Members of Ruchelman P.L.L.C. contribute to publications throughout the world and the Firm’s monthly tax journal, Insights.
At the end of 2015, the I.R.S. issued a notice designed to limit the instances in which contributions of property to foreign partnerships benefit from nonrecognition of gain. In January, the I.R.S. came under pressure to modify its announced position in final regulations that are currently being developed. Philip R. Hirschfeld explains.
Read MoreU.S. multinationals are the target of a global trade war initiated by the European Commission, resulting from its attack on State Aid in the form of advance rulings. Christine Long and Beate Erwin explain the latest developments and the brewing response in the U.S. Congress.
Read MoreTwo court cases in different parts of the world attack tax plans premised on the absence of a permanent establishment. Pertinent U.S. income tax treaties, with Japan and India respectively, were effectively ignored in each case. Taketsugu Osada, Christine Long, and Stanley C. Ruchelman explain.
Read MoreBeate Erwin, Kenneth Lobo, and Stanley C. Ruchelman explain how the branch rule works when a C.F.C. operates a manufacturing or selling branch in another country. While the concept is easy to explain, the computations are somewhat confusing. The article explains all.
Read MoreRusudan Shervashidze and Stanley C. Ruchelman explain the tests the I.R.S. applies to determine whether a foreign corporation is a C.F.C. and a U.S. person is a “U.S. Shareholder” potentially subject to tax under Subpart F. They explain the tax forms that examiners are encouraged to look for and the telltale signs of direct, indirect, and constructive ownership of shares by U.S. persons.
Read MoreChristine Long explains how I.R.S. examiners are encouraged to determine whether foreign subsidiaries are paying fair compensation for using I.P. owned by U.S. parent companies.
Read MoreThe I.R.S. has initiated increased enforcement efforts to ensure compliance with information reporting obligations. Such efforts include increased assessment of penalties. Galia Antebi explains.
Read MoreChristine Long delves into the world of I.P. contributions to foreign subsidiaries. She explains how Code §367(d) works and how the regulations have been revised recently to attack goodwill and going concern contributions.
Read MorePublished in GGi Insider No. 81, January 2016 (p.35).
Read MoreU.S.-based companies facing an I.R.S. examination of international operations may secretly wish to obtain an advance look at how I.R.S. examiners plan to carry out the examination. After all, what better way to prepare for a test than to get the questions in advance? Surprise – the Large Business & International (LB&I) Division of the I.R.S. has published its training guides for examiners.
LB&I is responsible for examining tax returns reporting international transactions, and it is in the process of revising the method by which returns are chosen for examination and the the process by which those examinations are conducted. Several aspects of the guidance will be addressed through out this edition of Insights. Stanley C. Ruchelman explains.
Read MorePublished in GGi Insider No. 81, January 2016 (p.18).
Read MoreThis month, Insights discusses recent events including a Beanie Baby billionaire’s light sentence; a tax reform report by the European Parliament addressing tax rulings, a common consolidated corporate tax base, a crackdown on tax havens, whistle-blower protection, public access to country-by-country (CbC) reports, and a lower threshold to approve E.U. tax legislation; a House Ways and Means Committee action in regard to B.E.P.S., E.U. investigations on State Aid, patent box regimes, and inversions; identity theft risk in I.R.S. proposed regulations regarding charitable deductions; and allowance of accounting non-conformity for foreign-based groups that do not adopt L.I.F.O. accounting when that method is adopted by a U.S. member.
Read MoreThis month, recent developments in F.A.T.C.A. include the D.O.J.’s Swiss bank deferred prosecution program; new instructions for Form 8966, F.A.T.C.A. Report; six new YouTube videos regarding the Online Registration System; extension of time to file F.A.T.C.A. Reports; upgrade to F.F.I. lists, the current I.G.A. partner countries, and more.
Read MoreWe have recently been receiving instructions from a variety of European clients looking to open either an office or retail location in New York. These clients are looking for advice across a range of topics: from location and leases to signage and insurance. In this month’s “Corporate Matters,” Simon H. Prisk addresses typical start-up legal needs of foreign clients expanding retail business to the U.S.
Read MoreIn December, the I.R.S. released Prop. Treas. Reg. §1.60384 -15, which details the country-by-country (CbC) reporting that will be required of large U.S.-based business entities. The proposed regulations define the persons required to file the CbC report, companies that are to included in the report, information that must be reported, acceptable measurement methodologies to be used, and uses to which data may be put.
These regulations closely follow the model recommended by the O.E.C.D. B.E.P.S. report. Sheryl Shah and Stanley C. Ruchelman explain the I.R.S.’s reasons and request for input regarding national security exemptions not otherwise considered by the O.E.C.D.
Read MoreEveryone likes Christmas presents and the P.A.T.H. Act delivers. It provides favorable tax treatment in the form of (i) F.I.R.P.T.A. exemptions for foreign pensions funds, (ii) increased ownership thresholds before F.I.R.P.T.A. tax is imposed on C.I.V. investment in R.E.I.T.’s, (iii) increased ownership thresholds before F.I.R.P.T.A. tax is imposed on foreign investment in domestically-controlled R.E.I.T.’s, (iv) a reduction in the time that must elapse in order to avoid corporate level tax on built-in gain when an S-election is made by a corporation after the close of the year of its formation, and (v) a permanent exemption from Subpart F income for active financing income of C.F.C.’s.
However, not all taxpayers benefitted from the Act. The P.A.T.H. Act increases F.I.R.P.T.A. withholding tax to 15%, adopts new partnership tax examination rules, and tightens rules regarding I.T.I.N.’s. Elizabeth V. Zanet, Christine Long, Rusudan Shervashidze, and Philip R. Hirschfeld explain these and certain other legislative changes.
Read MoreFor those who are considering the acquisition of U.K. real property for personal use, an unhappy surprise awaits. The U.K. government is actively waging a tax campaign against structures commonly used for these acquisitions and referred to derisively as “Enveloped Dwellings.” Increased stamp duty on land transactions, annual tax on Enveloped Dwellings and related capital gains charges, and extended scope of inheritance tax take the sizzle out of high-value purchases. Naomi Lawton of Memery Crystal L.L.P., London ruminates on this puzzling development.
Read MoreThe Common Reporting Standard ("C.R.S.") for the automatic exchange of information by financial institutions is now in effect for the 56 jurisdictions that are Early Adopters. How will the C.R.S. work and who will be affected? How does it interact with F.A.T.C.A. I.G.A.’s? Richard Addlestone of Solomon Harris, Grand Cayman answers these and other questions.
Read MorePublished in Lawyer Monthly, Issue 69-16: January 2016.
Read MoreIn October, Sheryl Shah had the privilege of representing GGi North America at Global Village on the Move, an annual leadership development program organized by the Iacocca Institute at Lehigh University. This year’s program took place in Mumbai and Virar, India and was hosted by VIVA College. The experience was unique for a lawyer just beginning a career.
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