Virginia La Torre Jeker, J.D. — US tax matters affecting international clients
The United States Supreme Court has just set the stage for sky high FBAR penalties. How did this happen? Let's take a look - The case of United States v. Toth, No. 21-1009 (1st Cir. 2022) was on appeal to the US Supreme Court. The focus of the appeal was that the FBAR penalty was … Continue reading FBAR Penalties – US v. Molyneux and the Big Fat Money Grab
Today’s blog post looks again at the Report of Foreign Financial Accounts (Form 114), the well-known “FBAR”. It examines a case of first impression when it comes to finding a “willful” FBAR violation. Before delving into the case, I provide readers with a quick introduction to Mr. FBAR. The FBAR has its genesis in the … Continue reading Mr. FBAR Gets Bolder in Toth – “Deemed Willfulness” for FBAR Violation
United States v. Toth: Just yesterday, the United States Supreme Court denied review of Toth, a case being carefully followed by tax professionals who deal with FBAR cases, US persons abroad, and all things "foreign". Toth was an FBAR “willful” penalty case on appeal to the First Circuit, with one of the issues being whether … Continue reading Breaking! Gird Your Loins for Greater FBAR Penalties! Supreme Court Denies Review in Toth/ Excessive Fines Issue
Last week's blog post, here, examined some of the weapons the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) can use to collect taxes when the uncooperative taxpayer and assets are located abroad. Today we look at some other possible remedies. Is There Any US Connection to Foreign Banks? The IRS can issue a levy notice to any bank … Continue reading Foreign Assets — How Can the IRS Enforce Tax Collection Overseas? (Part II)
Last week's blog post, here, discussed the details of the Internal Revenue Service "Voluntary Disclosure Practice" (VDP). VDP is the one and only method for voluntary disclosures that apply to criminal tax activity, regardless if the activity involves offshore issues or strictly domestic ones. The final conclusion of a taxpayer’s entry into the Voluntary Disclosure … Continue reading What is a Closing Agreement and When Will One Be Entered Into by the IRS?
A taxpayer's US passport can be denied issuance, renewal and can even be revoked, if the taxpayer has so-called “seriously delinquent tax debt” per IRC Section 7345. I have blogged about this before - here and here. Generally, a "seriously delinquent tax debt" is an individual's unpaid, legally enforceable federal tax debt (including interest and … Continue reading US Passport Denied for Delinquent Tax Debt, Actual Notice to the Taxpayer Not Required
We have another important FBAR case. The case is significant for 2 distinct reasons 1) clarification, and some may say, an ‘expansion’ of the definition of “financial interest” in an account requiring FBAR reporting and 2) a firm demonstration how far the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will go to assert a civil “willful” FBAR penalty. … Continue reading Mr. FBAR – He Lurks in Every Corner – Katholos Case Expands Meaning of “Financial Interest”
Are "Streamlined" audits on the rise? It appears so. In 2016, two years after the Streamlined Procedures were put into place, then-Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline Ciraolo (Dept. of Justice) had this to say in an interview: "After seven years of voluntary disclosure programs, nearly 200 criminal prosecutions, and the increased assessment and suits to … Continue reading Are Streamlined Audits Becoming More Common? The Streamlined Submission that went Belly-Up (Part II)
My earlier blog post detailed some of the US tax consequences that could occur when a taxpayer makes, what he thinks is a “loan” to a foreign corporation, but that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) later determines should be treated as an “equity” interest in the corporation. As set out in my earlier blog post, Treasury … Continue reading Determinative Factors: “Debt” v. “Equity” and Your Loan to a Foreign Corporation (Part I)
What happens if you make a loan to a foreign (non-US) corporation and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) later determines that the “loan” should not be treated as a “loan” for US tax purposes? Instead, the IRS says it should be treated as if you made a capital contribution to the corporation and therefore had … Continue reading US Person – Made a “Loan” to a Foreign Corporation?
Virginia - US TAX TALK 