Entries by Manager

OVDP Offshore Penalty Structure: Introduction

The official IRS Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP) constitutes a viable voluntary disclosure option for many taxpayers. However, whether this is the best voluntary disclosure option will, in large part, depend on whether the OVDP penalties are lower than the penalties that a taxpayer would be facing under alternative voluntary disclosure options. The answer to […]

FBAR Version That Should Be Used in the OVDP

The Voluntary Disclosure Period for the taxpayers who entered into the IRS Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (“OVDP”) encompasses an eight-year period during which the FBAR form may have been modified more than once. The question arises about what version of the FBAR form should be used in the OVDP. FBAR Background Pursuant to the Bank […]

Switzerland Signs FATCA Implementation Agreement

On February 14, 2013, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that it has signed a bilateral agreement with Switzerland to implement the information reporting and withholding tax provisions commonly known as the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). Enacted by Congress in 2010, FATCA targets non-compliance by U.S. taxpayers using foreign accounts. The bilateral […]

IRS Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program Process

In an earlier article, I discussed the key requirements of the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP) now closed. In this essay, I would like to outline the general OVDP administrative process from initial pre-clearance through the execution of the Closing Agreement. General Description In order to participate in the OVDP, the taxpayer must first be […]