Foreign Accounts Compliance Update

Posted on: April 22, 2019 | By: Stephen Dunn | Bank Secrecy Act, Delinquent FBAR Submission Procedures, Delinquent International Information Return Submission Procedures, Draconian FBAR Penalty, FBARs, Foreign Accounts Compliance, Penalties for Noncompliance, Statute of Limitations, Streamlined Procedures, The FBAR Filing Requirement, Voluntary Disclosures

Under the Bank Secrecy Act, a U.S. person with foreign account balances aggregating more than $10,000 at any time during a calendar year must file a FinCEN Form...

A Fond Adieu to OVDP

Posted on: March 17, 2018 | By: Stephen Dunn | Delinquent FBAR Submission Procedures, Delinquent International Information Return Submission Procedures, OVDP, Penalties for Noncompliance, Streamlined Procedures

The Internal Revenue Service recently announced that it is closing its Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program, effective September 28, 2018. This is a positive development. Proceeding under the OVDP...

Opting Out of OVDP

Posted on: December 28, 2017 | By: Stephen Dunn | Delinquent FBAR Submission Procedures, Opting Out of OVDP, OVDP, Paths to Compliance, Streamlined Procedures

Recently, a man called who had first called me in 2015.  When he first called, the man wanted to become compliant with U.S. laws concerning foreign financial accounts. ...

Why You Need an Attorney in Charge of Your Foreign Accounts Compliance Case

Posted on: November 22, 2017 | By: Stephen Dunn | Accountant-Client Privilege, Accountants, Attorney-Client Privilege, Bank Secrecy Act, Delinquent FBAR Submission Procedures, FBARs, Financial Advisors, Foreign Accounts Compliance, Organizers, OVDP

Accountants commonly send an “organizer” to a client with instructions to complete and sign it and return it to the accountant.  The completed organizer then serves as the...

Our Approach to Foreign Accounts Cases

Posted on: June 6, 2017 | By: Stephen Dunn | Delinquent FBAR Submission Procedures, FBARs, Foreign Accounts Compliance, OVDP, Streamlined Procedures

We place clients into compliance with United States laws concerning foreign financial accounts with the least possible work and expense. In a typical case, a taxpayer or taxpayer’s...

Compliance Required of U.S. Persons Concerning Foreign Financial Accounts

Posted on: June 1, 2017 | By: Stephen Dunn | Delinquent FBAR Submission Procedures, FBARs, Foreign Accounts Compliance, OVDP, Streamlined Procedures

U.S. persons are subject to compliance obligations concerning foreign financial accounts under two statutes, the Internal Revenue Code and the Bank Secrecy Act. A prior article explores who...

You May Only Need to File Delinquent FBARs

Posted on: February 2, 2017 | By: Stephen Dunn | Bank Secrecy Act, Delinquent FBAR Submission Procedures, FBARs, Foreign Accounts Compliance, OVDP, Streamlined Procedures

Many U.S. persons are alarmed upon learning of their reporting obligations with respect to foreign financial accounts.  Those obligations include reporting the accounts and income therefrom on U.S....

Conflicts of Interest in Handling Foreign Financial Accounts Cases

Posted on: August 15, 2016 | By: Stephen Dunn | Bank Secrecy Act, Conflicts of Interest in Handling Foreign Financial Accounts Cases, Delinquent FBAR Submission Procedures, FBARs, Foreign Accounts Compliance, OVDP, Streamlined Procedures

             We assist persons in complying with U.S. laws concerning foreign financial accounts. We prepare FinCEN Forms 114 (formerly Form TD F 90-22.1), Report of Foreign Bank and...

Who Should Represent U.S. Taxpayers Concerning Foreign Assets

Posted on: March 18, 2016 | By: Stephen Dunn | Attorney-Client Privilege, Delinquent FBAR Submission Procedures, FBARs, Foreign Accounts Compliance, OVDP, Passive Foreign Investment Companies ("PFICs"), Streamlined Procedures

Competent counsel should represent U.S. taxpayers who have failed to file FBARs reporting foreign financial accounts, or who have failed to report foreign financial assets or income therefrom...

Filing Delinquent FBARs

Posted on: August 21, 2014 | By: Stephen Dunn | Bank Secrecy Act, Delinquent FBAR Submission Procedures, FBARs, Foreign Accounts Compliance

Congress enacted the FBAR filing obligation, and the draconian penalty for failure to discharge the obligation, to curb the use of foreign accounts to evade U.S. income tax. ...

Foreign Accounts? Don’t Rush Into OVDP

Posted on: May 12, 2014 | By: Stephen Dunn | Bank Secrecy Act, Delinquent FBAR Submission Procedures, FBARs, Foreign Accounts Compliance, OVDP

There are two reasons for a taxpayer to enter the IRS’ Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (“OVDP”).  First, to avoid a criminal prosecution.  Second, to avoid the draconian civil...