Yearly Archives: 2019

On June 21, 2016 we posted  US Taxpayers Are Receiving Automated $10,000 Penalty Assessments For Late Filed Form 5471's & 5472's - We Can Help! where we discussed that we have been receiving a lot of calls from businesses who have recently received penalty notices regarding late filed or non-filed Form 5471 & 5472's. The Internal Revenue Service imposes an automatic penalty of $10,000 whenever an individual or company is late in filing an information return disclosing their interest in a foreign corporation, regardless of whether there is any associated underreported of income or tax deficiencies.

Now in a recently updated International Practice Unit (IPU), IRS has explained the Code Sec. 6679 penalty for certain U.S. persons that are required to file Form 5471, Information Return of U.S. Persons with Respect to Certain Foreign Corporations, but fail to file, fail to file on time, or file an incomplete form. The IPU includes, among other things, insight as to what constitutes reasonable cause for failing to file.

IPUs are not official IRS pronouncements of law or directives and cannot be used, cited, or relied upon as such. Nonetheless, they identify strategic areas of importance to IRS and can provide valuable insight as to how IRS examiners may audit a particular issue or transaction.

U.S. persons including businesses with at least a 10 percent interest in a foreign corporation or who are officers of a foreign corporation in which any U.S. person owns or acquires a 10 percent interest are required to file a Form 5471 with their tax return to disclose their ownership.

The IRS has begun to automatically applying the $10,000 penalty for each Form 5471 and Forms 5472 that was filed after the due date. 

There are ways to defend against these automatic assessments and request penalty abatement. There are four defenses that you should consider when assess the penalty for filing an international information return after the due date.

1. Follow the Delinquent Information Return Procedure - First, the taxpayer can file through the Service's procedures for delinquent international information returns. This procedure is appropriate for taxpayers who can establish reasonable cause for their failure to file or whose failure to file has caused no or nominal tax non-compliance. This procedure cannot be used, however, if the taxpayer is already under audit or investigation or has otherwise been contacted by the Service about the delinquent information returns. Under this procedure, the taxpayer files the delinquent returns with a statement of the facts establishing reasonable cause for the failure to file. In the "Frequently Asked Questions" section, the Service explains that taxpayers with tax noncompliance can use this procedure, but that the Service may impose penalties if it does not accept the taxpayer's reasonable cause explanation.
2. Ask for a First-Time Offender Abatement (FTA) - Generally, an FTA can provide penalty relief if the taxpayer has not previously been required to file a return or has no prior penalties (except the estimated tax penalty) for the preceding three years with respect to the same IRS  File (IRM §20.1.1.3.6.1). With respect to a Form 5472 late-filing penalty, the IRM provides for an FTA if an FTA was applied to the taxpayer's related Form 1120 late-filing penalty or no penalty was assessed on the related Form 1120 (IRM §21.8.2.20.2).
3. Reasonable Cause Defense - Under Section 6038 of the tax code, which lays out the information reporting requirements for individuals and businesses with an interest in foreign corporations and the penalties for delinquent filing, penalties may be abated if a reasonable cause exists for the failure to file. However, neither the statute nor the applicable regulations define a reasonable cause standard for the abatement. Treasury Regulations Section 301.6651-1(c) provide a definition of what constitutes reasonable cause for failure to file corporate income tax returns and says that "if the taxpayer exercised ordinary business care and prudence and was nevertheless unable to file the return within the prescribed time, then the delay is due to reasonable cause." and
4. Statute of Limitations - Though a $10,000 penalty may discourage some from filing in international information return after the deadline, there is a greater exposure to not late filing and information return and that is that the statute of limitations for tax returns which is generally three years does not apply for returns that are missing the information reports and the statute remains open indefinitely. Under the indefinite statute of limitations, not only can the IRS make adjustments to items related to the international information returns, but they also can examine any other area on the tax return. 

A Category 2 filer is a U.S. citizen or resident who is an officer or director of a foreign corporation in which a USP has acquired, in one or more transactions:

• . . . stock which meets the 10% stock ownership requirement (described below) with respect to the foreign corporation, or
• . . . an additional 10% or more (in value or voting power) of the outstanding stock of the foreign corporation.

For purposes of both Categories 2 and 3, the stock ownership threshold is met if a USP owns 10% or more of the (i) total value of the foreign corporation's stock, or (ii) total combined voting power of all classes of stock with voting rights. (Reg. § 1.6046-1(a), Reg. § 1.6046-1(c) ). A USP is treated as having acquired stock in a foreign corporation when the person has an unqualified right to receive it. (Reg. § 1.6046-1(f)(1))

A Category 3 filer is:

• . . . A USP who acquires stock in a foreign corporation which, when added to any stock owned on the date of acquisition, meets the 10% stock ownership requirement with respect to the foreign corporation,
• . . . A USP who acquires stock which, without regard to stock already owned on the date of acquisition, meets the 10% stock ownership requirement with respect to the foreign corporation,
• . . . A person who is treated as a U.S. shareholder under Code Sec. 953(c) with respect to the foreign corporation,
• . . . A person who becomes a USP while meeting the 10% stock ownership requirement with respect to the foreign corporation, or
• . . . A USP who disposes of sufficient stock in the foreign corporation to reduce his or her interest to less than the 10% stock ownership requirement. (Code Sec. 6046, Reg. § 1.6046-1(c))

There are a number of exceptions to the filing requirement for Category 2 and 3 filers, including when multiple persons are required to file Form 5471 and applicable schedules with respect to the same foreign corporation for the same period (in which case the form may be jointly filed).

