One-Week Filing Extension to Taxpayers Whose Preparers Were Affected by Hurricane Irene

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On September 1, 2011, the Internal Revenue Service announced that it is granting taxpayers whose preparers were affected by Hurricane Irene until September 22, 2011 to file returns normally due September 15.  The taxpayer’s preparer must be located in an area that was under an evacuation order or a severe weather warning because of Hurricane Irene, even if the preparer is located outside of the federally declared disaster areas.

This relief, which primarily applies to corporations, partnerships and trusts that previously obtained a tax filing extension, is available to taxpayers regardless of their location.

It is important to note that this relief does not apply to any tax payment requirements.

OVDI Deadline Extended until September 9, 2011

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Due to the potential impact of Hurricane Irene, the IRS has extended the due date for offshore voluntary disclosure initiative requests until September 9, 2011. For those taxpayers who have not yet submitted their request and any documents, the following actions are necessary by September 9, 2011:

Identifying information must be submitted to the Criminal Investigation office. This includes name, address, date of birth, and social security number and as much of the other information requested in the Offshore Voluntary Disclosures Letter as possible. This information must be sent to:

Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Coordinator
600 Arch Street, Room 6404
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Send a request for a 90-day extension for submitting the complete voluntary disclosure package of information to the Austin campus. This request must be sent to:

Internal Revenue Service
3651 S. I H 35 Stop 4301 AUSC
Austin, TX 78741
ATTN: 2011 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative

Contact Sherayzen Law Office NOW to Discuss Your Legal Situation

If you are wondering about whether OVDI is the program for you and how to take advantage of it, contact Sherayzen Law Office as soon as possible to discuss your case. Our experienced voluntary disclosure tax firm will guide you through the complex maze of the U.S. tax compliance laws and regulations and help you find the solution that fits best your situation.

Underpayment and Overpayment Interest Rates for the Fourth Quarter of 2011

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On August 18, 2011, the Internal Revenue Service announced that interest rates will decrease for the calendar quarter beginning October 1, 2011. The rates will be:

  • three (3) percent for overpayments (two (2) percent in the case of a corporation);
  • three (3) percent for underpayments;
  • five (5) percent for large corporate underpayments; and
  • zero and one-half (0.5) percent for the portion of a corporate overpayment exceeding $10,000.

Section 6621 of the Internal Revenue Code establishes the rates for interest on tax overpayments and tax underpayments. These rates determined on a quarterly basis. For taxpayers other than corporations, the overpayment and underpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points. Rev. Rul. 2011-18. Generally, in the case of a corporation, the underpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points and the overpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 2 percentage points. Pursuant to I.R.C. section 6621(c), the rate for large corporate underpayments is the federal short-term rate plus 5 percentage points. See section 301.6621-3 of the Regulations on Procedure and Administration for the definition of a large corporate underpayment and for the rules for determining the applicable date.

The rate on the portion of a corporate overpayment of tax exceeding $10,000 for a taxable period is the federal short-term rate plus one-half (0.5) of a percentage point.

Notice 88-59, 1988-1 C.B. 546, announced that, in determining the quarterly interest rates to be used for overpayments and underpayments of tax under section 6621, the Internal Revenue Service will use the federal short-term rate based on daily compounding because that rate is most consistent with section 6621 which, pursuant to section 6622, is subject to daily compounding.

Interest factors for daily compound interest for annual rates of 1.5 percent, 3 percent, 4 percent and 6 percent are published in Tables 8, 11, 13, and 17 of Rev. Proc. 95-17, 1995-1 C.B. 556, 562, 567, and 571. Interest factors for daily compound interest for an annual rate of 0.5 percent are published in Appendix A of Revenue Ruling 2010-31, 2010-52 IRB 898, 899. 3.

Contact Sherayzen Law Office

If you have any questions with respect to IRS interest rates and any other tax-related concerns, you should contact our experienced tax firm to discuss your case.

Post-OVDI Options: What to Do If You Cannot Make the OVDI Deadline

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Introduction:  OVDI Deadline is August 31, 2011

On February 8, 2011, the Internal Revenue Service initiated  2011 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative (OVDI), a special voluntary disclosure initiative, designed to bring offshore money back into the U.S. tax system and help people with undisclosed income from hidden offshore accounts get current with their taxes.  While this program is not available (or even desirable) for everyone, the OVDI program offered many taxpayers a way to bring themselves back into compliance with U.S. tax laws.

