Virginia La Torre Jeker, J.D. — US tax matters affecting international clients
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
Americans working abroad are usually eligible to exclude certain foreign earned income (wages, compensation for services) from US taxable income under the rules governing the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE). In addition they may be able to exclude certain amounts paid for foreign housing using the Foreign Housing Exclusion (FHE). Both are governed by Internal … Continue reading Americans Abroad: IRS Issues 2020 Form 2555 and Instructions Detailing COVID-19 Relief
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 number of individuals ending their US status, or “expatriating” continues to rise unabated. “Expatriates” as used in this context refers to citizens renouncing US citizenship or “long term residents” giving up a green card. On October 28 the Treasury Department released the names of 732 individuals who “expatriated” during the third quarter of 2020. When … Continue reading Expatriation: More than just a Fashionable Trend — Numbers Climb
Looking at Mr. Biden’s tax proposals and now faced with his win of the presidency, coupled with Democrat control of the House, Americans abroad are in for a rough time. This is especially true for anyone considering giving up US citizenship or long term permanent residency (LTR). Those thinking about expatriation must take immediate action … Continue reading Mr. Biden’s Tax Plans – Serious Pain in Store for those Expatriating, Pain for Americans Abroad…. And Others!
Foreign investment in the US real property market is big business. US property sales to foreign buyers in 2019 totaled US$78 billion. A look at statistics from more recent years shows that the largest share of foreign residential investors are from China and Canada, followed by Mexico. The US tax laws apply to foreigners owning … Continue reading IRS Needs Money: NRA’s Owning US Real Estate Will Help the Agency Get it Via Taxes and Penalties
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
On October 14, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) caused a lot of confusion for taxpayers and their advisors concerning the filing due date for foreign (non-US) financial accounts. An incorrect posting was issued by FinCEN about the 2020 deadline to file Form 114, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts, commonly known as the … Continue reading CONFUSED? FinCEN Blows it….FBAR Due Date Now Extended Till October 31 2020
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) recently issued its report “More Enforcement and a Centralized Compliance Efforts Are Required for Expatriation Provisions”, (Reference Number: 2020-30-071, September 28,2020) telling the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that it needs to do more to make sure that the rising number of US citizens and long term residents … Continue reading Expatriation – IRS Told to Get Tough and Enforce the Law
Virginia - US TAX TALK 