An American Solution to Offshore Tax Evasion

Volume 2 No 5    /    Read Article

By Robert J. Alter (guest author)

The United States Department of Justice Tax Division and the I.R.S. have been ramping up an intense crackdown on offshore tax evasion, and while new budget cuts have vastly reduced I.R.S. resources, the cutbacks are having no effect on I.R.S. enforcement initiatives in this area. Robert J. Alter of McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter discusses the U.S. crackdown on offshore tax evasion and the various programs available to rectify noncompliance, including the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program, Streamlined Procedures, Delinquent International Information Return Submission Procedures, and Delinquent F.B.A.R. Submission Procedures.   See more →

Insights Vol. 1 No. 7: Updates & Other Tidbits

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KENNETH WOOD NAMED ACTING DIRECTOR OF I.R.S. TRANSFER PRICING OPERATIONS

On July 24, the I.R.S. selected Kenneth Wood, senior manager in the Advance Pricing and Mutual Agreement Program, to replace Samuel Maruca as acting director of Transfer Pricing Operations. The appointment took effect on August 3, 2014. We previously discussed I.R.S. departures, including those in the Transfer Pricing Operations, here.

To re-iterate, it is unclear what the previous departures signify—whether the Large Business & International Division is being re-organized, or whether there are more fundamental disagreements on how the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (“B.E.P.S.”) initiative affects basic tenets of international tax law as defined by the I.R.S. and Treasury. Although there is still uncertainty about the latter issue, Ken Wood’s appointment seems to signify that the Transfer Pricing Operations’ function will remain intact in some way.

CORPORATE INVERSIONS CONTINUE TO TRIGGER CONTROVERSY: PART I

President Obama echoed many of the comments coming from the U.S. Congress when he recently denounced corporate inversion transactions in remarks made during an address at a Los Angeles technical college. As we know, inversions are attractive for U.S. multinationals because as a result of inverting, non-U.S. profits are not subject to U.S. Subpart F taxation. Rather, they are subject only to the foreign jurisdiction’s tax, which, these days, is usually lower than the U.S. tax. In addition, inversions position the multinational group to loan into the U.S. from the (now) foreign parent. Subject to some U.S. tax law restrictions, interest paid by the (now) U.S. subsidiary group is deductible for U.S. tax purposes with the (now) foreign parent booking interest at its home country’s lower tax rate.

“Inverted companies” have been severely criticized by the media and politicians as tax cheats that use cross-border mergers to escape U.S. taxes while still benefiting economically from their U.S. business presence. This has been seen as nothing more than an unfair increase of the tax burden of middle-income families.

O.V.D.P. Update

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I.R.S. ANNOUNCES MAJOR CHANGES TO O.V.D.P. AND STREAMLINED PROCEDURES

After more than two weeks of speculation, 49 on June 18, 2014, the I.R.S. announced major changes to its current offshore voluntary disclosure programs earlier today. The programs affected are the 2012 Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures for Non-Resident, Non-Filer U.S. Taxpayers (the “Streamlined Procedures”) and the 2012 O.V.D.P.

In general, as will be discussed in more detail below, the changes to the programs relax the rules for non-willful filers and at the same time potentially increase penalties for willful non-compliance.

The changes to the O.V.D.P., as announced today, include the following:

• Additional information will be required from taxpayers applying to the program;
• The existing reduced penalty percentage for non-willful taxpayers will be eliminated;
• All account statements, as well as payment of the offshore penalty, must be submitted at the time of the O.V.D.P. application;
• Taxpayers will be able to submit important amounts of records electronically; and
• The offshore penalty will be increased from 27.5% to 50% if, prior to the taxpayer’s pre-clearance submission, it becomes public that a financial institution where the taxpayer holds an account or another party facilitating the taxpayer’s offshore arrangement is under investigation by the I.R.S. or the Department of Justice.

Insights Vol. 1 No. 2: Updates & Other Tidbits

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UPDATE TO STREAMLINED PROCEDURES: DIFFERENT STROKES FOR THE SAME FOLKS

In our prior issue, Insights Vol. 1, No. 1, we noted that, for a U.S. taxpayer entering into the Streamlined Procedures (i.e., fast-track program) in 2013, an I.R.S. agent informally advised filing tax returns for the years 2009, 2010, and 2011. Upon further discussions with the I.R.S., the agent revisited the issue, advising that a taxpayer entering into the program today would need to file the last three years of tax returns (i.e., 2010, 2011, and 2012). In the event the taxpayer does not file a timely 2013 return prior to the submission, the applicable look-back period is 2011, 2012, and 2013.

This advice is consistent with the 2012 O.V.D.P. F.A.Q. # 9, which answers the question “What years are included in the OVDP disclosure period?” as follows:

For calendar year taxpayers the voluntary disclosure period is the most recent eight tax years for which the due date has already passed. The eight-year period does not include current years for which there has not yet been non-compliance. Thus, for taxpayers who submit a voluntary disclosure prior to April 15, 2012 (or other 2011 due date under extension), the disclosure must include each of the years 2003 through 2010 in which they have undisclosed foreign accounts and/or undisclosed foreign entities. Fiscal year taxpayers must include fiscal years ending in calendar years 2003 through 2010. For taxpayers who disclose after the due date (or extended due date) for 2011, the disclosure must include 2004 through 2011. For disclosures made in successive years, any additional years for which the due date has passed must be included, but a corresponding number of years at the beginning of the period will be excluded, so that each disclosure includes an eight year period.

Tax 101: Undisclosed Offshore Accounts, Are You Eligible for Streamlined Procedures?

Volume 1 No 1    |    Read Article

By Stanley C. Ruchelman and Armin Gray

For persons having undisclosed offshore accounts and contemplating participation in the I.R.S. voluntary disclosure program, one frequently asked question is eligibility for the streamlined procedures (“Streamlined Procedures”) announced by the I.R.S. O.V.D.I. The Streamlined Procedures are effective as of September 1, 2012 and should be considered if there are offshore tax-noncompliance issues. If an individual qualifies, the benefits are substantial: he or she will be eligible for fast-track resolution of the case, the look-back period is limited to three years of delinquent tax returns and six years of F.B.A.R.'s, and he or she will avoid penalties. However, most taxpayers will not qualify as eligibility is limited to a narrow class of taxpayers where intentional tax non-compliance is unlikely to exist.   See more →