Tag: US tax

Foreign Trust Forms 3520 and 3520-A Penalties: A Potential Gold Mine for the IRS

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 →

CONFUSED? FinCEN Blows it….FBAR Due Date Now Extended Till October 31 2020

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 →

Expatriation – IRS Told to Get Tough and Enforce the Law

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 →

Using a “Foreign Grantor Trust” – I Heard of it, but Hmmmm … I Want to Know More

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 →

Section 965 Transition Tax – Enforcement & Audits Begin Next Month

By now most of my readers will have some familiarity with  Internal Revenue Code Section 965, and the “deemed repatriation” or “transition tax” introduced by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) in 2017.  My earlier blog post provided significant detail about this new tax law provision which is intended to move the US international tax … Continue reading Section 965 Transition Tax – Enforcement & Audits Begin Next Month →

2020 Tax Returns & Latest Crypto Developments – In the Crosshairs

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) just recently released the 2020 draft Form 1040.  In your face right on page one, on a separately colored block: “At any time during 2020, did you receive, sell, send, exchange or otherwise acquire any financial interest in any virtual currency?”  This question first appeared for the 2019 tax return, but … Continue reading 2020 Tax Returns & Latest Crypto Developments – In the Crosshairs →

Rich Americans…. Time to Wake Up!

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! →

Seriously? IRS Assesses US$5.1 Million FBAR Penalty for “Signature Authority”

I have been keeping readers up to date with the current controversy surrounding imposition of an FBAR penalty for “willful” violations – is it limited to a $100,000 cap or can the penalty, if greater, be assessed at 50% of the value of the unreported account? More detailed background on this issue is available at my … Continue reading Seriously? IRS Assesses US$5.1 Million FBAR Penalty for “Signature Authority” →

Expatriation Numbers Skyrocket! Giving up US Citizenship – Will I be Banned from Re-entering the USA?

Well, the numbers of individuals renouncing US citizenship is apparently reaching epic proportions.  It has been reported that 5,816 Americans gave up their citizenship in the first six months of 2020 and that this represents a 1,210% increase from the prior six months ending December 2019, when only 444 cases were recorded.  Most clients I … Continue reading Expatriation Numbers Skyrocket! Giving up US Citizenship – Will I be Banned from Re-entering the USA? →

Clash of the Titans:  Can we Harmonize US Tax and Shariah Laws?

Recently, I was asked by Islamic Finance News, a leading provider of news in the Islamic financial world, to write an article addressing a largely unexplored topic.  What is it? Why is it essentially uncharted and not discussed?  The topic involves the unique impact on financial and other transactions when US tax and Shariah laws … Continue reading Clash of the Titans:  Can we Harmonize US Tax and Shariah Laws? →