FBAR/OVDI LANCE WALLACH: FBAR Offshore Bank Accounts and Foreign Income Att...

FBAR/OVDI LANCE WALLACH: FBAR Offshore Bank Accounts and Foreign Income Att...: You may want to think about participation in the IRS’ offshore tax amnesty program (called the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative). Do...

I received an interesting call today from someone concerned about the IRS penalties for failure to file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts, better known as an FBAR (TDF-90-22.1 for those looking for the IRS form number).  For those not already aware of the penalties, the IRS can and routinely does assess penalties of $100,000 or 50% of the highest balance of an unreported foreign bank or brokerage account. And those penalties are for each year that an account is unreported. There are ways to beat these penalties, however.

U.S. taxpayers with more than $10,000 in offshore accounts are required annually to file an FBAR form. This year, certain taxpayers must also comply with the new Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) and file a form 8938 as well. (Filing one does not eliminate the need to file the other.) Offshore accounts are pretty broadly defined and include bank accounts, certificates of deposit, brokerage accounts, many foreign retirement plans and some insurance products.

Fail to file an FBAR and the government can impose a 50% penalty for each year the account is unreported. In certain cases, taxpayers can also be charged with a felony punishable by 5 years in prison. Take a hypothetical account with a $100,000 balance opened 8 years ago. Assuming no change in the balance, the IRS can impose $400,000 in penalties on an account that only contains $100,000! (50% or $50,000 x 8 years.)

The IRS is offering a tax amnesty called the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program. (Yes, it too has an acronym and is sometimes called “OVDI” or “OVDP”). Program participants don’t have to worry about criminal prosecution and face a one time penalty of 27.5% of the highest balance during the years in which the accounts were not reported. (The IRS is presently looking back 8 years.)

Twenty Seven (27.5%) percent is certainly a lot of money. There are ways to reduce that penalty, however.

First, the IRS does have two lower penalty tiers –  5% and 12.5%. The criteria for these special amnesty rates can be found

Important FBAR and International Tax Information For 2012

Important FBAR and International tax information for 2012
By Lance Wallach

For individual tax returns (Forms 1040) due to be filed in 2012 (due this year by April 17, 2012, unless extended), the IRS has issued new Form 8938, "Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets," requiring the disclosure of certain foreign accounts and assets.

Whether an individual is required to file this form is complicated, but basically this applies to the following assets if owned in 2011:
Financial accounts in foreign financial institutions.
Any stock or securities issued by foreign corporations or entities, any interest in a foreign partnership, trust or estate, as well as any financial instrument or contract issued by a foreign person, and foreign pension plans and deferred compensation arrangements (but not foreign social security). You are not, however, required to report foreign assets (1) if the assets are held in a U.S. brokerage account; (2) if you are required to disclose the asset on certain other tax form such as Form 3520 or Form 5471; or (3) if such assets (other than stock) are used in your trade or business.
Whether you have to file Form 8938 depends on the total value of such foreign assets at year end as well as the highest value at any point in the year. For U.S. citizens and residents filing joint tax returns, you must file Form 8938 if the year-end value of the foreign assets is $100,000 or more or, if the value at any time during the year exceeded $150,000. On joint returns, all foreign-based assets owned by the spouses are considered in determining these thresholds. For married spouses filing separately and for unmarried persons, the thresholds are $50,000 (year end) and $75,000 (high value during the year).

There are different rules regarding certain persons who live abroad. There are also rules regarding valuation of certain assets. These are spelled out in greater detail in the Form 8938 instructions.

If required, Form 8938 is to be filed with your Federal Income Tax Return (Form 1040). Currently only individuals having filing requirements must fill out the Form 8938, but it is expected that this will be extended to corporations, partnerships and trusts in the future.

The IRS may impose penalties for failure to file Form 8938 if you lack reasonable cause or willfully neglected to file. In addition, if you underpay your tax as a result of a transaction involving an undisclosed foreign financial asset, the penalty for such failure may be 40 percent of the underpayment (instead of the normal 20 percent). In addition, the statute of limitations for assessing tax may be extended if you fail to file the form.

It is important to note that Form 8938 is in addition to the annual Foreign Bank Account Form or "FBAR," which has different filing requirements. The FBAR, generally is required if you have ownership or signature authority over one or more foreign bank accounts with a value of over $10,000 on any date in the prior year. The FBAR is not part of your income tax return, but is filed separately and must be received by the Department of Treasury in Detroit by June 30 (timely mailing does not apply to that form).


Lance Wallach, National Society of Accountants Speaker of the Year and member of the AICPA faculty of teaching professionals, is a frequent speaker on retirement plans, financial and estate planning, and abusive tax shelters. He writes about 412(i), 419, and captive insurance plans. He speaks at more than ten conventions annually, writes for over fifty publications, is quoted regularly in the press and has been featured on television and radio financial talk shows including NBC, National Public Radio's All Things Considered, and others. Lance has written numerous books including Protecting Clients from Fraud, Incompetence and Scams published by John Wiley and Sons, Bisk Education's CPA's Guide to Life Insurance and Federal Estate and Gift Taxation, as well as AICPA best-selling books, including Avoiding Circular 230 Malpractice Traps and Common Abusive Small Business Hot Spots. He does expert witness testimony and has never lost a case. Contact him at 516.938.5007, wallachinc@gmail.com or visit www.taxaudit419.com and www.taxlibrary.us

The information provided herein is not intended as legal, accounting, financial or any type of advice for any specific individual or other entity. You should contact an appropriate professional for any such advice.