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Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Update

by and | Aug 10, 2016 | , , ,

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) currently offers non-compliant US taxpayers several different relief programs in which to report foreign assets and/or income and become compliant with US rules related to the disclosure of foreign assets. One option is the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP).  Another is the Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures (SFCP).  SFCP is further bifurcated into two sub-programs—one for US residents (Streamlined Domestic Offshore Procedures or “SDOP”) and one for non-US residents (Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedures or “SFOP”).  Each program has its own set of tailored procedures and eligibility requirements.

The critical differences between OVDP and SFCP are: (1) the non-willfulness requirement; (2) the look-back period; and (3) the amounts of penalties the US taxpayer must pay.  Specifically, OVDP does not require the US taxpayer to certify that his or her failure to disclose foreign assets was non-willful.  On the other hand, SFCP requires the US taxpayer to certify that his or her failure to disclose foreign assets was non-willful and to also include a narrative explaining such non-willful conduct.  The incentive to demonstrate non-willfulness can be significant.  In general, US taxpayers who enroll in OVDP must pay a 27.5 percent penalty (and in some cases a 50 percent penalty) of the highest aggregate value of undisclosed foreign assets for the OVDP disclosure period (eight years).  However, US taxpayers who enter SDOP must only pay a five percent penalty of undisclosed foreign assets during the disclosure period (three years), and US taxpayers who enter SFOP pay no penalty. (more…)



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Paradise Papers Revelations Highlight Importance of IRS Voluntary Disclosure

by | Nov 6, 2017 | ,

In light of the massive leak of the Appleby files this weekend (i.e., the “Paradise Papers” leak), it is increasingly important for US taxpayers to know the rules regarding reporting of their offshore financial accounts and assets. We have previously written on this subject here.

The latest document release from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists includes over 13.4 million files spanning a time period of more than 60-years, including a large cache from the Bermudan law firm, Appleby, and a fiduciary service provider, Estera. According to news reports, covered jurisdictions include Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the Cook Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Lebanon, Malta, the Marshall Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Samoa, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vanuatu.

Practice Point: Voluntary disclosure to the Internal Revenue Service may still be an option for affected individuals and entities; therefore, all options should be considered when evaluating the consequences of this leak.



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IRS Issues New Procedures for Large Corporate Audit Disclosures

by and | Nov 30, 2022 | , ,

For decades, large corporate taxpayers under continuous audit have been able to make disclosures under Revenue Procedure 94-69 at the beginning of an examination to notify the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of adjustments (both positive and negative) to their tax returns and thereby obtain protection from various penalties and obviate the need to file a formal amended tax return. In 2020, the IRS questioned the continuing utility of this disclosure process and invited comments on said process. With the new Revenue Procedure 2022-39, the IRS has moved the largest corporate taxpayers into a new era of voluntary disclosure. This is a significant development for impacted taxpayers.

Read more here.



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Manafort Indictment Is a Good Reminder of FBAR Disclosure Requirements

by , , and | Nov 2, 2017 | ,

On October 30, 2017, Paul Manafort Jr. was indicted for concealing his interests in several foreign bank accounts, as well as tax evasion and a host of other criminal charges.  The indictment reminds us how important it is to follow the strict guidelines of the reporting regime that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the US Department of the Treasury have established to disclose foreign bank accounts.

Pursuant to the Bank Secrecy Act, a US citizen or resident (a US Person) is required to disclose certain foreign bank and financial accounts which he or she has “a financial interest in or signature authority over” annually.  This obligation can be triggered by direct or indirect interests; a US Person is treated as having a financial interest in a foreign account through indirect ownership of more than 50 percent of the voting power or equity of a foreign entity, like a corporation or partnership.  The US Person is required to annually disclose the interest on FinCEN 114, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts, which is commonly referred to as the FBAR.  The disclosure requirement is triggered when the aggregate value of the foreign account exceeds $10,000.  The form is filed with your federal income tax return.

