Have You Inherited a P.F.I.C.? – What it Means to Be a U.S. Beneficiary

Volume 5 No 6    |    Read Article

By Rusudan Shervashidze and Nina Krauthamer

In today’s global environment, it is not surprising to find that a beneficiary of a foreign estate or trust is living in the U.S. An interest in a foreign trust can be problematic for the beneficiary if the foreign trust invests through a foreign “blocker” corporation that holds passive assets (such as publicly traded stocks and securities) or a foreign mutual fund. These companies can stumble into P.F.I.C. categorization for U.S. tax purposes, which yields sub-optimal tax consequences for the U.S. beneficiary. Rusudan Shervashidze and Nina Krauthamer break down the U.S. tax rules that make a foreign corporation a P.F.I.C., the various ways in which a U.S. investor in a P.F.I.C. will be taxed, and the reporting obligations that are imposed on the U.S. investor in a P.F.I.C.    See more →