FATCA: Qualified Intermediary Reporting Requirements
Under the 2010 HIRE Act (IRC §1471(c)(1)), a foreign financial institution that is a party to a qualified intermediary agreement with the IRS must report the following information regarding each U.S. account maintained by the institution:
1. The name, address, and TIN of each account holder that is a specified U.S. Person.
2. The name, address and TIN of each substantial U.S. owner of any account holder that is a U.S. owned foreign entity.
3. The account number.
4. The account balance or value as determined at such time and in such manner as the IRS prescribes.
5. The gross receipts and gross withdrawals or payments from the account as determined for such period and in such manner as the IRS prescribes.
A Qualified Intermediary (“QI”) is a foreign financial institution that has entered into a withholding and reporting agreement (QI Agreement) with the IRS (T.R. §1.1441-1(e)(5)(ii)).
For U.S. Taxpayers, the QI must provide the U.S. payor with Form W-9 for each U.S. recipient account holder (the QI is not required to back-up withhold or file Form 1099).
For non-resident withholdings, a QI is a withholding agent subject to reporting rules, and payor for purposes of back-up withholding and Form 1099 information reporting rules.
Under a QI Agreement, a QI may choose not to assume primary responsibility for non-resident withholding. The QI must provide a U.S. withholding agent with Form W-8IMY certifying the status of its unnamed U.S. account holders and is not required to withhold or report the payments on Form 1042-S.
A foreign financial institution that becomes a QI and elects primary withholding responsibility is not required to forward beneficial ownership information regarding its customers to a U.S. financial institution or other withholding agent of U.S. source investment income to establish the customer’s eligibility for an exemption from or reduced rate of, U.S. withholding tax.
Instead, the QI is permitted to establish for itself the eligibility of its customers for an exemption or reduced rate, based on a Form W-8, and information as to residence obtained under the know-your-customer rules to which the QI is subject in its home jurisdiction, as approved by the IRS or as specified in the QI Agreement (Rev. Proc. 2000-12, 2000-1 CB 387).
A QI may treat an account holder as a foreign beneficial owner of an account if the account holder provides a valid Form W-8 or other valid documentary evidence supporting foreign status. The QI cannot reduce the withholding rate if the QI knows the account holder is not the beneficial owner of a payment to the account.
If the foreign account holder is the beneficial owner of a payment, the QI can shield the account holder’s identity from U.S. custodians and the IRS.
If a foreign account holder is a nominee and not the beneficial owner of a payment, the account holder must provide the QI with Form W-IMY for interest and specific information about each beneficial owner to which the payment related.
A QI that receives this information may shield the account holder’s identity from a U.S. custodian, but not from the IRS.
If an account holder is a U.S. Person, the account holder must provide the QI with Form W-9 supporting U.S. status. Absent receipt of Form W-9, the QI must follow the presumption rules in the QI agreement to determine whether non-resident 30% withholding, or 28% back-up withholding, is required. A reduced rate of non-resident withholding may not be applied based on the presumption rules.
Pursuant to the QI agreement presumption rules, U.S. source investment income paid to an off-shore account is presumed paid to an undocumented foreign account holder and is subject to 30% withholding.
Foreign source income and broker proceeds paid to an off-shore account are presumed paid to a U.S. exempt recipient and are exempt form both non-resident and back-up withholding.
A QI must file Form 1042 by March 15th of the year following any calendar year in which the QI acts as a QI.
A QI is not required to file Form 1042-S for amount paid to each separate account holder, but must file a separate Form 1042-S for each type of reporting paid (income that falls within a particular withholding rate or within a particular income, exemption or recipient code).
FATCA: Foreign Financial Institutions Tax Withholding
Under the new law with respect to each U.S. account (any financial account held by one or more specified U.S. Persons or U.S. owned foreign entities (IRC §1471(d)(1)(A)), the foreign financial institution must provide information about account gross receipts and withdrawals.
U.S.-Source investment income is subject to U.S. information reporting and tax withholding.
Every person engaged in a trade or business in the United States must file with the IRS a Form 1099 information return for payments totaling at least $600 that it makes to a U.S. Person in the course of its trade or business (IRC §6041).
To avoid 28% back-up tax withholding (IRC §3406), a U.S. Person must furnish the payor with Form W-9 establishing that the payee is a U.S. Person (T.R. §32.3406(d)-1 and T.R. §32.3406(h)-3).
The combination of Form 1099 tax reporting and 28% back-up tax withholding is intended to ensure that U.S. Persons pay tax on investment income.
U.S. source income amounts, paid to foreign persons, are exempt from Form 1099 information reporting because they are subject to non-resident withholding rules.
