IRS Offers New Opportunity to Come Clean on Offshore Accounts

The Internal Revenue Service recently announced a special voluntary disclosure initiative designed to bring offshore money back into the U.S. tax system and help people with undisclosed income from hidden offshore accounts get current with their taxes. The new voluntary disclosure initiative will be available through Aug. 31, 2011.

Each United States person who has a financial interest in or signature or other authority over any foreign financial accounts, including bank, securities, or other types of financial accounts, in a foreign country, if the aggregate value of these financial accounts exceeds $10,000 at any time during the calendar year, must report that relationship to the U.S. government each calendar year. This is done by filing Form TD F 90-22.1 on or before June 30 of the succeeding year with the Department of the Treasury.  No extensions of time to file are available.  The income from the accounts must also be included on the owner’s tax returns.

The IRS decision to open a second special disclosure initiative follows continuing interest from taxpayers with foreign accounts.  The first special voluntary disclosure program had 15,000 voluntary disclosures and closed on Oct. 15, 2009.  Since that time, more than 3,000 taxpayers have come forward to the IRS with bank accounts from around the world. These taxpayers will also be eligible to take advantage of the special provisions of the new initiative.

For the 2011 initiative, there is a new penalty framework that requires individuals to pay a penalty of 25 percent of the amount in the foreign bank accounts in the year with the highest aggregate account balance covering the 2003 to 2010 time period.  Some taxpayers will be eligible for 5 or 12.5 percent penalties. Participants also must pay back-taxes and interest for up to eight years, as well as paying accuracy-related and/or delinquency penalties.

Taxpayers participating in the new initiative must file all original and amended tax returns and include payment for taxes, interest and accuracy-related penalties by the Aug. 31 deadline.

The IRS is also making other modifications to the 2011 disclosure initiative, including the creation of a new penalty category of 12.5 percent for smaller offshore accounts.  People whose offshore accounts or assets did not surpass $75,000 in any calendar year covered by the 2011 initiative will qualify for this lower rate.  Also new is a 5 percent penalty category that may apply to taxpayers who did not open or cause the accounts to be opened if additional requirements are met.

The 2011 initiative offers clear benefits to encourage taxpayers to come in now rather than risk IRS detection. Taxpayers hiding assets offshore who do not come forward will face far higher penalty scenarios, as well as the possibility of criminal prosecution.

The IRS will also launch a new section on IRS.gov that includes the full terms and conditions on the 2011 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative, including an extensive set of questions and answers to help taxpayers and tax professionals.  The web site also includes details on how people can make a voluntary disclosure.

In the first voluntary disclosure program in 2009, taxpayers faced up to a 20 percent penalty covering up to a six-year period.  Taxpayers came forward with about 15,000 voluntary disclosures in that effort covering banks in more than 60 countries.

If you have questions, please give this office a call.

---