If you aware that you have unreported foreign financial accounts that expose you to liability for Foreign Bank Account Report (FBAR) or Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) violations, you should carefully consider the risks of waiting to disclose your offshore accounts, including the following: The IRS does not have…
An IRS summons is an official order to produce information or provide testimony to aid in an IRS investigation. Summonses may be issued to the taxpayer being investigated or to third parties who may have information that the IRS wants to use in the investigation. If you receive a summons,…
Once the IRS files a federal tax lien, all other creditors or potential buyers have notice of the lien. If someone buys your home, they will be buying the home subject to the lien unless you are able to negotiate a lien discharge. If you attempt to refinance your home,…
Shortly after you fail to comply with an official demand for payment of your tax debt from the IRS, a secret lien attaches to all of your real property and personal property. However, the IRS can also file an official notice of federal tax lien on your home, and other…
The IRS sends taxpayers millions of notices per year. Whenever you receive correspondence from the IRS you should read it carefully and attempt to understand what the IRS is trying to tell you. This can be difficult because some notices are unclear to those who do are not familiar with…
The Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP) normally comes along with an “offshore penalty” equal to 27.5 percent of the highest aggregate account balance of the previously unreported foreign financial assets. However, the penalty is increased to 50 percent for taxpayers who have accounts at foreign financial institutions that are under…
U.S. taxpayers who live overseas may still have a Foreign Bank Account Report (FBAR) and form 8938 filing report for their foreign financial accounts. In general, your FBAR obligations will not be impacted by the fact that you live overseas. If you are a U.S. person and your aggregate account…
The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) sets reporting requirements for both foreign financial insinuations and U.S. taxpayers who hold specified foreign assets. If your foreign financial institution is in a country that has an agreement with the United States, then you will be asked whether or not you are…
Expats may decide to leave the U.S. due to work, retirement, or other reasons. Tax reduction may also be a motivation for moving to a foreign country, but the United States uses citizenship-based taxation. Therefore, the taxpayer still has a continuing obligation to file and pay U.S. taxes (although they…
Dual citizens, along with all other “United States persons”, must file a Report of Foreign Bank Accounts (FBAR) if the aggregate value of their foreign financial accounts exceeds $10,000 at any time during the year. This requirement applies to U.S. citizens, residents, green card holders, and those who must file…