A non-resident investor who seeks withholding tax relief for U.S. source investment income must provide certification on the appropriate IRS Form W-8 to the withholding agent to establish foreign status and eligibility for an exemption or reduced tax rate.
A withholding agent making payments of U.S. source amounts to a foreign person is required to report the payments, including any U.S. tax withheld, to the IRS on Forms 1042 and 1042-S by March 15th of the year following the year that the payment is made (T.R. §1.1461-1(b) and (c)). If the withholding agent withholds more than is required, the payee may file a claim for refund.
A non-financial foreign entity that is a beneficial owner of a withholdable payment must certify that it has no substantial U.S. owners or provide identifying information for each substantial U.S. owner.
FATCA – Penalty for Failure to Report
The minimum amount of penalty for failure to report information or file returns for foreign trusts is increased to $10,000.
If any notice or return required to be filed under IRC §6048 is not filed on or before the due date, or does not include all the information that is required, or includes incorrect information, then the person required to file such notice or return must pay a penalty equal to the greater of :
1. $10,000, or
2. 35% of the gross reportable amount (5% for U.S. Persons treated as owners of the trust) (IRC §6677(a), as amended by the 2010 HIRE Act).
Prior to these revisions, the penalty for failure to provide the required information or file a return with respect to certain foreign trusts was 35% of the gross reportable amount (5% for U.S. Persons treated as owners of the trust).
With the new minimum amount, the IRS will be able to impose a $10,000 penalty even when there is not enough information to determine the gross reportable amount.
The maximum amount of the penalty has changed. The penalty for failure to report information or file a return with respect to certain foreign trusts cannot exceed the gross reportable amount (IRC §6677(a)).
To the extent that the aggregate amount of penalties exceeds the gross reportable amount, the IRS must refund the excess to the Taxpayer (IRC §6677(a), as amended by the 2010 HIRE Act).
FATCA: Reporting Requirements for U.S. Owners of a Foreign Trust
A U.S. Person who is treated as the owner of any portion of a foreign trust under the grantor trust rules, must submit any information required by the IRS with respect to the foreign trust (in addition to the current requirement that such U.S. Persons are responsible for insuring that a foreign trust complies with his own reporting obligations) (see IRC §6048(b)(1), as amended by the 2010 HIRE Act). This requirement to supply information about the trust applies to tax years beginning after March 18, 2010 (Act §534(b) of the 2010 HIRE Act).
The current reporting obligations of the foreign trust include making a return for the year and providing certain information to each U.S. Person who is treated as the owner of any portion of the trust, or who receives a direct or indirect distribution from the trust (IRC §6048(b)(1)(A) and (B)).
FATCA: Uncompensated Use of Foreign Trust Property
The uncompensated use of foreign trust property by a U.S. Grantor, a U.S. Beneficiary, or a U.S. Person related to either of them is treated as a distribution by the trust for non-grantor trust income tax purposes (which also includes the loan of cash or marketable securities by a foreign trust or the use of any other property of the trust).
The distribution treatment of foreign trust transaction has been expanded to include the uncompensated use of property by certain U.S. Persons. The treatment of foreign trusts as having U.S. beneficiaries for grantor trust purposes has been expanded to include loans of cash or marketable securities or the use of any other trust property to or by a U.S. Person.
If a foreign trust permits the use of any trust property by a U.S. Grantor, a U.S. Beneficiary, or any U.S. Person related to either of them, the fair market value of the use of such property is treated as a distribution by the trust to the Grantor or Beneficiary (IRC §643(i)(1), as amended by the 2010 HIRE Act).
This treatment does not apply to the extent that the trust is paid the fair market value of such use within a reasonable time (IRC §643(i)(2)(E), as added the 2010 HIRE Act). If distribution treatment does apply to the use of trust property, the subsequent return of such property is disregarded for federal tax purposes (IRC §643(i)(3), as amended by the 2010 HIRE Act).
FATCA – Foreign Trusts Treated as Having U.S. Beneficiaries
For purposes of treating a foreign trust as a grantor trust, there is a rebuttable presumption that the trust has a U.S. beneficiary if a U.S. Person transfers property to the trust. An amount is treated as accumulated for a U.S. Person even if that person has a contingent interest in the trust.
A foreign trust is treated as having a U.S. beneficiary if any person has discretion to make trust distributions, (unless none of the recipients are U.S. Persons). An amount will be treated as accumulated for the benefit of a U.S. Person even if that person’s interest in the trust is contingent on a future event (IRC §679(c)(1) as amended by the 2010 HIRE Act).
