FATCA Is Officially Underway
We’ve been talking about it for months and according to the IRS, FATCA is now officially underway. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act is live and the IRS is actively exchanging information with several other countries that have signed on. So what does that mean for you and your information if you have funds in a foreign bank account? Is your information now subject to the IRS?
According to the nation’s top tax agency, at this time it is only sharing information in reciprocal exchanges that meet the agency’s strict requirements and security standards. FATCA was first passed in 2010, but most of the law didn’t take effect until this year. Any foreign institution that doesn’t comply stands to be frozen out of the all-important U.S. markets. In other words, compliance really isn’t an option.
The IRS is now offering a searchable financial institution list, as well as a downloadable tool, plus a user guide. All foreign financial institutions that have signed up with FATCA have to disclose names, addresses, account numbers and information and U.S. ID numbers. Taxpayers also need to be aware that reporting their foreign account information with FATCA is not enough. They must still file their FBARs, and a Form 8938 might also be necessary.
Make sure you don’t overlook these forms or you will wind up paying penalties: civil and possibly criminal. Sometimes the civil penalties, or the financial fines, could actually exceed the amount in your foreign account. While FATCA is really just getting started, you better not wait to get in compliance. GROCO can help you prepare for FATCA, as well as with your FBARs and your Form 8938. Click here to contact us or call us at 1-877-CPA-2006.
Self-Directed IRAs: Handle With Care
Self-Directed IRAs: Handle With Care IRAs – both traditional and Roth – are powerful tools for financial, retirement, and estate planning. But what if you’re not satisfied with your IRA’s performance? One way to “turbocharge” its benefits is to use a “self-directed” IRA, which is permitted to hold alternative investments that offer higher potential returns.…
Obtaining Financing
Obtaining Financing Whether you are a small or medium size business, the process of obtaining a loan is similar. Commercial lenders are interested in: The purpose of the loan. With a seasonal loan, for example, the borrower is able to pay the loan back when inventories and receivables decline after a seasonal surge in business,…
The Keys to Helping New Leaders Find Their Niche
The Keys to Helping New Leaders Find Their Niche The process to become a good leader is exactly that. A process. It doesn’t usually happen overnight. Good leaders have to learn and develop their skills and abilities and then hone them as they practice them. That takes time and experience. Sometimes there are bumps in…
What Happens to the AMT in 2018
What Happens to the AMT in 2018? As the dust is now settled on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, one glaring tax has remained standing, with relatively few changes. The alternative minimum tax or AMT. The first “minimum” tax started with the passing of the Tax Reform Act of 1969. With it was announced…