“If you have an unreported foreign account, time is quickly running out to comply. There are amnesty options available but only for those who act quickly. Do nothing and you could face penalties of 50% of the historical high balance of the account.”
The U.S. Treasury Department has confirmed that Hong Kong has signed an agreement to report certain financial account information directly to the IRS. Under the 2010 FATCA law (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), foreign banks must review their accounts and report any accounts with ties to the United States. Banks that fail to comply are subject to high withholding taxes and may find it difficult to continue to do business in global markets.
Over 40 countries have signed formal FATCA agreements with dozens more under negotiation. Hong Kong’s agreement, however, is a bit unusual. Most countries have crafted agreements that require the financial institution to report information to that institution’s domestic tax authority, which in turn sends it to the IRS. Many foreign countries are reluctant to have banks providing information directly to the United States.
Hong Kong has elected to join Bermuda, Austria, Japan, Switzerland and Chile as the countries that will require their banks to report directly to the IRS…
