Entries by Manager

2013 IRS Changes to Lockbox Addresses

The Treasury Department’s Financial Management Service (FMS) and the IRS are in the process of streamlining the lockbox network. Effective December 31, 2012, the IRS will close lockbox operations located in the Atlanta (State of Georgia) and St. Louis (State of Missouri) areas. Moreover, other P.O. box address closings affect addressed in Hartford, Connecticut and […]

Automatic 5471 Penalties Submitted With Form 1120

In an earlier article, I discussed various penalties generally associated with late or inaccurate filing of Form 5471 (this form is required under IRC Section 6038(a) to provide information with respect to certain US shareholders of foreign corporations). These penalties are generally subject to “reasonable cause” exception and are not imposed in every case. Since […]

Additional Medicare Tax: Introduction

Starting January 1, 2013, Additional Hospital Insurance Tax (Additional Medicare Tax) will come to life as a result of section 9015 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) (as amended). In essence, PPACA increased the existing Medicare tax for high-income earners. Currently, the Medicare tax rate is a flat 2.9% tax on all […]

Retiring in Panama – Tax Traps for U.S. taxpayers

In recent years, a new retirement trend emerged among U.S. citizens – retirement abroad in relatively peaceful countries of Latin America. Panama appears to be one of the preferred destinations. Retirement is a process, though, and it takes time to set up properly. Therefore, U.S. citizens typically start their preparation for retirement abroad in their […]