I made a gift, now what?
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 […]
New IRS Voluntary Disclosure Procedures
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 […]
Important U.S. Tax Filing Deadlines for Taxpayers Overseas
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 […]
Penalties to watch out for
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 […]
Does a 529 Plan Help Pay For College?
Introduction to a 529 Plan: A 529 plan is designed to encourage saving money for future education costs. The tax-advantaged savings plan has two types, including prepaid tuition plans and education savings plans. Prepaid tuition plans: A type of 529 plan that lets an account owner purchase units or credits at participating colleges or […]
General Hong Kong Tax Guide
Do you need assistance with Hong Kong salaries tax? Here is an overview of the general individual taxation system in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, Hong Kong adopts a territorial source principle of taxation. Individuals are taxed only on income that has been “earned in Hong Kong”. There is no capital gains tax, no interest/dividend tax and no inheritance […]
What is the streamlined filing compliance procedures?
For taxpayers living overseas who have not filed U.S. tax returns in the past, the IRS is providing options for resolving their tax and penalty obligations. The U.S. is one of only two countries (the other Eritrea) that taxes its citizens on their worldwide income regardless of their location. We know of taxpayers who have […]
Ways to Check the Status of Your Tax Refund
You can start checking on your refund 24 hours after e-filing or 4 weeks after you have mailed your return. Your refund status is available on https://www.irs.gov/refunds. You will need to provide your social security number or ITIN, filling status and exact refund amount when checking the refund status. All the data you need are […]
What is an IRS Transcript? Ways to Get a Transcript for of Tax Return Information for Current and Previous Years
A tax transcript is a tax record with key information from the federal US tax returns that you filed previously. If you lost your return and need to find out how much taxes you owe or verify payments you made which is more than 18 months ago, you can obtain free Form 1040-series transcript types […]
2017 U.S. Tax Reform Presentation Summary – January 22, 2018 Central Hong Kong
If you were not able to attend our 2017 U.S. tax reform presentation with Tariq Dennison of GFM Asset Management and American Pacific Tax on January 22, 2018, here’s a brief summary of the main points we covered: – Individual income tax rate changes beginning in 2018. – Increase in standard deduction and elimination of […]