 decades), punctuality is not merely a nicety, or a bonbon in the huge dessert buffet of life.  Punctuality is highly valued and de rigueur.   So it is with the US tax rules when … Continue reading Tax Court Petition Filed Late? Taxpayer Beats the Clock with Third Circuit Decision

Is the US Tax Court Swiss? Taxpayer Loses When Petition Filed 11 Seconds Late     

I’ve been married to a Swiss for almost 40 years. I know the critical importance of timeliness.  When you say “I’ll be ready in 5 minutes”, believe me, that Swiss watch is ticking. And, so it is with the Tax Court and filing a Tax Court petition in response to an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) … Continue reading Is the US Tax Court Swiss? Taxpayer Loses When Petition Filed 11 Seconds Late     

US Tax Issues Abound: A Global Look at Protecting Vulnerable Persons from Financial Fraud (The Case of the Wicked Stepdaughter)

On Wednesday I presented a webinar for the Financial Planning Association’s July International & Cross-Border Planning Knowledge Circle. My webinar highlighted numerous US tax issues when safeguarding the finances of the elderly (or other vulnerable individuals), whether Stateside or overseas.  You can listen to the entire webinar here. The Case of the Wicked Stepdaughter A … Continue reading US Tax Issues Abound: A Global Look at Protecting Vulnerable Persons from Financial Fraud (The Case of the Wicked Stepdaughter)

Malta Retirement Plans – The Jig is Really Up!

Things are looking worse and worse for Americans who invested in Malta personal retirement plans. Not only has the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) listed them twice on its Dirty Dozen tax scams list, it has now proposed rules that will require taxpayers and material advisers to specially put the IRS on notice about their use.  … Continue reading Malta Retirement Plans – The Jig is Really Up!

FATCA Reporting of Compensatory Foreign Stock Option on Form 8938

My earlier blog post covered some US tax issues faced by the individual granted options on foreign company stock by his non-US employer.  When it comes to foreign information return reporting, the grant of options to an employee on foreign stock can get confusing.  Is an option granted to an employee with respect to foreign … Continue reading FATCA Reporting of Compensatory Foreign Stock Option on Form 8938

IRS Updates its Audit “Campaign” Targets – Who’s on the List?

For the past 6 years, the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Large Business and International (LB&I) Division shifted to a new audit strategy known as “campaigns.” This shift in focus concentrates on examining tax issues that will have the broadest impact on tax compliance while making the most efficient use of IRS’s resources. Given funding issues … Continue reading IRS Updates its Audit “Campaign” Targets – Who’s on the List?

US Tax Treatment: Stock Options from Your Foreign Employer

With more and more expatriates working outside the United States, many tax questions arise when an employee is given options to buy stock in the foreign company employer.  Stock options are increasingly becoming an important element of the international executive’s compensation package.  There are wonderful opportunities to be had with stock options, but there are … Continue reading US Tax Treatment: Stock Options from Your Foreign Employer