F.A.T.C.A. – Where Do We Stand Today?

Volume 5 No 8    |    Read Article

By Rusudan Shervashidze and Nina Krauthamer

When F.A.T.C.A. was adopted in 2010, the hoopla from the U.S. Senate promoted the idea that the I.R.S. would become invincible in rooting out recalcitrant Americans not wanting to pay tax and the financial institutions willing to assist them. In principle, information in U.S. tax returns could be compared with F.A.T.C.A. reporting by foreign financial institutions to identify which taxpayers remained offside and which banks had insufficient reporting systems. A recent report by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (“T.I.G.T.A.”) concluded that after spending nearly $380 million, the I.R.S. is still not prepared to enforce F.A.T.C.A. compliance. In their article, Rusudan Shervashidze and Nina Krauthamer summarize the principal shortfalls and possible solutions identified by T.I.G.T.A. and which suggested action plans the I.R.S. will contemplate.    See more →