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FBAR Financial Accounts Definition | International Tax Lawyer & Attorney

In the realm of US international tax compliance, few topics are as crucial as the reporting of foreign financial accounts, particularly The Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts Report (FBAR). This article focuses on one specific aspect of FBAR compliance: what accounts need to be disclosed on FBAR. In particular, we will delve into the intricacies of the scope of the FBAR financial accounts definition.

Please, note that this article is an upgrade of an article that I published almost fifteen years ago.

FBAR Financial Accounts Definition: FBAR Background Information

FBAR is one of the most important US international tax compliance forms. All US persons must file an FBAR if they have a financial interest in or signature authority over foreign financial accounts with an aggregate value exceeding $10,000 at any time during the calendar year (31 USC. § 5314; 31 C.F.R. § 1010.350).

FBAR filing is separate from income tax filing and has its own distinct requirements and deadlines. Also, a taxpayer must comply with his FBAR reporting obligations even if he already reported the same foreign financial accounts elsewhere (such as Form 8621 or Form 8938). US filers must file their FBARs (officially FinCEN Forms 114a) electronically through FinCEN’s BSA E-Filing System.

Additionally, FBAR has its own unique and very severe penalty system for noncompliance, including criminal penalties. This is why it is so important to understand what type of accounts should be disclosed on FBAR.

FBAR Financial Accounts Definition: Determining Reportable Accounts

When assessing whether an account qualifies as an FBAR foreign financial account, one should consider:

1. The account’s location. The account must be outside the United States – there is special definition for FBAR purposes for what this means. I will not discuss the definition of “foreign accounts” in this article; instead I will only focus on what type of accounts need to be disclosed.

2. The account type. The main issue is whether this particular foreign asset falls within the definition of a “financial account” – this is the main topic of this article.

3. Your relationship to the account. In other words, do you have a financial interest in or signature authority over the foreign accounts in question.

4. The aggregate value of all foreign financial accounts. Generally, the accounts must exceed $10,000 in the aggregate at any point in the year. I will discuss in another article how this is calculated.

FBAR Financial Accounts Definition: Broad Scope

The definition of “financial account” for FBAR purposes is very broad. It is very important to understand that it is so broad that many taxpayers would not even normally consider certain arrangements as financial accounts.

In general, if there is a value maintained as part of a fiduciary relationship with a financial institution, it is likely to be a reportable account on FBAR. See 75 Fed. Reg. at 8846. The IRS, however,has stated “an account is not established simply by conducting transactions such as wiring money or purchasing a money order where no relationship has otherwise been established.” Id.

FBAR Financial Accounts Definition: Bank, Securities and Investment Accounts

For the FBAR purposes, financial accounts include all checking, savings, brokerage and securities accounts. 75 Fed. Reg. 8846 defines “securities account” as “an account maintained with a person in the business of buying, selling, holding, or trading stock or other securities.” Id. Securities derivatives and other similar financial instruments held with a financial institution all fall within the definition of a reportable account. However, paper bonds, notes and stock certificates that are not held through a financial institutions are not considered as “financial accounts.”

The FBAR financial accounts definition also applies to all demand, deposit and time deposit accounts (in other words, CD accounts and their equivalents).

FBAR Financial Accounts Definition: Debit Cards and Prepaid Credit Cards

31 C.F.R. § 1010.350(c) further expands the definition of “account” to foreign debit cards and prepaid credit cards. This definition of an account is an interesting one as even a slight overpayment of a credit card would make it a reportable account for FBAR purposes.

FBAR Financial Accounts Definition: Other Financial Accounts

31 C.F.R. § 1010.350(c)(3) introduces four additional categories of accounts that a filer must include on his FBARs:

Accounts with persons accepting deposits as a financial agency;
Insurance policies with cash value or annuity policies (for example, this definition includes Assurance Vie accounts in France, LIC policies in India and Prudential Life Insurance policies in Hong Kong);
Accounts with commodity futures or options brokers; and
Accounts with mutual funds or similar pooled investments (e.g. mutual funds owned through individual folios in India).

