The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) is a 2010 US law requiring foreign financial institutions (FFIs) to review data for their account holders and identify all their US account holders or be subject to withholding on certain payments. FORM W-8 These foreign financial institutions would request W-8 series forms to identify and document their [...]
Happy holidays! We just celebrated our 8 year anniversary this month and have been continuously looking for the best ways to help our clients, even in these challenging times! As we wrap up 2020, year-end tax planning has never been more crucial. This year brought challenges and disruptions that significantly impacted your personal and financial [...]
In Hong Kong many of our clients commonly claim the foreign tax credit benefit while living abroad. The foreign tax credit prevents the dreaded double taxation by allowing taxpayers a dollar for dollar tax credit for foreign taxes paid. For many taxpayers, claiming a tax credit is more beneficial than claiming a tax deduction. However, [...]
Who files Form 5471? Any U.S. citizen, U.S. resident alien, corporation, partnership, trust, or estate who has at least 10% ownership in a foreign corporation, will likely be required to file Form 5471. The tax code explains that any “U.S. person” who meets certain requirements relating to ownership or control of the foreign corporation would [...]
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DEADLINES AND PAYMENTS: In the end of March 2020, the IRS announced that the federal income tax filing due date is automatically extended from April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020. The IRS has also said Taxpayers can defer federal income tax payments due on April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020, without penalties and [...]
Holidays season has just passed and you’ve probably gave away a lot of presents. Have you ever wondered whether these gifts are subject to any tax? What is a gift? A gift is made when the value of the property transferred (directly or indirectly) exceeds the value of consideration received in return. Thus, if you’re [...]
For all voluntary disclosures received after September 28, 2018, the IRS has a new program called the Voluntary Disclosure Practice (VDP). It is replacing the old Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP) which was closed on September 28, 2018. It applies to both domestic and offshore voluntary disclosures. It is an option designed for taxpayers to get back into [...]
For U.S. citizens or resident aliens, the rules for filing income tax returns and paying estimated tax are generally the same whether taxpayers are in the U.S. or abroad. All worldwide income is potentially subject to U.S. income tax. For U.S. citizens living oversea, there are additional filing requirements/deadlines that need to be addressed. Please [...]
Having to file tax returns every year can be challenging and painful. But what’s worse? The IRS can penalize you for all sort of reasons and it can cost you a great deal of money and time to resolve. Here is a list of penalties that are most encountered by taxpayers. Penalty for Not Filing [...]