The civil penalties for failing to timely disclose an interest in a foreign account can be severe, and in the case of willful violations, can reach up to 50 percent of the highest aggregate annual balance of the unreported foreign financial account each year.  The statute of limitations for FBAR violations is six years, and the willful penalty may be assessed for more than one year, creating extreme financial consequences for FBAR reporting failures.

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Weekly IRS Roundup March 11 – March 15, 2024

by , and | Mar 18, 2024 | , ,

Check out our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of March 11, 2024 – March 15, 2024.

March 11, 2024: In Internal Revenue Bulletin 2024-11, the IRS released Announcement 2024-10, which provides that replacement of lead service lines by government entities does not result in income for taxpayers.

March 11, 2024: The IRS highlighted seven suspicious signs that an Employee Retention Credit (ERC) claim is incorrect and urged businesses to seek a trusted tax professional to resolve an incorrect claim while they still can without penalties or interest. Fraudulent ERC claims have been added to the IRS’s “Dirty Dozen” list.

March 12, 2024: The IRS announced the full-scale launch of the Direct File pilot and encouraged eligible taxpayers in  Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Wyoming, Arizona, California, Massachusetts, New York and Washington to file their tax returns online for free directly with the IRS using the new service.

March 13, 2024: The IRS announced that, effective April 1, Guy Ficco will become the new IRS Criminal Investigation Chief.

March 13, 2024: The IRS announced that the Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries is retroactively extending the temporary waiver of its physical presence requirement for continuing professional education programs and is proposing regulations to eliminate the in-person requirement altogether.

March 13, 2024: The IRS reminded auto dealers and sellers that to submit time-of-sale reports and receive advance payments of the clean vehicle tax credit they must register their business with IRS Energy Credits Online.

March 14, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers who struggle to gather the necessary documents they need to file or pay the taxes they owe to consider several options offered on IRS.gov to avoid late filing and interest penalties. These include, among other things, requesting an extension to file tax returns and requesting a payment plan online.

March 14, 2024: The IRS reminded businesses that file 10 or more information returns that they must e-file Form 8300, Report of Cash Payments Over $10,000, instead of filing a paper return.

March 15, 2024: The IRS reminded businesses to review the ERC guidelines and consider the ERC Voluntary Disclosure Program or the claim withdrawal process to avoid penalties and interest. The deadline to apply for the ERC Voluntary Disclosure Program is March 2022.

March 15, 2024: The IRS reminded individuals and businesses that it is increasing the amount of information available in multiple languages. Much of the information on the IRS website has now been translated into seven different languages other than English. The IRS website’s Languages page includes an overview of key topics related to information about federal taxes in 21 languages.

March 15, 2024: The IRS released
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Weekly IRS Roundup March 4 – March 8, 2024

by , and | Mar 12, 2024 | , ,

Check out our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of March 4, 2024 – March 8, 2024.

March 4, 2024: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2024-10, which includes the following:

  • Revenue Ruling 2024-6, which provides that the overpayment interest rate under § 6621 of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) for the calendar quarter beginning April 1, 2024, will be 8% (7% in the case of a corporation), the underpayment interest rate will be 8% and the interest rate for large corporate underpayments will be 10%. The rate of interest paid on the portion of a corporate overpayment exceeding $10,000 will be 5.5%.
  • Notice 2024-24, which provides updates on the corporate bond monthly yield curve and corresponding spot segment rates for January 2024 used under Code § 417(e)(3)(D), the 24-month average segment rates applicable for February 2024, and the 30-year Treasury rates, as reflected by the application of § 430(h)(2)(C)(iv).
  • Announcement 2024-13, which revokes § 501(c)(3) determinations for certain organization(s) and stipulates that contributions made to the organization(s) by individual donors are no longer deductible under § 170(b)(1)(A).
  • Revenue Ruling 2024-04, which provides the March 2024 applicable federal rates.

