Washington D.C. Tax Law Blog

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is in the midst of a lawsuit against cryptocurrency provider Coinbase. The agency is attempting to gain information about those who use Coinbase, claiming that there is a high likelihood that these users are guilty of various tax crimes. What is the basis for these allegations? The agency supports these […]

The fact that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is cracking down on offshore accounts and foreign tax compliance issues is not a new one. Media outlets have been covering this story for months. However, the agency recently took a big step that will push these efforts to the next level. What was the big step? […]

The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) has faced serious opposition. It was signed into law in 2010 by President Obama and is currently part of a lawsuit that alleges the law causes harm to a number of individuals. Who is bringing this lawsuit? The lawsuit, as noted in a recent piece in International Investment, […]

Even expats have certain tax obligations. A failure to meet these obligations can result in a range of penalties. Depending on the details of the issue, penalties can include fines or even criminal charges and revocation of your U.S. passport. Examples of common mistakes: Due to the severity of penalties tied to tax issues, expats […]

When a joint return is filed and only one spouse owes a past-due amount, the other spouse can be considered an injured spouse. An injured spouse claim is different from an innocent spouse claim, since it uses Form 8379 to request an allocation of the tax overpayment attributed to each spouse, whereas an innocent spouse […]

U.S. companies and their oversea affiliates are prohibited from certain interactions with countries that are listed as boycotted. In some cases, the United States Government may sanction a request. An understanding of the potential tax implications of these dealings is beneficial for any business operating in qualifying countries. What exactly is a qualifying boycott activity? […]

If you are a United States taxpayer with interest in a foreign asset, odds are high you know that you must report this interest to the government. A failure to do so can result in serious penalties, ranging from steep monetary fines to potential imprisonment. The severity of the penalties often hinges on one thing: […]

Congress is considering a new tax proposal that would result in a minimum tax applied to the foreign earnings made by U.S. companies’. The effort is viewed as an attempt to keep funds here in the United States as opposed to sending them overseas. How do these taxes currently work?Current law applies a 35 percent […]

In some cases, those who conduct certain qualifying transactions using a foreign trust, those who own a foreign trust or those who receive a gift or bequest from a foreign person must file special tax documentation. It is important to make sure these dealings are in compliance with tax laws, or else harsh penalties can […]

Developing and implementing a succession plan can provide several benefits to CEOS and partners. According to the U.S Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, based on 2013 U.S. Census Bureau data, more than 51 percent of small business owners are ages 50 and older. These statistics show that a large percentage of business owners are […]