Guidance for examiners. IRS examiners are instructed to determine whether a taxpayer who is required to file Form 5471 in fact filed a timely and accurate form. As noted above, the Form 5471 is due when the USP's income tax return is due, with extensions (and taking into account if the last day for filing was a weekend or legal holiday), and must be filed with that return. If one was not timely filed, or it wasn't complete, then penalties may be asserted unless the failure was due to reasonable cause.

While identifying Forms 5471 that were required, but not filed, for the exam year(s), examiners are instructed to consider reviewing whether similar failures occurred in earlier tax years. The IPU notes that the related income tax returns for the prior years are not required to be under exam to assess penalties under Code Sec. 6679.

There are ways to defend against these automatic assessments and request penalty abatement. These four defenses should be considered when your receive a $10,000 penalty for filing an international information return after the due date.

Has  Your Company  Been Assessed an
Automatic $10,000 Penalty for a Late Form 5471 or 5472?

Contact the Tax Lawyers at 

Marini & Associates, P.A.

 

for a FREE Tax Consultation

at www.TaxAid.us or www.TaxLaw.ms

or Toll Free at 888-8TaxAid (888 882-9243)

 

 

The Internal Revenue Service released IR-2019-63 on April 4, 2019 reminding U.S. citizens and resident aliens, including those with dual citizenship, that if they have a foreign bank or financial account, April 15, 2019, is the deadline to file their annual Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR).

Here is a rundown of key points to keep in mind:

Deadline for reporting foreign accounts
The deadline for filing the FBAR is the same as for a federal income tax return. This means that the 2018 FBAR, Form 114, must be filed electronically with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) by April 15, 2019.

Taxpayers who want to paper-file their FBAR must call the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network’s Regulatory Helpline to request an exemption from e-filing.

In general, the filing requirement applies to anyone who had an interest in, or signature or other authority, over foreign financial accounts whose aggregate value exceeded $10,000 at any time during 2018. Because of this threshold, the IRS encourages taxpayers with foreign assets, even relatively small ones, to check if this filing requirement applies to them. The form is only available through the BSA E-Filing System website.

Taxpayers with foreign financial accounts that report their accounts to the U.S Treasury Department should also visit the FBAR Fact Sheet posted on IRS.gov.

Most people abroad need to file
An income tax filing requirement generally applies even if a taxpayer qualifies for tax benefits, such as the Foreign Earned Income exclusion or the Foreign Tax credit, which substantially reduce or eliminate U.S. tax liability. These tax benefits are only available if an eligible taxpayer files a U.S. income tax return.

A special extended filing and payment deadline applies to U.S. citizens and resident aliens who live and work abroad. For U.S. citizens and resident aliens whose tax home and abode are outside the United States and Puerto Rico, the income tax filing and payment deadline is June 17, 2019. Taxpayers have two extra days because the normal extended deadline—June 15—falls on a Saturday this year.  The same applies for those serving in the military outside the U.S. and Puerto Rico on the regular due date of their tax return.

Interest, currently at the rate of 6 percent per year, compounded daily, will apply to any payment received after the regular April 15 deadline. See U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad for details.

Nonresident aliens who received income from U.S. sources in 2018 also must determine whether they have a U.S. tax obligation. The filing deadline for nonresident aliens is April 15. See Taxation of Nonresident Aliens on IRS.gov.

Special income tax return reporting for foreign accounts and assets
In addition to the annual Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) requirements outlined above, federal law requires U.S. citizens and resident aliens to report any worldwide income, including income from foreign trusts and foreign bank and securities accounts. In most cases, affected taxpayers need to complete and attach Schedule B to their tax return. Part III of Schedule B asks about the existence of foreign accounts, such as bank and securities accounts, and usually requires U.S. citizens to report these items for the country in which each account is located.

Also, separate from the foreign accounts reporting requirements above, certain taxpayers may also have to complete and attach to their return Form 8938, Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets. Generally, U.S. citizens, resident aliens and certain nonresident aliens must report specified foreign financial assets on this form if the aggregate value of those assets exceeds certain thresholds. See the instructions for this form for details.

Specified domestic entity reporting
Certain domestic corporations, partnerships and trusts that are considered formed for the purpose of holding (directly or indirectly) specified foreign financial assets must file Form 8938 if the total value of those assets exceeds $50,000 on the last day of the tax year or $75,000 at any time during the tax year.