March 4, 2024: The IRS announced that registration for its 2024 Nationwide Tax Forum is now open, providing tax professionals the opportunity to attend special continuing education sessions in five cities across the nation.

March 4, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers that the legal deadline for claiming the Recovery Rebate Credit in 2020 is May 17, 2024. The deadline for claiming the Recovery Rebate Credit in 2021 will be April 15, 2025.

March 5, 2024: The IRS issued final regulations, providing that certain tax-exempt organizations and political entities that earn certain clean energy credits can choose to make an elective payment election. Such an election results in the credits being treated as payments against the electing entity’s federal income tax liabilities with the IRS refunding any excess value. Notice 2024-27, in turn, requests additional comments on situations in which an elective payment election should be permitted with respect to credits purchased in a transfer for which an election under § 6418(a) is made.

March 6, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers that they are generally required to report all earned income on their tax returns, including income earned from digital asset transactions, the gig economy and the service industry as well as income from foreign sources.

March 6, 2024: The IRS released a statement acknowledging concerns related to a proposed policy change from January 2 that would limit access to tax return information from the IRS to protect taxpayer confidentiality. In response to comments, the IRS has suspended any changes under the proposed policy.

March 6, 2024: The IRS announced that Margie Rollinson took the oath [...]

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Weekly IRS Roundup February 26 – March 1, 2024

by , and | Mar 6, 2024 | , ,

Check out our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of February 26, 2024 – March 1, 2024.

February 26, 2024: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2024-9, which includes the following:

  • Announcement 2024-11, which shares recent disciplinary sanctions involving lawyers, certified public accountants, enrolled agents, enrolled actuaries, enrolled retirement plan agents and appraisers.
  • Revenue Procedure 2024-12, which extends the time for providing certain seller reports for vehicle sales that qualify for the clean vehicle credit or the previously owned clean vehicle credit under Internal Revenue Code (Code) §§ 30D and 25E, respectfully.
  • Revenue Procedure 2024-13, which provides two tables of limitations on depreciation deductions for owners of passenger automobiles placed in service during calendar year 2024 and a table of dollar amounts that must be used to determine income inclusions by passenger automobile lessees with a lease term beginning in calendar year 2024.
  • Revenue Procedure 2024-14, which provides indexing adjustments for applicable dollar amounts under Code § 4980H(c)(1) and (b)(1). These indexed amounts are used to calculate the employer shared responsibility payments under § 4980H(a) and (b)(1), respectively.

February 26, 2024: The IRS announced that it will accept supplemental applications from all qualified organizations for Low Income Taxpayer Clinic matching grants from February 26 to April 10.

February 26, 2024: The IRS provided businesses, tax professionals and others who want to learn more about resolving incorrect Employee Retention Credit (ERC) claims a free webinar about the ERC Voluntary Disclosure Program and other IRS efforts to help taxpayers who may have been misled by aggressive marketing and misinformation around ERC eligibility.

February 27, 2024: The IRS announced that individuals and businesses in parts of California affected by severe storms and flooding that began on January 21, 2024, now have until June 17, 2024, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments.

February 27, 2024: The IRS announced that two private sector experts with extensive experience in the tax and cryptocurrency industries have been hired as executive advisors to help the agency’s efforts within the digital assets space.

February 27, 2024: The IRS released Notice 2024-26, which provides that withholding agents (both US and foreign persons) are administratively exempt from the requirements to electronically file Forms 1042, Annual Withholding Tax Return for U.S. Source Income of Foreign Persons, that are required to be filed in calendar year 2024. Additionally, withholding agents that are foreign persons are administratively exempt from the requirements to electronically file Forms 1042 that are required to be filed in calendar year 2025.

February 28, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers that recent improvements to Where’s My Refund? provide more information and remains the best way to check the status of a refund, including information regarding IRS confirmation [...]

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Weekly IRS Roundup January 8 – January 12, 2024

by , and | Jan 16, 2024 | , ,

Check out our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of January 8, 2024 – January 12, 2024.