FBAR Financial Accounts Definition: Retirement Plans

Reporting retirement accounts on FBAR probably presents the biggest challenge to US taxpayers. Generally, all foreign retirement accounts would be need to be disclosed on FBAR unless they fall under an exception.

For example, certain US retirement plans (under IRC sections 401(a), 403(a), 403(b), 408, or 408A) are exempt from FBAR reporting. However, US filers need to disclose on their FBARs all of their Canadian RRSP accounts, Singaporean CPF accounts, Australian Superannuation accounts, Israeli retirement accounts and many other types of foreign retirement accounts that these filers may have.

As a separate note, the greatest difficulty concerning foreign retirement accounts is not even FBAR reporting, but potential other requirements as such Form 8938 and, most importantly, Form 3520 and even Form 3520-A. The latter forms (Forms 3520 and 3520-A) are triggered if the foreign accounts are considered to be “foreign trusts”. However, this decision to treat foreign accounts as trusts should be done with great care.

FBAR Financial Accounts Definition: Exceptions

Finally, certain categories of foreign financial accounts are exempt from FBAR reporting:

Accounts in US military banking facilities serving US government installations abroad;
Accounts over which most bank officers or employees have only signature authority (unless they have a personal financial interest); and
Accounts over which officers or employees of publicly traded or large privately held US corporations have only signature authority, subject to specific conditions (31 C.F.R. § 1010.350(f)).

Contact Sherayzen Law Office for Professional FBAR Help

FBAR noncompliance is one of the most common and one of the most fearsome problems facing US individual taxpayers with respect to their US international tax compliance. Sherayzen Law Office can help you resolve past FBAR noncompliance and bring your US tax affairs into full compliance with US tax laws.

We are a leading US international tax compliance and FBAR compliance firm. This is our core specialty in which we have profound knowledge and extensive experience.

Minnesota Streamlined Disclosure Lawyer | International Tax Attorney

February 10, 2024/in Legal Notes, Streamlined Domestic Offshore Procedures /by Manager

Minnesota has a sizable immigrant community with over 9% of the population foreign-born and another more than 7% of the population that has at least one immigrant parent. The top countries of original for immigrants are: Mexico, Somalia, India, Laos and Ethiopia. Many of these new US taxpayers own assets in foreign countries and receive income generated by these assets. Unfortunately some of these taxpayers are not in compliance with their US international tax obligations and want to participate in Streamlined Domestic Offshore Procedures (SDOP) or Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedures (SFOP). These individuals often look for a Minnesota streamlined disclosure lawyer for professional help, but they do not understand what this term really means. In this essay, I would like to explain the definition of Minnesota streamlined disclosure lawyer and outline who belongs to this category of lawyers.

Minnesota Streamlined Disclosure Lawyer: International Tax Attorney

From the outset, It is important to understand that all voluntary disclosures, including the Streamlined options, form part of US international tax compliance, because these options deal with US international tax laws concerning foreign assets and foreign income. The knowledge that SDOP and SFOP are part of US international tax law makes you better understand what kind of lawyer you are looking for when you search for a Minnesota streamlined disclosure lawyer. In reality, when you are seeking help with the SDOP and SFOP filings, you are searching for an international tax attorney.

Minnesota Streamlined Disclosure Lawyer: Specialty in Offshore Voluntary Disclosures

As I stated above, SDOP and SFOP form part of a very specific sub-area of offshore voluntary disclosures. This means that not every international tax attorney would be able to conduct the necessary legal analysis required to successfully complete an offshore voluntary disclosure, including Streamlined Domestic Offshore Procedures and Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedures. Only a lawyer who has developed expertise in a very narrow sub-field of offshore voluntary disclosures within US international tax law will be fit for this job.

This means that you are looking for an international tax attorney who specializes in offshore voluntary disclosures and who is familiar with the various offshore voluntary disclosure options. Offshore voluntary disclosure options include: SDOP (Streamlined Domestic Offshore Procedures), SFOP (Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedures), DFSP (Delinquent FBAR Submission Procedures), DIIRSP (Delinquent International Information Return Submission Procedures), IRS VDP (IRS Voluntary Disclosure Practice) and Reasonable Cause disclosures. Each of these options has it pros and cons, which may have tremendous legal and tax (and, in certain cases, even immigration) implications for your case.

Minnesota Streamlined Disclosure Lawyer: Geographical Location Does Not Matter

While the expertise and experience in offshore voluntary disclosures is highly important in choosing your international tax lawyer, the geographical location (i.e. the city where the lawyer lives and works) does not matter. I already hinted at why this is the case above: offshore voluntary disclosure options were all created by the IRS and form part of US international (i.e. federal) law. In other words, the local law has no connection whatsoever to the SDOP and SFOP.

This means that you are not limited to Minnesota when you are looking for a lawyer who can help you with your streamlined disclosure. Any international tax lawyer who specializes in this field may be able to help you, irrespective of whether this lawyer resides in Minnesota or Minnesota.

Moreover, the development of modern means of communications has pretty much eliminated any communication advantages that a lawyer in Minnesota might have had in the past over the out-of-state lawyers. This has already been established in today’s post-pandemic world which greatly reduced the number of face-to-face meetings.

Sherayzen Law Office Can Be Your Minnesota Streamlined Disclosure Lawyer

Sherayzen Law Office, Ltd. is a highly-experienced international tax Minnesota law firm that specializes in all types of offshore voluntary disclosures, including SDOP, SFOP, DFSP, DIIRSP, IRS VDP and Reasonable Cause disclosures. Our professional tax team, led by attorney Eugene Sherayzen, has successfully helped our US clients around the globe, including in Minnesota, with the preparation and filing of their Streamlined Domestic Offshore Procedures disclosure. We can help you!

2022 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Options | US International Tax Lawyers

January 22, 2022/in Lead Article, offshore voluntary disclosure lawyers Minneapolis /by Manager

While the year 2021 has ended, numerous taxpayers continue to be substantially noncompliant with various US international tax laws. Hence, it is important for US taxpayers with undisclosed foreign assets to consider their 2022 offshore voluntary disclosure options. In this essay, I would like to provide an overview of these 2022 offshore voluntary disclosure options.

2022 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Options: What is Offshore Voluntary Disclosure

The term “offshore voluntary disclosure” refers to a series of legal processes established by the IRS to allow noncompliant US taxpayers to voluntarily come forward and disclose their prior US international tax noncompliance in exchange for more lenient IRS treatment. This leniency can express itself in various ways: avoidance of criminal prosecution, lower and even zero penalties, a shorter voluntary disclosure period, ability to make certain retroactive tax elections, et cetera.

In general, the benefits of a voluntary disclosure usually far outweigh the consequences of a disclosure during a potential IRS audit. There are exceptions, but they are usually limited to mishandled cases where either an improper voluntary disclosure path was chosen or the process of the disclosure was mishandled by the taxpayer (usually) or his tax attorneys. This is why it is important that you chose the right international tax attorney to help you with your offshore voluntary disclosure.

Let’s review the main 2022 offshore voluntary disclosure options and briefly describe them.

2022 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Options: Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedures

While Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedures (“SFOP”) was created already in 2012, it exists in its current form since June of 2014. It is a true tax amnesty program, because its participants do not pay IRS penalties of any kind, even on income tax due. The participants only need to pay the extra tax due on the amended tax returns plus interest on the tax.

Moreover, SFOP preserves SDOP’s non-invasive and limited scope of voluntary disclosure (see below). For example, you only need to amend the tax returns for the past three years and file FBARs for the past six years.

SFOP, however, is available to a limited number of US taxpayers who are able to satisfy its eligibility requirements, particularly those related to non-willfulness certification and physical presence outside of the United States. You should contact Sherayzen Law Office to help you determine whether you meet the eligibility requirements of SFOP.

2022 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Options: Streamlined Domestic Offshore Procedures

Streamlined Domestic Offshore Procedures (“SDOP”) is currently the flagship voluntary disclosure option for US taxpayers who reside in the United States. While not as generous as SFOP, SDOP is still a very good voluntary disclosure option for non-willful taxpayers: it is simple, limited (in terms of the voluntary disclosure period for which tax returns and FBARs must be filed) and mild (in terms of its penalty structure). There are some drawbacks to SDOP, such as the potential imposition of the Miscellaneous Offshore Penalty on income-tax compliant foreign accounts, but the benefits offered by this option outweigh its deficiencies for most taxpayers.

The reason why the IRS is so generous lies in the fact that this voluntary disclosure option is open only to taxpayers who can certify under the penalty of perjury that they were non-willful with respect to their prior income tax noncompliance, FBAR noncompliance and noncompliance with any other US international information tax return (such as Form 3520, 5471, 8938 et cetera). It will be up to your international tax lawyer to make the determination on whether you are able to make this certification.

Moreover, a taxpayer cannot file a delinquent Form 1040 under the SDOP. SDOP only accepts amended tax returns (i.e Forms 1040X), not original late tax returns.

2022 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Options: Delinquent FBAR Submission Procedures

Delinquent FBAR Submission Procedures (“DFSP”) is another voluntary disclosure option that fully eliminates IRS penalties. This is not a new option; in fact, in one form or another, officially or unofficially, it has always existed within the IRS procedures. Prior to 2019, it was even written into the OVDP (IRS Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program) as FAQ#17 (though in a modified version).

While DFSP is highly beneficial to noncompliant US taxpayers, it is available to even fewer number of taxpayers than those who are eligible for SDOP and SFOP. This is the case due to two factors. First, DFSP has a very narrow scope – it applies only to FBARs. Second, DFSP has extremely strict eligibility requirements; even de minimis income tax noncompliance may deprive a taxpayer of the ability to use this option if it is sufficient to require an amendment of a tax return. In other words, DFSP only applies where SDOP, SFOP and VDP (see below) are irrelevant due to absence of unreported income.

2022 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Options: Delinquent International Information Return Submission Procedures

Delinquent International Information Return Submission Procedures (“DIIRSP”) has a similar history to DFSP. In fact, it was “codified” into OVDP rules as FAQ#18. Similarly to DFSP, DIIRSP also offers the possibility of escaping IRS Penalties. DIIRSP has a broader scope than DFSP and applies to international information returns other than FBAR, such as Form 8938, 3520, 5471, 8865, 926, et cetera.

Since it turned into an independent voluntary disclosure option in 2014, DIIRSP’s eligibility requirements became much harsher. US taxpayers are now required to provide a reasonable cause explanation in order to escape IRS penalties under this option. On the other hand, the fact that there may be unreported income associated with international information returns is not an impediment by itself to participation in DIIRSP.

2022 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Options: IRS Voluntary Disclosure Practice

The traditional IRS Offshore Voluntary Disclosure practice has existed for a very long time. However, it faded into complete obscurity once the IRS opened its first major OVDP option in 2009. The closure of the 2014 OVDP in September of 2018 has brought this option back to life.

On November 20, 2018, the IRS has completely revamped this traditional voluntary disclosure option, modified its procedural structure and imposed a new tough (but relatively clear) penalty structure. This new version of the traditional voluntary disclosure is now officially called IRS Voluntary Disclosure Practice (“VDP”).

The chief advantage of VDP is that it is specifically designed to help taxpayers who willfully violated their US tax obligations to come forward to avoid criminal prosecution and lower their civil willful penalties. In other words, VDP is now the main voluntary disclosure option for willful taxpayers.

2022 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Options: Reasonable Cause Disclosure

Since 2014, the popularity of Reasonable Cause disclosure (also known as “Noisy Disclosure”) has declined substantially due to the introduction of SDOP and SFOP. Nevertheless, Reasonable Cause disclosure continues to be a highly important voluntary disclosure alternative to official IRS voluntary disclosure options. It is now primarily used when SDOP and SFOP are not available for technical reasons (i.e. some of their eligibility requirements are not met).

