Category Archives: International

Casinos and ITINs: Update #1

Posted on February 19, 2017 by Russ

On Monday I wrote about Las Vegas casinos receiving letters ordering them not to issue ITINs (Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers). When I wrote the post, I knew of one major Las Vegas casino that had received this letter; I assumed … Continue reading →

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Casinos Can No Longer Issue ITINs

Posted on February 13, 2017 by Russ

Suppose you’re a resident of the United Kingdom and you come to Las Vegas to play in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) or just try your luck at a slot machine here. You have good luck and manage to … Continue reading →

Posted in Gambling, International | Tagged | 5 Comments

FINCEN Announces Due Dates for 2016 FBARs

Posted on December 19, 2016 by Russ

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN) announced the due dates for 2016 Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR, Form 114). The FBAR will now be due on the same day as tax returns with an automatic extension for … Continue reading →

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Former French Budget Minister Heading to Prison for Tax Evasion

Posted on December 11, 2016 by Russ

We have yet another late nominee for Tax Offender of the Year. From Paris, France comes the story of Jérôme Cahuzac, former Budget Minister under President François Hollande and soon to be resident of the Bastille French Prison System. The … Continue reading →

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Five Sentenced for Tax Fraud; Justice Department Gets ITINs Wrong

Posted on August 14, 2016 by Russ

A Justice Department press release caught my eye. Five individuals, all Mexican nationals residing in the US, were sentenced to ClubFed for terms between 33 months and 121 months. The five individuals had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail … Continue reading →

Posted in International, IRS | Tagged | 1 Comment

Can a Non-Tax Treaty Country Resident Obtain a Refund of Gambling Withholding from the IRS?

Posted on July 10, 2016 by Russ

Every year during the World Series of Poker (WSOP) I receive several inquiries like the following: I’m a resident of Brazil and I cashed in an event at the WSOP and won $100,000 (net). The Rio withheld 30% of that … Continue reading →

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FBAR Deadline Approaches

Posted on June 20, 2016 by Russ

Ten days from today is June 30th. That’s the deadline for filing Form 114, the Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (the “FBAR”). There are no extensions available. The FBAR is a report. There is no tax to pay. … Continue reading →

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Answering Some FBAR-Related Questions

Posted on June 5, 2016 by Russ

The FBAR–the Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (Form 114)–is due on June 30th. If you have $10,000 aggregate in one or more foreign financial accounts you must file the FBAR. There are no extensions available. Here are three … Continue reading →

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Lionel Messi On Trial For Tax Evasion

Posted on May 30, 2016 by Russ

Football–well, soccer for us colonials–is a big business. Lionel Messi is one of the world’s best players. The Spanish tax agency, Agencia Tributaria, accuses Mr. Messi (and his father) of evading €4.16 million of tax on his image rights. Mr. … Continue reading →

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Bozo Tax Tip #1a: They Shoot Jaywalkers, Don’t They? (Or Ignoring the FBAR!)

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Russ

I have, unfortunately, become quite competent in the Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts. That form is better known as the FBAR. It used to have the form number TD F 90-22.1 (yes, it really did) but now goes … Continue reading →

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