| 
IRS written advice can constitute a reasonable cause defense against an imposition of pretty much any tax penalty related to noncompliance that stemmed from that advice. This essay begins a series of articles with respect to various aspects of the IRS Written Advice Defense. Today, I will outline the statutory authority and the main legal […]
On October 10, 2017, the Salvadorian Congress enacted the Legislative Decree No. 804, “La Ley Transitoria para el Cumplimiento Voluntario de Obligaciones Tributarias y Aduaneras”. After noting the experience of the past El Salvador voluntary disclosure options, the Decree announced a three-month long El Salvador Tax Amnesty Program. Let’s briefly explore the main contours of […]
On November 15, 2017, the IRS sent yet another signal that certain offshore voluntary disclosure options, particularly the OVDP & Streamlined Disclosure options, will be significantly modified or even terminated as the IRS proceeds with the LB&I Compliance Campaigns. This means that US taxpayers with undisclosed foreign accounts need to hurry up if they wish […]
On November 9, 2017, the IRS gave a clear signal that it is working on new PFIC Foreign Trust rules and hopes to have these new regulations published by June of 2018. The IRS also indicated that other areas of PFIC rules will be affected and it expects the Subpart F regulations to come out […]
Year 2017 marked an important increase in FATCA compliance throughout the Middle East, despite the fact that most countries of this region did not sign a FATCA implementation treaty. US owners of Egyptian bank accounts were among the most affected in the area. In this brief essay, I will explain what receiving a FATCA Letter […]