IRS Foreign Reporting Pitfalls: Offshore Accounts & Activities, FBAR, & Reasons to Voluntarily Disclosure Missed Filings (TAX CPE)
Neil A.J. Sullivan, CPA, TEP
Offshore disclosures are complex and include: assets held individually or through a foreign entity (such as corporation, trust, or partnership) and transactions with foreign persons and/or entities. IRS civil and criminal penalties for missed filings are Draconian ($10,000 ++).
Financial transparency through a network of international cooperation among 60 countries increases risks of nondisclosure of offshore accounts and activities, as exemplified by: Foreign reporting by Foreign Financial Institutions (FFI) to IRS under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), Tax Information Exchange Agreements (TIEA’s), and OECD multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters.
U.S. IRS Offshore reporting disclosures include: Specified Foreign Financial Assets, Form 8938; Foreign Trusts & Gifts, Form 3520; Foreign Corporations, Form 5471; Foreign Partnerships, Form 8865; & Transfers of Property to a Foreign Corporation, Form 926.
FBAR E filing tutorial - to (a) register & (b) E file your clients Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts.