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FBAR Financial Accounts Definition | International Tax Lawyer & Attorney

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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:

  1. Accounts in US military banking facilities serving US government installations abroad;
  2. Accounts over which most bank officers or employees have only signature authority (unless they have a personal financial interest); and
  3. 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.

Contact us today to discuss your specific FBAR and international tax compliance needs with an experienced tax attorney!

Closer Connection Exception | International Tax Lawyer & Attorney

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The Closer Connection Exception is a very important provision in US international tax law, because it provides a potential way for individuals who meet the Substantial Presence Test to still be treated as nonresident aliens for US income tax purposes. This article explores the Closer Connection Exception, its requirements and its implications for US and foreign taxpayers.

Understanding the Closer Connection Exception

The Closer Connection Exception is found in Internal Revenue Code (IRC) §7701(b)(3)(B) and is further elaborated in Treasury Regulation §301.7701(b)-2. This exception allows an individual who would otherwise be considered a US tax resident under the Substantial Presence Test to be treated as a nonresident alien for income tax purposes if he can demonstrate a “closer connection” to a foreign country.

Key Requirements for the Closer Connection Exception

IRC § 7701(b)(3)(B) and Treas. Reg. § 301.7701(b)-2(a) lay out the Closer Connection Exception eligibility criteria that an an individual must meet:

1.The individual must be present in the United States for fewer than 183 days in the current calendar year;

2.The individual must maintain a tax home in a foreign country during the year;

3.The individual must have a closer connection to that foreign country than to the United States; and

4. An individual must be an eligible individual.

Let’s explore each of these three requirements in detail.

Closer Connection Exception: The 183-Day Rule

The first requirement of the Closer Connection Exception is fairly straightforward: the individual must be present in the United States for fewer than 183 days in the current calendar year. This is a hard limit. Even one additional day of presence will disqualify an individual from claiming this exception.

It is important to emphasize that this 183-day threshold is different from the count of days used in the Substantial Presence Test, which includes a lookback period. For the Closer Connection Exception, only days of physical presence in the United States in the current year are considered. Treas. Reg. §301.7701(b)-2(a)(1).

Closer Connection Exception: Foreign Tax Home Requirement

The second requirement for the Closer Connection Exception is that the individual must maintain a tax home in a foreign country during the year.  IRC §911(d)(3) defines the concept of “tax home” as an individual’s principal place of business.  “If the individual has no regular or principal place of business because of the nature of the business, or because the individual is not engaged in carrying on any trade or business within the meaning of section 162(a), then the individual’s tax home is the individual’s regular place of abode in a real and substantial sense.” Treas. Reg. §301.7701(b)-2(c)(1).  This is obviously a very fact-dependent definition of tax home, which requires exploration of all relevant circumstances (such as the location of the individual’s permanent home, family and even personal belongings).

The individual’s foreign tax home must be in existence for the entire current year. It must also be located in the same foreign country for which the individual is claiming to have the closer connection. Treas. Reg. §301.7701(b)-2(c)(2).

Closer Connection Exception: Closer Connection to Foreign Country

The third and often most complex requirement of the Closer Connection Exception is demonstrating a closer connection to a foreign country than to the United States.  Treasury Regulations state that this requires establishing “that the individual has maintained more significant contacts with the foreign country than with the United States”. Treas. Reg. §301.7701(b)-2(d).  

This analysis of course requires a detailed exploration of all relevant facts and circumstances. Treas. Reg. § 301.7701(b)-2(d)(1) provide the following non-exclusive list of key factors that one must consider in determining whether a closer connection to a foreign country exists:

1.The location of the individual’s permanent home;

2.The location of the individual’s family;

3.The location of personal belongings;

4.The location of social, political, cultural, or religious organizations with which the individual has a relationship;

5.The location where the individual conducts routine personal banking activities;

6.The location where the individual conducts business activities;

7.The location of the jurisdiction in which the individual holds a driver’s license;

8.The location of the jurisdiction in which the individual votes;

9.The country of residence designated by the individual on his forms and documents; and

10. The types of official forms and documents filed by the individual, such as Form 1078 (Certificate of Alien Claiming Residence in the United States), Form W-8 (Certificate of Foreign Status) or Form W-9 (Payer’s Request for Taxpayer ldentification Number).

Regarding the first factor, individual’s permanent home, it does not matter whether a permanent home is a house, an apartment or a furnished room. It also does not matter whether the individual owns or rents his home. “It is material, however, that the dwelling be available at all times, continuously, and not solely for stays of short duration.” Treas. Reg. §301.7701(b)-2(d)(1).

Closer Connection Exception: Multiple Foreign Countries

A question arises in this context: what if an individual has connections not to just one, but  two foreign countries? Can an individual have a tax home in two or more countries?

Generally, an individual can have a closer connection to only one foreign country. However, it is possible to have a closer connection to two foreign countries in a single year if the individual moved their tax home during the year. In such cases, the individual can have a closer connection to each country for the part of the year they maintained a tax home in that country.

Treas. Reg. §301.7701(b)-2(e) lays out a detailed legal test in this case of multiple foreign country connections.  In order for an individual to be able to claim the Closer Connection Exception in cases of close contacts with more than one foreign country, this individual must satisfy the following conditions:

(1) The individual maintains a tax home beginning on the first day of the current year in one foreign country;

(2) The individual changes his or her tax home during the current year to a second foreign country;

(3) The individual continues to maintain his or her tax home in the second foreign country for the remainder of the current year;

(4) The individual has a closer connection to each foreign country than to the United States for the period during which the individual maintains a tax home in that foreign country; and

(5) The individual is subject to taxation as a resident pursuant to the internal laws of either foreign country for the entire year or subject to taxation as a resident in both foreign countries for the period during which the individual maintains a tax home in each foreign country.

Closer Connection Exception: Eligible Individual

As stated above, the final condition for the Exception is that an individual must be an eligible individual. Ineligible individuals include: (a) individuals who have applied for status as a lawful permanent resident of the United States (i.e., applied for a green card), and (b) individuals who have an application pending for adjustment of status. IRC §7701(b)(3)(C). 

Treas. Reg. §301.7701(b)-2(f) specifically sets forth the following list of actions which would make an individual ineligible to claim the Closer Connection Exception:

“Affirmative steps to change status to that of a permanent resident include, but are not limited to, the following—

(1) The filing of Immigration and Naturalization Form I-508 (Waiver of Immunities) by the alien;

(2) The filing of Immigration and Naturalization Form I-485 (Application for Status as Permanent Resident) by the alien;

(3) The filing of Immigration and Naturalization Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) on behalf of the alien;

(4) The filing of Immigration and Naturalization Form I-140 (Petition for Prospective Immigrant Employee) on behalf of the alien;

(5) The filing of Department of Labor Form ETA-750 (Application for Alien Employment Certification) on behalf of the alien; or

(6) The filing of Department of State Form OF-230 (Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration) by the alien.”

Closer Connection Exception: Form 8840

To claim the Closer Connection Exception, eligible individuals must file Form 8840, Closer Connection Exception Statement for Aliens, with the IRS. This form must be filed by the due date of the individual’s nonresident alien income tax return (Form 1040-NR), including extensions. Form 8840 requires detailed information about the individual’s presence in the United States, tax home, and factors demonstrating a closer connection to a foreign country. Failure to timely file this form may result in the individual being unable to claim the exception. Treas. Reg. §301.7701(b)-8(c).

Closer Connection Exception: Interaction with Tax Treaties

It’s important to note that the Closer Connection Exception is separate from any residency determinations under tax treaties. An individual who does not qualify for the Closer Connection Exception may still be able to claim nonresident status under a tax treaty’s tie-breaker rules. Conversely, qualifying for the Closer Connection Exception may eliminate the need to rely on treaty provisions. See Treas. Reg. §301.7701(b)-7.

Closer Connection Exception: Implications for Other Reporting Requirements

While the Closer Connection Exception can significantly alter an individual’s US income tax obligations, it is very important to understand that it may not exempt the individual from all US reporting requirements, particularly information returns such as FBAR and Form 8938.

Contact Sherayzen Law Office for Professional Help With US International Tax Law

US international tax law is extremely complex.  The Closer Connection Exception and its potential impact on an individual’s tax status is just an example of this complexity. This is why, if you have assets in or income from foreign countries, you need to seek the professional help of Sherayzen Law Office.  We are a leading US international tax law firm which offers comprehensive support in US international tax compliance (including IRS offshore voluntary disclosures) and US international tax planning. Our deep understanding of and extensive experienced in US international tax law allows us to proffer a professional advice tailored to your specific circumstances.

Contact Us Today to Schedule Your Confidential Consultation!

IRS Corporate Jet Audits Campaign | MN IRS Audit Tax Lawyer

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On February 21, 2024, the IRS announced that it will begin dozens of audits of business aircraft usage as part of a new tax enforcement campaign. In this short article, I will discuss these new IRS corporate jet audits in more detail.

IRS Corporate Jet Audits: Focus on Personal Use of High-Net Individuals

The IRS announced that it will be auditing the usage of corporate aircraft for personal purposes.  The chief revenue agency of the United States was blunt in identifying who it is targeting — high-net individuals. The audits will focus on aircraft usage by large corporations, large partnerships and high-income taxpayers and whether, for tax purposes, the use of jets is being properly allocated between business and personal reasons.

Officers, executives, other employees, shareholders and partners often use business aircraft for both business and personal reasons. In general, the Internal Revenue Code allows a business deduction for expenses of maintaining an asset, such as a corporate jet, as long as the company uses the asset for a business purpose. However, the company must allocate use of a company aircraft between business use and personal use. This is a complex area of tax law, and record-keeping can be challenging.

Hence, for someone such as an executive using the company jet for personal travel, the amount of personal usage impacts eligibility for certain business deductions. Use of the company jet for personal travel typically results in income inclusion by the individual using the jet for personal travel and could also impact the business’ eligibility to deduct costs related to the personal travel.

The number of audits related to aircraft usage could increase in the future following initial results and as the IRS continues hiring additional examiners.

IRS Corporate Jet Audits: Funding and Strategies

The IRS was quick to identify  the Inflation Reduction Act as the source of funding of this new IRS campaign. The IRS will be using advanced analytics and resources from the Inflation Reduction Act to more closely examine this area. At the same time, the agency complained that, in the past, it did not have the resources to properly audit this area due to low resources.

“During tax season, millions of people are doing the right thing by filing and paying their taxes, and they should have confidence that everyone is also following the law,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. “Personal use of corporate jets and other aircraft by executives and others have tax implications, and it’s a complex area where IRS work has been stretched thin. With expanded resources, IRS work in this area will take off. These aircraft audits will help ensure high-income groups aren’t flying under the radar with their tax responsibilities.”

The examination of corporate jet usage is part of the IRS Large Business and International division’s “campaign” program. Campaigns apply different compliance streams to help address areas with a high risk of non-compliance. These efforts include issue-focused examinations, taxpayer outreach and education, tax form changes and focusing on particular issues that present a high risk of noncompliance.

IRS Corporate Jet Audits: Implications for Broader IRS Tax Enforcement

The IRS corporate jet audits are just part of a larger effort of the IRS to step up tax enforcement worldwide. Prior to the Inflation Reduction Act, more than a decade of budget cuts prevented the IRS from keeping pace with the increasingly complicated set of tools that the wealthiest taxpayers use to avoid taxes. The IRS is now taking swift and aggressive action to close this gap with the focus on high-net-worth individuals.

“The IRS continues to increase scrutiny on high-income taxpayers as we work to reverse the historic low audit rates and limited focus that the wealthiest individuals and organizations faced in the years that predated the Inflation Reduction Act,” Werfel said. “We are adding staff and technology to ensure that the taxpayers with the highest income, including partnerships, large corporations and millionaires and billionaires, pay what is legally owed under federal law. The IRS will have more announcements to make in this important area.”

Of course, one of the most important areas of the increased IRS tax enforcement is US international tax compliance. This involves compliance with foreign income reporting, FBARs and various other information returns (Forms 3520, 3520-A, 5471, 8865, 8938, et cetera).

Contact Sherayzen Law Office for IRS Audits of Your US International Tax Compliance

If the IRS is auditing your US international tax compliance, including foreign income and foreign asset reporting, contact Sherayzen Law Office for professional help as soon as possible. We have helped taxpayers around the world with the IRS international tax audits. We can help you!

Contact Us Today to Schedule Your Confidential Consultation!

§318 Option Attribution | International Tax Lawyers United States

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A previous article defined “option” for the purposes of the IRC (Internal Revenue Code) §318(a)(4). Today, I will discuss the main §318 option attribution rule.

§318 Option Attribution: Main Rule

Under §318(a)(4), “if any person has an option to acquire stock, such stock shall be considered as owned by such person.” For the purposes of §318 option attribution rules, an option to acquire an option to acquire stock is also considered an option to acquire stock. Id. It does not matter whether the option to acquire an option is granted by the corporation or by a shareholder.

Additionally, a series of options to acquire an option to acquire stock is considered an option to acquire stock Id.; in other words, the owner of a series of options is the constructive owner of the stock. That is the subject of this series.

Let’s use the following example to illustrate §318 option attribution: A and B each own 10 shares in X, a C-corporation; A has an option to acquire 5 shares of X owned by B; A also has an option to acquire an option to acquire B’s other 5 shares of X; finally, A has an option to acquire 5 unissued shares of X. The issue is: how many shares does A own?

By applying the rules above, A would actually and constructively own a total of 25 shares: 10 shares that he actually owns and 15 shares the he constructively owns under §318(a)(4) (all 10 shares of X owned by B plus 5 unissued shares of X).

§318 Option Attribution: Special Case of Convertible Debentures

Pursuant to Rev. Rul. 68-601, an owner of a convertible debenture (i.e. a debenture that can be converted into stock of a corporation) is deemed to be in the same position as a an option owner for the purposes of §318(a)(4) as long as he has the right to obtain the stock at his election. In other words, an owner of such a convertible debenture is a constructive owner of the stock into which the debenture can be converted.

Moreover, by drawing an analogy to the main §318 option attribution rule, an option to acquire a convertible debenture would be treated in the same manner under §318 as an option to acquire an option to acquire stock. Hence, the owner of an option to acquire a convertible debenture is a constructive owner fo the stock into which this debenture can be converted.

§318 Option Attribution vs. §318 Family Member Attribution

There are certain situations where stocks may be attributed to an individual under both, §318(a)(1) (i.e. family attribution rules) and the §318(a)(4) (i.e. option attribution rules). Since there are differences in legal effect, it is important to understand which rule governs in such situations.

Under §318(a)(5)(D), §318 option attribution supercedes the §318 family attribution. In other words, where an individual is deemed to be a constructive owner of shares under both rules, only the §318 option constructive ownership rules will apply to him.

This primacy of option attribution over family attribution may have a highly important tax impact in certain situations, such as the tax treatment of redemption of stock by a corporation. Let’s analyze an example to illustrate the disparate impact of these two attribution rules in the context of the §302(c)(2) waiver.

Let’s use the following hypothetical situation: W, an individual, owns 10 shares of X, a C-corporation; her husband, H, owns the remaining 40 shares of X; W has an option to purchase all of H’s shares of X. W redeems all l0 shares of X with the idea to establish a complete termination of her interest in the corporation once she waives the attribution of H’s shares to her by using the §302(c)(2) waiver (we assume here that she also fulfills all other requirements under §302). Will this strategy work in this case?

The answer is no. The problem is that the waiver under §302(c)(2) is available only for attribution from a family member. While it is true that W is a constructive owner of H’s 40 shares by the operation of family attribution rules, she is also the constructive owner of the same shares under the §318 option attribution rules. Since option attribution supercedes family attribution, she cannot use the §302 waiver. This means that W cannot establish a complete termination of her interest in X and the redemption of her 10 stocks will be treated as a dividend (with no cost-basis offset against the proceeds) as opposed to a sale.

Contact Sherayzen Law Office for Professional Help With US International Tax Law

If you own foreign assets, including foreign business entities, you have the daunting obligation to meet all of your complex US international tax compliance requirements; otherwise, you may have to face the wrath of the IRS in the form of high noncompliance penalties. In order to successfully meet your US international tax compliance obligations, you need the professional help of Sherayzen Law Office.

We are an international tax law firm that specializes in US international tax compliance and offshore voluntary disclosures. We have successfully helped hundreds of US taxpayers worldwide with their US international tax compliance, and we can help you!

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Employment Income Sourcing | International Tax Lawyer & Attorney

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Employment income sourcing is a very important tax issue for employees of US corporations sent overseas, employees of foreign corporations stationed in the United States and employees who work in different countries during a tax year. For employees who are tax residents of a foreign country, this issue will determine whether their income will be taxed in the United States; whereas for US tax residents, the source of income rules will determine the amount of the allowable foreign tax credit. In this article, I will focus on the employment income sourcing rules concerning monetary compensation of employees.

Employment Income Sourcing: General Rules

The source of income rules concerning employees are very similar to the rules that apply to self-employment income, but there are some differences. The main rule is that the location where the services are rendered determines whether this is US-source income or foreign-source income. If an employee works in the United States, then his salary would be considered US-source income; if he works in a foreign country, his salary would be sourced to that country. See §§861(a)(3) and 862(a)(3).

If the employer pays for work partly performed in the United States and partly outside of the United States, then the salary needs to be allocated between the countries. Treas. Reg. §1.861-4(b)(2)(ii)(A). The key issue arises here – how does an employee allocate this income between the countries?

Employment Income Sourcing: Time Basis Allocation

The first methodology for allocation of income between the countries is stated directly within the regulations – time basis. Id. Here, the IRS offers two choices to the employees: allocation based on specific number of days working in the United States versus separate time periods.

Under the “number of days” variation, the employee adds together the number of days worked in the United States and the number of days worked in a foreign country, figures out the percentages for each country and sources the income according to the percentage allocation. Treas. Reg. §1.861-4(b)(2)(ii)(F).

Under the “time periods” variation, a tax year is split into distinct time periods: one where employee spends all of his time in the United States and one where employee spends all of his time in a foreign country. The compensation paid in the first period is allocated entirely to the United States, whereas the salary paid in the second time period is considered to be foreign-source income. Id.

Employment Income Sourcing: Multi-Year Compensation

An interesting situation occurs with respect to employees with multi-year compensation contracts. A multi-year contract in this context means a situation where the “compensation that is included in the income of an individual in one taxable year but that is attributable to a period that includes two or more taxable years.” Reg. §1.861-4(b)(2)(ii)(F).

Generally, the employment income sourcing in this case occurs in the following manner: (1) employee first aggregates his total contract compensation for the entire year; (2) then, the employee sums up all of the days worked in the United States and all of the days worked in a foreign country for the period covered by the multi-year contract; and (3) the employee sources the income to the United States based on the number of days worked in the United States vis-a-vis the total number of days worked under the contract; the rest of the income is considered foreign-source income. Id. While this approach is specifically described in the regulations, the regulations also generally refer to the “time basis” allocation. Hence, it appears that an employee may have a choice between the “number of days” approach that was just described and the “time periods” variation.

Employment Income Sourcing: Alternative Basis Sourcing

Employees have the right to disregard completely the time basis approach to employment income sourcing and adopt an alternative basis approach. Treas. Reg. §1.861-4(b)(2)(ii)(C)(1)(i).  An employee can do so as long as he is able to establish that “under the facts and circumstances of the particular case, the alternative basis more properly determines the source of the compensation than a basis described in paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(A) or (B), whichever is applicable, of this section.” Id.

An employee is not the only person who has this right; the IRS also has the right to utilize an alternative basis for employment income sourcing “if such compensation either is not for a specific time period or constitutes in substance a fringe benefit.” Treas. Reg. §1.861-4(b)(2)(ii)(C)(1)(ii). The IRS can do so as long as the “alternative basis determines the source of compensation in a more reasonable manner than the basis used by the individual pursuant to paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(A) or (B) of this section.” Id.

A taxpayer does not need to obtain the IRS consent in order to use the alternative basis for employment income sourcing. He should, however, keep the records in order to be able to show how his method is better than the time basis approach. TD 9212, 70 FR 40663, 40665 (07/14/2005).

Special requirements apply to employees who received $250,000 or more in compensation and use the alternative basis for employment income sourcing. Not only must such employees answer the relevant questions on Form 1040, but they should also attach a detailed statement to their tax returns. Id. The statement must contain the following information: “(1) The specific compensation income, or the specific fringe benefit, for which an alternative method is used; (2) for each such item, the alternative method of allocation of source used; (3) for each such item, a computation showing how the alternative allocation was computed; and (4) a comparison of the dollar amount of the compensation sourced within and without the United States under both the individual’s alternative basis and the basis for determining source of compensation described in § 1.861-4(b)(2)(ii)(A) or (B).” Id.

Contact Sherayzen Law Office for Professional Help With US International Tax Law

If you are a US taxpayer who receives foreign-source income and/or has foreign assets, contact Sherayzen Law Office for professional help. Our professional tax team, headed by international tax attorney, Mr. Eugene Sherayzen, has helped hundreds of US taxpayers around the world with their US international tax issues. We can help You!

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