FATCA Update As the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) is implemented, more countries have entered into intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) with the U.S. which should ease burdens on offshore funds and investment managers that qualify as foreign financial institutions. FATCA is aimed at ensuring that U.S. taxpayers do not avoid paying… – Continue reading
Liechtenstein and the US have signed an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) for the implementation of the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), the Liechtenstein Government has announced. The IGA requires the Liechtenstein Tax Administration and the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to exchange information automatically on accounts held by US… – Continue reading
Revenue Minister Todd McClay must release the text of the Inter-Governmental Agreement which affects tens of thousands of Kiwis who were born or have worked in the United States, Labour’s Revenue spokesperson David Clark says. National is about to introduce legislation to ratify an agreement between the US and New… – Continue reading
CALGARY – A Calgary-based United States tax expert has recommended to the federal government that Canada follow the lead of other countries and include certain Canadian trusts within the definition of organizations subject to reporting under the recent Intergovernmental Agreement between the Canada and the U.S. “This would eliminate the… – Continue reading
The Inland Revenue Department of Cyprus (“IRD”) will proceed with the signing of Model 1 IGA (Inter Governmental Agreement) with the US Treasury, following the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). The Model 1 IGA requires Foreign Financial Institutions (FFIs) to report all FATCA-related information to their own governmental agencies,… – Continue reading
Azerbaijan and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agreed to conclude an intergovernmental agreement on implementation of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) by Azerbaijani banks, the Ministry of Taxes of Azerbaijan said on May 21. Starting from July 1, 2014 the banks in all countries should join the… – Continue reading
AsiaOne Business News released an article on the expectation of Singapore to dislodge Switzerland as the world’s wealth management capital (Business AsiaOne, 5/12/14) last week. AsiaBiz Services, Singapore’s leading company formation consultancy, affirmed that the main reasons for the country’s acquisition of its enormous share of global offshore wealth are attributed to… – Continue reading
A decision from the U.S. to recognize those with agreements “in substance” changes the number of countries with IGAs from 22 to 48. Jeffrey S. Freeman, J.D., LL.M If you notice money missing from your bank account you start asking questions and find a way to get that money back…. – Continue reading
The Inland Revenue Department of the Republic of Cyprus is expected to sign the Model 1 InterGovernmental Agreement (“IGA”) with the US Treasury in accordance with the provisions of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). FATCA is a US tax legislation that was enacted in March 2010 in order… – Continue reading
With the recent passing of the 5 May 2014 registration deadline to be included in the first IRS GIIN list on 2 June 2014, and the 3 June 2014 registration deadline for the 1 July 2014 GIIN list imminent, this update outlines the practical implications for CLO issuers incorporated in… – Continue reading
On May 9, 2014, the U.S. Treasury announced that Hong Kong had agreed in substance on a Model 2 FATCA IGA. Under the IGA, Hong Kong financial institutions will report information on financial accounts held by U.S. persons directly to the Internal Revenue Service. Hong Kong is only the seventh country… – Continue reading
Hong Kong and the United States have concluded their discussions on the implementation of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, with Hong Kong expected to sign a model 2 intergovernmental agreement later this year. Under the model 2 agreement, financial institutions in Hong Kong will need to register and conclude… – Continue reading
Despite a push to obtain agreements with foreign governments through April, the US Treasury’s own website notes the large number of outstanding Intergovernmental Agreements yet to be implemented fully around the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (Fatca). So-called IGAs are critical for the success of the US Foreign Account Tax… – Continue reading
Hong Kong and the United States have substantially concluded discussions on an inter-governmental agreement (IGA) to simplify Hong Kong financial institutions’ compliance with the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act. The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) said that the IGA “will reduce Hong Kong financial institutions’ reporting burden and… – Continue reading
Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) has confirmed that it expects to conclude an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the United States regarding the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) by the end of June this year. FATCA, enacted by the US Congress in 2010 and due to take effect on July… – Continue reading
• Partnership creates end-to-end solution for enabling and ensuring FATCA compliance, including: data consolidation, indicia identification, additional KYC data/document capture, alerts/notifications and dashboards to monitor compliance, withholding calculations and remittance, and tax reporting. Banking analytics, risk and compliance pioneer, iCreate, today announced a strategic partnership with tax information reporting leader,… – Continue reading
United States Intergovernmental Agreement The British Virgin Islands (“BVI”) Government on 6 March 2014 initialled a “Model 1 intergovernmental agreement” (the “BVI-US IGA”) with the government of the United States of America with respect to the “Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act” provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (“FATCA”), designed to… – Continue reading
