Swiss Bank Disclosure Round Up
A host of Swiss banks have signaled their readiness to work with U.S. officials in a crackdown on wealthy Americans evading taxes. Many more are expected to follow in the coming weeks, as Switzerland’s cherished bank
More Swiss Banks Agree to Cooperate with the IRS
Lombard Odier & Cie and VP Bank (Switzerland) last week became the latest Swiss banks to say they would work with U.S. officials in a crackdown on lenders suspected of helping wealthy Americans evade taxes
U.S. Signs FATCA Pacts with Malta, Netherlands, Bermuda, Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man
Last week, the U.S. signed six more intergovernmental agreements with a half dozen jurisdictions, including several traditional offshore tax havens, to implement the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, or FATCA. Over the past week, the
Argue for No Penalty and a Warning Letter for FBAR Violations
The IRS may send a warning letter in lieu of asserting penalties for failure to file a Form TD F 90-22.1, “Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts,” if it would be sufficient to bring
Swiss Banks are Pressuring Customers to Disclose
Swiss banks are pressuring current and former U.S. account holders to disclose undeclared assets to the Internal Revenue Service. In some cases, the banks are freezing accounts unless clients can prove they have declared the
US Department of Justice Encourages Swiss banks to Disclose Information
Last week the Tax Division of the Department of Justice strongly encouraged Swiss banks that want to seek non-prosecution agreements to resolve past cross-border criminal tax violations to submit letters of intent by the Dec.
Method to Cure Delinquent or Incomplete Foreign Information Returns Without Penalties
Last year, the IRS announced its third offshore voluntary disclosure initiative. Like the earlier initiatives, the 2012 OVDP is designed to encourage taxpayers with unreported offshore accounts and assets to voluntarily disclose them to the
More Swiss Banks Agree to Disclose US Customers Accounts: Expect More Customer Letters to be Sent
As of yesterday, three Swiss banks have agreed to participate in a U.S. disclosure program aimed at lenders suspected of aiding tax evasion by Americans. Many more expected and thousands of letters are being sent
Comparison of Form 8938 and FBAR Requirements
The new Form 8938 filing requirement does not replace or otherwise affect a taxpayer’s obligation to file FinCEN Form 114 (Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts). Individuals must file each form for which they
IRS Announces New Rules for FBAR Penalties
There are two types of penalties applicable to FinCEN Form 114 (Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts) (FBARs): (1) Non-Willful and (2) Willful. The penalties are theoretically assessed per account and not per FBAR;
IRS Official Announces New Focus on Offshore Assets in Indian Banks
Reporting on a California State Bar Tax Section Meeting, Tax Notes reports that the IRS will soon (as early as the week of 11/11/13) ) “begin examining U.S. taxpayers suspected of holding undeclared accounts in
Secret Swiss Bank Accounts are No Longer Secret
Over the past few years, the Tax Division of the United States Department of Justice has been aggressively investigating tax evasion by U.S. taxpayers via offshore bank accounts in countries such as Switzerland, Israel, Luxembourg,