If any person has the discretion (by authority given in the trust agreement, by a power of appointment or otherwise, of making a distribution from the trust to or for the benefit of any person), the trust will be treated as having a beneficiary who is a U.S. Person, unless the trust terms specifically identify the class of person to whom such distribution may be made and none of those persons are U.S. Persons during the tax year (IRC §679(c)(4) as added by the 2010 HIRE Act).
If any U.S. Person who directly or indirectly transfers property to the trust is directly or indirectly involved in any agreement or understanding that may result in trust income or corpus being paid or accumulated to or for the benefit of a U.S. Person, that agreement or understanding will be treated as a term of the trust (IRC §679(c)(5) as added by the 2010 HIRE Act). The agreement or understanding may be written, oral or otherwise.
The provision creating a rebuttable presumption allowing the IRS to treat a foreign trust as having a U.S. beneficiary if a U.S. person directly or indirectly transfers property to the trust applies to transfers of property after March 18, 2010. (Act Section 532(b) 2010 HIRE Act.)
Information Reporting for Passive Foreign Investment Companies
U.S. shareholders of passive foreign investment companies (PFICs) must file an annual information return containing information required by the IRS.
A U.S. Person who is a PFIC shareholder must file IRS Form 8621, Return by a Shareholder of a Passive Foreign Investment Company or Qualifying Electing Fund, for each tax year in which that person:
1. Recognizes gain on a direct or indirect disposition of PFIC stock.
2. Receives certain direct or indirect distributions from a PFIC.
3. Makes a reportable election.
Under IRC §1298, a U.S. Person who is a PFIC shareholder must file an annual report containing information required by the IRS. Since a PFIC shareholder only reports information required by the IRS, Code §1298(f) does not require any reporting until the IRS issues guidance (this provision is contingent upon IRS instructions).
In addition to the Code §1298(f) an individual who is a PFIC shareholder can also be required to disclose annual information under new Code §6038(D) (i.e., accounts in excess of $50,000).
IRC §1298(f) applies to all U.S. Persons. In contrast, only individuals are subject to IRC §6038(D) (unless the IRS issues guidance requiring annual information disclosure for domestic entities).
FATCA – Six Year Statute of Limitations
Under the new law, the statute of limitations is extended to six years if there is an omission of gross income in excess of $5,000 and the omitted gross income is attributable to a foreign financial asset.
Taxes are generally required to be assessed within three years after a Taxpayer’s return was filed, whether or not it was timely filed. A special rule extends the three year limitation period in the case where there is a substantial omission of income.
If a Taxpayer omits substantial income on a return, any tax with respect to that return may be assessed and collected within six years of the date on which the return was filed.
In the case of income taxes, there is a substantial omission of income if the Taxpayer omits from gross income an amount that was properly includible in gross income and that is in excess of 25% of the amount stated on the return.
The state of limitations period will be suspended if the Taxpayer failed to timely provide information with respect to foreign financial assets required to be reported. The limitation period will not begin to run until the information required has been furnished to the IRS.
The new six-year statute of limitations applies not only to returns filed after March 18, 2010 on which the Taxpayer fails to report income in excess of $5,000 attributable to foreign financial assets, but also to returns filed on or before the date for which the statute of limitations is still open on March 18, 2010 (Act §513(d) of the HIRE Act [PL 111-147]).
For example, a 2006 tax return (filed in 2007), on which the Taxpayer failed to report more than $5,000 of income attributable to a foreign financial asset and which is otherwise subject to the three-year limitations period, will be subject to the new six-year statute of limitations.
HIRE Foreign Account Tax Compliance: 40% Penalty
The HIRE Act gives the IRS assessment and collection remedies unavailable with respect to the FBAR penalty.
A 40% accuracy-related penalty is imposed for underpayment of tax attributable to transactions involving undisclosed foreign financial assets. Undisclosed foreign financial assets include foreign financial assets that are subject to information reporting but the required information was not provided by the Taxpayer.
The 40% accuracy-related penalty is imposed for underpayment of tax that is attributable to an undisclosed foreign financial asset understatement (IRC §6662(b)(7) and (j) as added by the HIRE Act 2010). An undisclosed foreign financial asset understatement for any tax year is the portion of the understatement for the year that is attributable to any transaction involving an undisclosed foreign financial asset.
In contrast to the FBAR penalty which is limited to collection through the U.S. Financial Management System (which collects non-tax debts for the government), the HIRE Act penalties give the IRS the ability to assess and collect these new penalties through its administrative powers (including tax levy and tax lien).
The new penalties under the HIRE Act are for the understatement of tax and impose a lesser burden of proof and threshold for imposition of the penalty than the willful FBAR penalty.