The U.S. Treasury announced that on April 11, 2014, India agreed “in substance” to sign a Model 1 FATCA IGA with the US. The IGA would therefore require Indian financial institutions to report information on U.S. account holders to India’s Central Board of Direct Taxes, which would then share the information… – Continue reading
The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) is a US tax measure enacted in 2010 to prevent and detect US tax evasion and improve taxpayer compliance. It targets tax non-compliance by US taxpayers with foreign accounts by imposing a 30% withholding tax on their transactions with foreign financial institutions and… – Continue reading
Belgium and the US will sign an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) in Brussels on April 23 for the implementation of the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), the Belgian Finance Ministry has announced. The IGA requires the Belgian Tax Administration and the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to exchange information… – Continue reading
Luxembourg and the US have signed an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) to implement the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). Luxembourg and the US negotiated a Model 1 IGA, requiring the Luxembourg Tax Administration and the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to exchange information automatically on accounts held by US citizens… – Continue reading
The National Treasury and the SA Revenue Service are discussing entering into an inter-governmental agreement (IGA) with the United States on a foreign tax compliant act, Sars said on Thursday. “The wording of a draft IGA has now been agreed upon and will be signed at governmental level as soon… – Continue reading
The United States Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have announced that foreign jurisdictions that have reached agreement on the terms of intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) can be treated as having such agreements in effect until the end of… – Continue reading
April 2 — The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service announced that countries that have reached intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) in substance under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act before July 1 will be treated as having signed agreements through Dec. 31, 2014, winning praise from practitioners. The government also said… – Continue reading
On Friday the Conservative government tabled legislation to implement key elements of this year’s Budget. But it contains more than tax credits. Buried within is a revised version of draft legislation implementing the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the U.S. on FATCA. A Department of Finance press release makes no mention of this… – Continue reading
The US and Luxembourg governments have signed an agreement to improve international tax compliance and to implement the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). On 27 February 2014, the Luxembourg and US negotiating teams agreed on the substance of the Model 1 Agreement. ALFI – the Association of the Luxembourg… – Continue reading
In the early hours of Thursday Morning, Australia announced a tax amnesty on any tax resident with offshore assets not declared to the Australian Taxation Office Geraint Davies, Managing Director of Montfort International sees this move as significant from many perspectives. “We have seen the breaking news of a complete… – Continue reading
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, March 26th 2014 (CUOPM) – The Member Governments of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) have commenced discussions with the United States of America (US) towards executing an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for the implementation of the provisions of the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). The… – Continue reading
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Caterpillar Inc’s offshore tax strategies will come under scrutiny on Tuesday at a U.S. Senate hearing expected to examine dealings by the world’s largest mining and construction equipment maker in Switzerland, Bermuda and Luxembourg. With many multinationals being criticized for tax avoidance, veteran tax sleuth Senator Carl Levin… – Continue reading
The Luxembourg and US governments have today signed an agreement to improve international tax compliance and implement the so-called Model 1 Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) of the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). As a result of this agreement, the Luxembourg Tax Administration has set up two working groups including… – Continue reading
What is FATCA? FATCA or the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, is actually a section of the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act passed into United States law in March 2010, that comes into force on 1 July 2014. It is unique in its extra-territorial reach, being an attempt… – Continue reading
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Multinational businesses that often fight with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service over their worldwide taxes may be dropped from an IRS program meant to smooth corporate audits, a senior IRS official said on Tuesday. Speaking at a conference, Michael Danilack, a deputy U.S. IRS commissioner, raised concerns… – Continue reading
The British Virgin Islands Government has today announced the conclusion of negotiations with the United States on a Model 1 Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) under the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). In a statement the Ministry of Finance of the BVI Government said the final text of the agreement has been… – Continue reading