January 8, 2024: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2024-2, which includes the following:

  • Notice 2024-7, which provides eligible taxpayers with automatic relief from additions to tax for failure to pay with respect to certain income tax returns for 2020 and 2021.
  • Announcement 2024-3, which explains Voluntary Disclosure Program eligibility criteria, terms and procedures for taxpayers to resolve refunds or credits for erroneous Employee Retention Credit (ERC) claims.
  • Notice 2024-2, which provides guidance on certain SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 provisions.
  • Notice 2024-3, which sets forth the 2023 Cumulative List of Changes in Plan Qualification Requirements for Defined Contribution Qualified Pre-approved Plans.
  • Notice 2024-4, which updates the corporate bond monthly yield curve and corresponding spot segment rates for December 2023 used under Internal Revenue Code (Code) § 417(e)(3)(D), the 24-month average segment rates for December 2023 and the 30-year Treasury rates, as reflected by the application of § 430(h)(2)(C)(iv).
  • Revenue Ruling 2024-1, which provides covered compensation tables under § 401(1)(5)(E) for the 2024 plan year.
  • Notice 2024-1, which provides the percentage increase for calculating the qualifying payment amounts for items and services furnished in 2024 for purposes of Code §§ 9816 and 9817, §§ 716 and 717 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and §§ 2799A-1 and 2799A-2 of the Public Health Service Act.
  • Notice 2024-6, which provides additional guidance on the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) credit, including methods and Renewable Fuel Standard program safe harbors used to qualify for and calculate the SAF credit.
  • Announcement 2024-1, which revokes § 501(c)(3) determinations for certain organizations and stipulates that contributions made to the organizations by individual donors are no longer deductible under § 170(b)(1)(A).
  • Notice 2024-5, which provides a safe harbor for the incremental cost of certain qualified commercial clean vehicles placed in service in calendar year 2024 for purposes of the credit pursuant to § 45W.
  • Notice 2024-8, which provides the optional 2024 standard mileage rates that taxpayers can use when computing the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving expense purposes.
  • Notice 2024-9, which notes the IRS’s intent to propose regulations concerning statutorily required exceptions to the elective payment phaseout for entities that do not satisfy the domestic content requirements of §§ 45, 45Y, 48 and 48E. The notice also provides the transitional process for how applicable entities can claim the statutory exception for elective payment projects that begin construction during calendar year 2024 and fail to satisfy the domestic content requirement.
  • Notice 2024-11, which updates the list of treaties that meet the requirements of § 1(h)(11)(C)(i)(II) as it relates to [...]

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New IRS Funding Will Be Used to Focus on Tax Compliance of Non-US Citizens and Residents

by and | Oct 18, 2022 | , ,

US Congress will be giving the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) $79.6 billion over the next 10 years in an effort to put the agency back on the path to effective and efficient tax administration. The money will find lots of uses, including for the hiring of new personnel and updating the IRS’s antiquated technology.

At a recent American Bar Association Tax Section conference, Audrey Morris from the IRS Office of Chief Counsel (Small Business/Self-Employed Division) publicly stated that tax compliance among foreign nationals living and working in the United States also will be a priority and focus of the IRS’s new funding.

We have reported extensively about the re-funding of the IRS. (See here and here for example.) There are special considerations for non-US citizens who are not in compliance with US tax laws. For example, failing to properly report taxable income could be a bar or impediment to obtaining immigration status in the United States.

Practice Point: If you are a foreign national living in the United States and you may not be in compliance with US tax rules, it is time to consider doing so. The IRS has programs to help, including a voluntary disclosure program by which taxpayers who knowingly have reported their income erroneously or have failed to report income at all can disclose their transgressions and clean up their non-compliance. (See, e.g., here.)

Care should be taken, however, when dealing with the convergence of tax and immigration issues. If you are dealing with these sorts of issues, we strongly suggest speaking frankly with your tax and immigration advisors before doing anything.



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