Reasonable Cause disclosure is based on the actual statutory language; it is not part of any official IRS program. Special care must be taken in using this option, because this is a high-risk, high-reward option. If a taxpayer is able to satisfy this high burden of proof, then, he will be able to avoid all IRS penalties. If the IRS audits the Reasonable Cause disclosure and disagrees, this taxpayer may face significant IRS penalties and, potentially, years of IRS litigation.

Contact Sherayzen Law Office for Professional Analysis of Your 2022 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Options

If you have undisclosed foreign assets, contact Sherayzen Law Office for professional help as soon as possible. We have successfully helped hundreds of US taxpayers from over 70 countries with their voluntary disclosures of foreign assets to the IRS, and we can help you!

International Tax Planning Priorities for US Corporations

January 4, 2022/in business tax attorney Minneapolis, Legal Notes /by Manager

Sometimes, I encounter in my practice one particularly damaging belief concerning international tax planning for US corporations that engage in cross-border transactions and maintain a foreign subsidiary or a network of foreign subsidiaries. This is a belief that international tax planning for such corporations should only focus on the reduction of its US taxes above all other considerations. I reject this one-sided view and argue for balancing of international tax planning priorities for such US corporations. In this article, I will discuss the top priorities that are subject to balancing during proper international tax planning for US corporations who operate overseas.

International Tax Planning Priorities: Tax Planning Should Correspond to Dynamic Facts

Before we outline international tax planning priorities, we need to state a rule that seems very obvious but, unfortunately, is often overlooked – tax planning must correspond to the factual situation around which the planning is done. Since a factual situation of a business is prone to rapid changes, tax planning either needs to pro-actively respond to these dynamic facts or, in cases where it is not possible, adjust to these facts as soon as possible in order to avoid a negative tax impact in the future.

This means that engaging in business transactions that spread over multiple taxing jurisdictions requires continuous tax planning, continuous monitoring of the factual background in which these transactions take place and continuous assessment of tax consequences of these activities.

This rule also means that tax planning must respond to the facts generated by the required business transaction rather than create business transactions purely to save taxes. I should point out that such purely tax-motivated schemes are also unlikely to pass judicial review.

International Tax Planning Priorities: Lower US Tax Liability

There is no question that ethically lowering US tax liability based on the opportunities and incentives present in the Internal Revenue Code is one of the most important priorities of international tax planning. As I stated above, however, this is not the only priority.

International Tax Planning Priorities: Lower Foreign Tax Liability

It is not just the US tax liability of the head office that we should be concerned about. International tax planning should also seek to lower foreign tax liability of its subsidiaries. Moreover, if lowering US tax liability comes at the cost of increasing foreign tax liability or missing an opportunity to minimize it, this outcome may not be optimal for the overall corporate structure.

International Tax Planning Priorities: Maximizing Corporate Earnings

This is a key issue that many practitioners and business owners often miss in US international tax planning. Tax planning is not only about lowering taxes at any cost. If a business is continuously losing a significant amount of money (not strategically recognizing losses, but its profits are actually reduced) because of tax planning, then such tax planning may not be worth the effort.

Effective tax planning means that a tax practitioner should coordinate tax saving efforts with business priorities. Business planning will always see to utilize corporate cash and personnel in a way that maximizes profits. Moreover, business planning will also seek to creatively allocate and move excess cash flow between corporate subsidiaries (and the head office) for the same purpose.

It is precisely the latter function of business planning that requires the most attention of international tax attorneys, because it may result in significant tax costs (which may more than offset the benefit of business planning). At the same time, tax planning must be done in such a way as to minimize the damage it can do to the business’ ability to move cash across the entire corporate structure.

Contact Sherayzen Law Office for International Tax Planning Help

At Sherayzen Law Office, we understand these priorities and the need to balance them before finalizing international tax planning. We can help you!

Foreign Partnership Definition | International Business Tax Lawyers

January 3, 2022/in international tax lawyer, Legal Notes /by Manager

Defining a partnership as “foreign” or “domestic” can be highly important for US tax purposes. In this article, I will explain the foreign partnership definition and explain its significance.