On February 5th, 2014, the Canada signed an intergovernmental agreement (“IGA”) with the U.S. regarding the U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”). Under the terms of FATCA, Canadian financial institutions need to report directly to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) any information regarding bank accounts held by U.S…. – Continue reading
Financial institutions in Bermuda, such as banks and trust companies, will soon be obliged to provide information to foreign tax authorities relating to the financial affairs of United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) resident clients. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act 2009 (US FATCA) is a US law designed… – Continue reading
Inland Revenue today released its interpretation of what it means to be tax resident. “This is a particularly important document for New Zealanders living and working overseas. For these people, remaining tax resident in New Zealand can have significant financial implications.” says Rebecca Armour, Tax Director and Head of International… – Continue reading
The Taxation (Annual Rates, Employee Allowances, and Remedial Matters) Bill contains proposed legislative amendments to give effect to the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) New Zealand is currently negotiating with the United States in respect of the United States’s Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). The Commentary to the Bill states that… – Continue reading
Dubai: The US and UAE governments are in the process of signing the FATCA Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA). Under this agreement, banks and financial institutions in the UAE will be required to annually compile data for submission to the UAE regulatory authorities. The UAE Ministry of Finance would then send this… – Continue reading
Many UK advisers believe that the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) only applies to UK trusts if there are US beneficiaries, settlors or investments. This is not true. FATCA will apply to all financial institutions (banks, brokerage firms, trust companies and all financial accounts) in the UK and will… – Continue reading
The British Virgin Islands and the United States are close to signing an agreement on implementing the US’ Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act financial law (FATCA). Last week, the two sides concluded their talks on the agreement, initialing the final text of an agreement. In a statement, the British Virgin… – Continue reading
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, a city state of just over a half million inhabitants, on Tuesday refused to agree on a proposed key EU tax evasion law at the monthly Ecofin meeting of European Union finance ministers. Algirdas Šemeta, EU taxation Commissioner, said Tuesday’s failure was “disappointing” because the legislation… – Continue reading
A prominent tax lawyer says that proposed federal legislation relieving Canadian financial institutions from onerous obligations under the U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act “eviscerates” an intergovernmental agreement signed between Canada and the U.S. earlier this month. “The U.S. Treasury Department may view the legislation, if passed in its current form, as an… – Continue reading
Former American Peter Dunn wants Americans living in Canada to ask themselves an important question. “Am I really an American citizen?” Dunn, 50, has recently co-founded the Isaac Brock Society, a group raising awareness about the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). Dunn settled permanently in Canada in 1994. FATCA,… – Continue reading
Cayman is continuing preparations for the implementation of the US Foreign Accounts Compliance Act (FATCA). So far the island has signed two inter-governmental agreements (IGAs), and legislation is currently being drafted to meet the requirements of the new law. Chief Compliance Officer at DMS Offshore Investment Services Don Ebanks says… – Continue reading
Canada has aligned with the thinking of other countries around the world in battling against international tax avoidance. As the treaties that Canada has with other countries come up for renewal, exchange of information agreements are being added to updated treaties while exchange of information document agreements are being drawn… – Continue reading
The Republican Party has recently formally approved a petition to repeal the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act – the repeal comes just 5 months before the act is set to come into effect. The main sponsor of the Republic party resolution to repeal FACTA, is Solomon Yue, who is a… – Continue reading
The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) requires foreign financial institutions (“FFIs”) to disclose the foreign accounts of U.S. taxpayers to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). FFIs that fail to comply with FATCA will be subject to a 30% withholding tax on certain U.S. source income starting July 1, 2014…. – Continue reading
INTRODUCTION On 31 January 2014 the Crown Dependencies of Guernsey and Jersey jointly issued draft Guidance Notes (in conjunction with the Isle of Man) on the implementation of obligations arising under the intergovernmental agreements (“IGAs“) signed by each island with the UK in October 2013 and with the US in… – Continue reading
International Business Minister, Donville Inniss recently announceed that the Barbados Government and the United States of America have agreed to start negotiations with respect to an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) that will give effect in Barbados to the provisions of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). FATCA, enacted by the… – Continue reading
The law’s onerous provisions are scheduled to go into effect in the coming year. However, even as this regulatory reckoning approaches, a group of US citizens residing abroad is making progress pushing for repeal. The looming United States Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”), intended to prevent tax cheating, is… – Continue reading
