ISRAEL IS BECOMING THE I.R.S.'S STRICTEST ENFORCER OF F.A.T.C.A.

On May 4, 2014 Israel reached a Model 1 agreement with the U.S. Israel has shown a strong eagerness to accept F.A.T.C.A. In 2012, the Association of Banks in Israel urged the country's central bank, the Bank of Israel, to ask the government to reach a F.A.T.C.A. agreement with the United States. Earlier in 2014, even before the signing of the F.A.T.C.A. agreement, the Bank of Israel ordered Israeli financial institutions to begin to implement F.A.T.C.A. procedures, including appointing an officer to oversee F.A.T.C.A. compliance, identifying U.S. customers, making them sign I.R.S. declarations (such as I.R.S. Form W-9 or Form W-8BEN), and expelling any clients unwilling to do so. Israel has shown strong support and an eagerness to uphold the enforcement of F.A.T.C.A.

The Israeli Ministry of Finance has drafted proposed regulations that would impose criminal penalties on Israeli financial institutions (including banks, brokerage houses, and insurance companies) that do not comply with F.A.T.C.A. reporting obligations.

CANADIANS CHALLENGE F.A.T.C.A. AGREEMENT

On August 11, through the Alliance for the Defense of Canadian Sovereignty, two U.S.-born Canadians filed a lawsuit against the Canadian government asserting that the Canadian I.G.A. was unconstitutional.

A statement of claim at the Federal Court of Canada in Vancouver was filed against the defendant, the Attorney General of Canada, contesting the Model 1 reciprocal I.G.A. that Canada and the United States signed on February 5.