Many US taxpayers still have questions regarding offshore accounts and FBAR filing requirements and compliance. Is there a genuine risk their activities (or lack of compliance) will come to light? The definition of a US...more
When is a US Taxpayer required to disclose offshore accounts on an FBAR and IRS Form 8938? While many US taxpayers and expatriates have come to understand the requirements of the FinCEN Form 114 or FBAR, a surprising number...more
It is common for a US taxpayer to ask “what happens if you don’t file an FBAR or a Form 8938, Statement of Specified Foreign Assets with the IRS? Why do I have to worry about filing an FBAR in San Diego or anywhere in the US,...more
On July 29, 2021, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, the Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice Tax Division, and the IRS Commissioner all announced that a federal court in New...more
U.S. Taxpayers (includes a citizen, permanent resident, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust and estate) are required to file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) if they have...more
El 15 de marzo del 2019, el IRS informó que la ocultación de dinero o activos en cuentas extraterritoriales (“offshore”) no declaradas permanece en la lista de las estafas tributarias conocidas come la Docena Sucia o "Dirty...more
On March 15, 2019, IRS reported that hiding money or assets in unreported offshore accounts remains on the Internal Revenue Service’s “Dirty Dozen” list of tax scams for 2019....more
Conduct Performed Without Knowledge Still Can Lead to the Most Serious Penalties - Under the Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”), the most onerous civil penalties will be applied for “willful” violations....more
In recent months, the Internal Revenue Service (“the Service”) began the process of issuing follow-up letters to taxpayers who either requested preclearance to participate in the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (“OVDP”)...more
The Internal Revenue Service has issued its annual reminder to taxpayers that they report their foreign assets on their individual tax returns due on April 17, 2018. Individuals with offshore assets such as bank accounts...more
The IRS recently announced it will be shutting down its successful Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP) for unreported foreign bank accounts and income. The program will end September 28, 2018. Under the OVDP, first...more
The Justice Department’s Tax Division has recently announced a major policy shift that will invariably result in longer jail sentences for individuals convicted of failing to report their offshore bank accounts on the FBAR...more
At the 34th Annual National Institute on Criminal Tax Fraud in Las Vegas yesterday afternoon, Mark Daly, DOJ Tax Division Senior Litigation Counsel announced a major new shift in how the Department of Justice plans to argue...more
As the world now knows, an indictment against Paul Manafort, Jr., a former campaign chairperson for now-President Donald Trump, and Manafort’s associate, Richard Gates III, was unsealed yesterday. ...more
Americans with secret accounts in Belize should take notice: the government is looking for you. The U.S. Department of Justice on September 15 filed a petition in federal court in Miami seeking permission to issue summonses...more
Individuals and organizations with a financial interest in or signature authority over a foreign financial account, in which the aggregate value of the accounts exceeded $10,000 at any point in 2014, may need to file FinCEN...more
As you may have read, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) recently announced changes to its offshore voluntary disclosure programs and announced new options for taxpayers to come into compliance with their U.S. tax...more
Last week, a federal jury in Miami found that Carl Zwerner had willfully failed to disclose his foreign bank account to the Treasury Department for calendar years 2004, 2005 and 2006. Zwerner now potentially owes the United...more
The Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) can no longer be filed on TDF 90-22.1, and must be e-filed on Form 114. This alert summarizes developments involving FBAR e-filing and signature authority. They are...more
Much has been written about the IRS's dogged pursuit of taxpayers with unreported foreign accounts. These accounts are reported on the Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) when a taxpayer has a financial...more
Tax Analysts Tax Notes is reporting that David Raminfard of Los Angeles pleaded guilty on November 4, 2013, in federal court to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States (Klein conspiracy). ...more
Bloomberg BNA is reporting that two prominent Phoenix businessmen were each sentenced to 10 months in prison for their roles in a scheme to stash more than $8 million in secret offshore Swiss bank accounts and for not...more
Tax Analysts Tax Notes is reporting that Aaron Cohen of Encino, Calif., pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to conspiracy to defraud the United States....more