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ARE EMPLOYMENT TAX EXAMINATIONS BEING USED AS A PRETEXT FOR CRIMINAL PROSECUTION? 2022 ROUND UP

  Prosecution for employment tax crimes in 2022, reflects an increase in investigations for employment tax violations by the Department of Justice, Tax Division and also provides some insight as to the Government’s intention to prioritize…

FINAL RULE ISSUED UNDER THE CORPORATE TRANSPARENCY ACT – IMPLICATIONS FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER

The U.S. Department of the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) recently issued its Final Rule under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) implementing the CTA’s requirements related to reporting beneficial…
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AUDIT RISK TO INCREASE FOR LOW TO MIDDLE INCOME TAXPAYERS UNDER THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT

The IRS estimates that individual taxpayers underreported their income tax on average by $245 billion each year for tax years 2011 to 2013 (See IRS Publication 1415). This underreporting is the largest component of the tax gap—the difference…
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FORM 5471 FILING REQUIREMENTS FOR U.S. TAXPAYER MARRIED TO NON-RESIDENT SPOUSE

The requirements for filing Form 5471 are quite complex and confusing.  The obligation to file Form 5471 depends upon the specific facts of each case. Hence, one size does not fit all. In the context of the Form 5471 filing requirements,…
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FATCA REPORTING CHANGES AND INFLATION REDUCTION ACT SPELL TROUBLE FOR TAXPAYERS WHO HAVE FAILED TO FILE FORM 8938 AND FBARS

A recent report (the “Report”) from The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (“TIGTA”) addressing Non-Filing and Non-Reporting Compliance under the Foreign Tax Compliance ACT (“FATCA”),  the Senate Finance Committee’s…
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FIFTH CIRCUIT RULES NON-WILLFUL FBAR PENALTY IS PER ACCOUNT AND NOT PER FORM

The Fifth Circuit recently held in United States v. Bittner,  ___ F. 4th ___ (5th Cir. 11/30/21) that the non-willful FBAR penalty should be applied on a per account basis, rather than on a per form basis.  The Court cited 31 U.S.C. §5314…
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CAN THE FBAR PENALTY MITIGATION GUIDELINES LOWER YOUR FBAR PENALTY OBLIGATION?

NAVIGATING THE FBAR PENALTY MITIGATION GUIDELINES Failure to report your foreign financial accounts on Report of Foreign Bank Account Reports can result in the imposition of steep penalties. The FBAR penalty regimen, which provides for willful…
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COURT ORDERS REPATRIATION OF FOREIGN ASSETS TO AID IN FBAR PENALTY COLLECTIONS

The issue of whether the Government can repatriate a taxpayer’s foreign assets for purposes of satisfying a taxpayer’s outstanding FBAR penalty judgment has not been extensively reported on or discussed. However, the issue was recently addressed…

FBAR CONSENT TO EXTEND STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS OPERATES AS A WAIVER/NON WILLFUL FBAR PENALTIES ASSESSED PER ACCOUNT

U.S. DISTRICT COURT DECIDES FBAR PENALTY STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS WAIVED AND  ASSESMENT OF NON WILLFUL FBAR PENALTIES PER ACCOUNT The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida recently held that the statute of limitations for…
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Quiet Disclosures and the Civil Willful FBAR Penalty. Even Death Will Not Help You

The Government will examine efforts by a Taxpayer to avoid detection by the Internal Revenue Service, when deciding whether to assess the Civil Willful FBAR penalty. In particular, the IRS considers  making a quiet disclosure, an indicator…