Foreign Partnership Definition: Importance

There may be important US international tax law consequences that stem from whether a partnership is classified as “foreign” or “domestic”. These consequences may encompass not only income tax compliance, but also the type of information returns that may have to be filed. Even tax withholding requirements may be affected by this classification.

Let me give you a few examples of where foreign partnership directly appears in the IRC (Internal Revenue Code) in order for you to appreciate the significance of the foreign partnership definition. The term foreign partnership appears in such diverse provisions as IRC §6046A (filing of information returns by U.S. persons with regard to acquisition, disposition, or substantial change of interest in foreign partnership – this is the famous IRS Form 8865), §3401(d)(2) (wage withholding), §168(h)(5) (tax-exempt entity leasing rules) and even tax withholding rules for disposition of US real property under §1445.

The main reason for this significance of the foreign partnership definition lies in §7701(a)(30), which states that a foreign partnership is not a “US Person”, a highly important term of art in US international tax law. The implications of being a “foreign person” rather than a “US person” can be huge, extending as far as affecting anti-deferral tax regimes.

Foreign Partnership Definition: Formal Partnership

Let’s delve now into the foreign partnership definition. Our starting point is §7701(a)(5); it states that a partnership is considered to be foreign as long as it is “not domestic”. §7701(a)(4) defines domestic partnership as those which were “created or organized in the United States, or under the law of the United States or of any State.”

Under §7701(a)(9), the term “United States” includes only the states and the District of Columbia. In other words, if a partnership is formally organized in any place other than the fifty states of the United States and the District of Columbia, it is a foreign partnership.

What about partnerships created or organized in US possessions? The IRS and the courts have consistently stated that they are foreign (though there are more examples of these rulings with respect to corporations rather than partnerships).

What if a partnership is chartered both in the United States and another country? Without delving too deeply into legal analysis, pursuant to Treas. Reg. §301.7701-5(a), such a partnership would be classified as a domestic entity

Foreign Partnership Definition: Common Law/Private Agreement Partnerships

The above definition only works well in cases where a partnership is formally created or organized under the laws of a country. However, it is also possible for the IRS to classify a contractual relationship as a partnership for tax purposes. In these cases, the determination of whether a partnership is a foreign or domestic for US international tax purposes is a lot more difficult.

At this point, there is no absolute clarity provided by the IRS on this issue. However, there are two main approaches for determining whether a deemed partnership is domestic or foreign that may be acceptable to the IRS: (1) the contract’s governing law; and (2) primary location of the business of the deemed partnership. Let’s review these approaches.

Foreign Partnership Definition for Deemed Partnerships: Governing Law Approach

The governing law approach to classification of partnerships as foreign or domestic states that a partnership should be classified as foreign or domestic depending on the governing law which controls the agreement that gave rise to the deemed partnership.

The IRS often likes this approach, because it pretty much mimics the foreign partnership definition for formal partnerships described above. In other words, while in a formal partnership we look at the place of organization, the governing law approach for deemed partnerships basically looks at the jurisdiction which controls the legal enforcement of the partnership agreement. Both approaches are based on the premise that the foreign partnership definition should depend on whether the partners’ rights and duties are defined under domestic or foreign law.

Foreign Partnership Definition for Deemed Partnerships: Business Location Approach

The primary location of business approach, on the other hand, seeks to classify a deemed partnership not based on where the partners’ rights and duties are defined, but based on where the business of the partnership is actually conducted. The advantage of this approach is that it is closer to business reality and does not artificially classify a partnership based on which law governs it.

There are, however, problems with this approach which make the IRS like it a lot less. First of all, it is very difficult to apply this approach to a partnership with extensive business operations within and outside of the United States. Second, the classification of the same partnership may often switch depending on the shift in the volume of its US operations versus foreign operations.

Contact Sherayzen Law Office for Help With Foreign Partnership Definition

If you are unclear about the classification of your partnership for US tax purposes or you wish to change the existing classification for US tax planning purposes, contact the US international tax law firm of Sherayzen Law Office for professional help. We Can Help You!

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