The program is only available, however, for taxpayers who apply to be accepted into the program prior to August 31, 2011.  It is then possible to get an extension to file the documents, even though there is no guarantee that the extension will be granted, especially for late filers.

Voluntary Disclosure After OVDI

So, what can you do if you cannot make the OVDI deadline?  Is any type of voluntary disclosure precluded if you cannot apply for the OVDI by August 31?

The answer is no.  Other types of voluntary disclosure will be available after August 31, 2011.  It is important to emphasize, however, that the OVDI provides a degree of stability and certainty of FBAR penalties that are unlikely to be matched by other voluntary disclosure options.

Traditional IRS Voluntary Disclosure 

The chief post-OVDI voluntary disclosure program will be Traditional IRS Voluntary Disclosure.  While it will not offer the same certainty of the FBAR penalties as OVDI currently does with its tiered penalty structure, the Traditional Voluntary Disclosure will be particularly useful for taxpayers who potentially face criminal charges and willful penalties.

Doing Nothing Is Dangerous

It is important to emphasize that, whether or not you will be able to take advantage of the OVDI program, the most dangerous option for you is to do nothing. Taxpayers, who hide this offshore assets and do not come forward, are much likely to face far higher penalty scenarios as well as the possibility of criminal prosecution.

Contact Sherayzen Law Office NOW To Solve Your Tax Issues

Sherayzen Law Office can help you resolve all of your tax compliance issues.  Our experienced voluntary disclosure tax firm will guide you through the voluntary disclosure process and vigorously advocate your position, vying for the best outcome possible in your case.  E-mail or call us NOW!

OVDI Deadline: August 31, 2011

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This is a reminder that the  2011 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative (OVDI) will expire on August 31, 2011. The 2011 OVDI was announced on February 8, 2011, and follows the 2009 Offshore Disclosure Program (OVDP). The 2011 initiative offers clear benefits to certain taxpayers who currently face far higher penalties along with potential criminal charges if their hidden offshore assets are detected by the IRS.  Whether your case falls within this category of taxpayers should be determined by an international tax attorney who is familiar with the FBAR penalty structure.

Those taxpayers who have not disclosed their foreign accounts and income are unlikely to sustain this for much longer without violating additional tax reporting requirements.  This is because the new foreign account reporting requirements are being phased in over the next few years, making it ever tougher to hide income offshore.  Moreover, the IRS continues its focus on banks and bankers worldwide that assist U.S. taxpayers with hiding assets overseas, putting the pressure on the foreign financial institutions to report noncompliant taxpayers.

The 2011 OVDI program is designed to bring taxpayers back into compliance with the U.S. tax system.  Under the initiative, there is a new penalty framework that requires individuals to pay a penalty of 25 percent of the amount in the foreign bank accounts in the year with the highest aggregate account balance covering the 2003 to 2010 time period. Some taxpayers will be eligible for 5 or 12.5 percent penalties in certain narrow circumstances.  It is likely that your foreign assets, such as rental real estate the income from which has not been disclosed or which was purchased with illegal funds, will be included in the 25-percent penalty calculation.

Participants also must pay back-taxes and interest for up to eight years as well as paying accuracy-related and/or delinquency penalties. All original and amended tax returns must be filed by the deadline.

If a taxpayer is interested in going through the 2011 OVDI, he must hurry.  He has to be accepted into the program before he can take advantage of it.  Therefore, these last few weeks left before the August 31, 2011 deadline is the last opportunity to apply to the program.

Contact Sherayzen Law Office NOW to Discuss Your Voluntary Disclosure Case

If you have undisclosed foreign financial accounts and have not reported your foreign income to the IRS, call Sherayzen Law Office immediately to discuss your case.  Our experienced voluntary disclosure tax firm will determine whether the 2011 OVDI program fits well your particular case, discuss with you the alternatives, and guide you through this highly complex voluntary disclosure process.

Remember, it does not matter whether you are located in another state or outside of the United States – we can help!