For more information on specified domestic entity reporting, as well as the types of specified foreign financial assets that must be reported, see Do I need to file Form 8938, “Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets”? and its instructions.

Report in U.S. dollars
Any income received, or deductible expenses paid in foreign currency must be reported on a U.S. tax return in U.S. dollars. Likewise, any tax payments must be made in U.S. dollars.

Both FinCen Form 114 and IRS Form 8938 require the use of a December 31 exchange rate for all transactions, regardless of the actual exchange rate on the date of the transaction. Generally, the IRS accepts any posted exchange rate that is used consistently. For more information on exchange rates, see Foreign Currency and Currency Exchange Rates.

According to DoJ, a former Indiana attorney, who also prepared tax returns for Indianapolis-area clients, pleaded guilty on April 4, 2019 to tax evasion.

Scott C. Cole, 54, of Brownsburg, Indiana, pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion for his multi-year effort to evade the payment of taxes and penalties on income he failed to report on his 2002 tax return. According to the Superseding Indictment and court filings, Cole was an attorney and preparer of tax returns.

As the result of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audits of Cole’s 2001 and 2002 tax returns, the Tax Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit determined that

 

Cole Owed Over $1,000,000 In Taxes & Penalties, Stemming From Cole’s Fraudulent Omission Of Over $1.5 Million Of Income From His Individual Tax Returns For Those Years.

 

From 2011 through 2017, when the IRS sought to collect those taxes, Cole took various steps to evade payment of his tax debt. His efforts included:

 

• opening bank accounts in the names of nominees, such as family members,
• directing payment for legal and tax preparation services performed by him be made payable to nominee companies he controlled,
• paying personal bills from bank accounts maintained in the names of nominees, and
• dealing extensively in cash and money orders. 

Cole also prepared tax returns for clients that omitted his name as the paid preparer of those tax returns, a violation of the Internal Revenue Code and related regulations. 

Because Of Cole’s Acts Of Evasion, The IRS Collected Less Than $3,000 of The Total Tax Debt Cole Owed For

The 2001 & 2002 Tax Years.　 

Cole resigned from the Indiana bar following the filing of a complaint by the Supreme Court of Indiana Disciplinary Commission in 2014, which charged Cole with the filing of fraudulent tax returns with the IRS and the State of Indiana for the 2001 and 2002 tax years.

U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson, who presided over Cole’s guilty plea , is expected to schedule Cole’s sentencing for late summer 2019.

Have a Criminal Tax Problem?

 

 

Contact the Tax Lawyers at 

Marini & Associates, P.A.
 

 

for a FREE Tax Consultation contact us at

www.TaxAid.com or www.OVDPLaw.com 

or Toll Free at 888-8TaxAid (888 882-9243)

 

 

 

IRS has issued an updated version of Form 656-B, the "Form 656 Booklet, Offer in Compromise." It includes updated versions of the various forms required when a taxpayer wishes to have IRS accept his offer in compromise (OIC).

The booklet sets out the rules, for making an offer in compromise and having it accepted. For example:

• Eligibility. Submitting an application does not ensure that IRS will accept the OIC. To be eligible, the following conditions must be met: (1) file all tax returns legally required to file; (2) have received a bill for at least one tax debt included on the offer; (3) make all required estimated tax payments for the current year, and (4) make all required federal tax deposits for the current quarter, if a business owner with employees.
• Trust fund taxes. If the business owes trust fund taxes, responsible individuals may be held liable for the trust fund portion of the tax. Trust fund taxes are the money withheld from an employee's wages, such as income tax, Social Security, and Medicare taxes. A business is not eligible for consideration of an OIC unless the trust fund portion of the tax is paid or the trust fund penalty determination(s) has/have been made on all potentially responsible individual(s). However, if submitting the OIC as a victim of payroll service provider fraud or failure, the trust fund assessment is not required prior to submitting the offer.
• If individual and business tax debt is owed. If there is individual and business tax debt that a taxpayer wishes to compromise, the taxpayer needs to send in two Forms 656. Taxpayers should complete one Form 656 for their individual tax debts and one Form 656 for their business tax debts. Each Form 656 will require the $186 application fee and initial payment.

A business is defined as a corporation, partnership, or any business that is operated as other than a sole-proprietorship. An individual's share of a partnership debt will not be compromised. The partnership must submit its own offer based on the partnership's and partners' ability to pay.

The booklet contains the following updated forms and instructions for submitting an OIC:

• Form 433-A (OIC), Collection Information Statement for Wage Earners and Self-employed Individuals.
• Form 433-B (OIC), Collection Information Statement for Businesses.
• Form 656, Offer in Compromise.

IRS has announced that using previous versions of the forms may result in delayed processing of OIC applications.

The booklet also instructs taxpayers to use IRS's OIC Pre-Qualifier Tool to confirm that they are eligible for an OIC and to calculate a preliminary offer amount.

Marini & Associates, P.A. 

 for a FREE Tax Consultation Contact US at

www.TaxAid.com or www.OVDPLaw.com

or Toll Free at 888-8TaxAid (888 882-9243).