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Who Must File IRS Form 3520?
Who Must File Form 3520?: A Form 3520 is used to report various gift, inheritance and trust transactions. Not all transactions are required to be reported to the IRS, but when a a form 3520 is required, it is important that is filed timely. That is because if it is not filed timely (and/or is incomplete), the filer may be subject to fines and penalties.
And, these penalties can reach upwards to 25% value of the gift and even more if it involves a foreign trust.
Categories of Form 3520 Filers
As provided by the IRS:
Transferred Money to a Trust
- (a) You are a U.S. transferor who, directly or indirectly, transferred money or other property during the current tax year to a foreign trust,
- (b) You are a U.S. person who (1) during the current tax year, transferred property (including cash) to a related foreign trust (or a person related to the trust) in exchange for an obligation, or (2) holds a qualified obligation from the trust that is currently outstanding, or
- (c) You are the executor of the estate of a U.S. decedent and (1) the decedent made a transfer to a foreign trust by reason of death, (2) the decedent was treated as the owner of any portion of a foreign trust immediately prior to death, or (3) the decedent’s estate included any portion of the assets of a foreign trust. Complete all applicable identifying information requested below and Part I of the form and see the instructions for Part I.
Owner of a Foreign Trust
- You are a U.S. owner of all or any portion of a foreign trust at any time during the tax year. Complete all applicable identifying information requested below and Part II of the form and see the instructions for Part II. You may also need to complete lines 15 through 18 of Part I if you answered “No” to line 3 and Part III. See the instructions for Parts I and III.
Received a Distribution from a Foreign Trust
- (a) You are a U.S. person (including a U.S. owner) or an executor of the estate of a U.S. person who, during the current tax year, received, directly or indirectly, a distribution from a foreign trust,
- (b) You are a U.S. person who is a U.S. owner or beneficiary of a foreign trust and in the current tax year, you or a U.S. person related to you received (1) a loan of cash or marketable securities, directly or indirectly, from such foreign trust, or (2) the uncompensated use of trust property, or
- (c) You are a U.S. person who is a U.S. owner or beneficiary of a foreign trust and in the current tax year such foreign trust holds an outstanding qualified obligation of yours or a U.S. person related to you. Complete all applicable identifying information requested below and Part III of the form and see the instructions for Part III.
Gift From a Foreign Person
- You are a U.S. person who, during the current tax year, received certain gifts or bequests from a foreign person. Complete all applicable identifying information requested below and Part IV of the form and see the instructions for Part IV
Foreign Gift, Trust, and Inheritance Tax Specialist Team
Our firm specializes exclusively in international tax, and specifically IRS offshore disclosure, including help clients with late reporting of Forms 3520 and 3520-A.
We are the “go-to” firm for other Attorneys, CPAs, Enrolled Agents, Accountants, and Financial Professionals across the globe. Our attorneys have worked with thousands of clients on offshore disclosure matters, including FATCA & FBAR.
Each case is led by a Board-Certified Tax Law Specialist with 20-years experience, and the entire matter (tax and legal) is handled by our team, in-house.
*Please beware of copycat tax and law firms misleading the public about their credentials and experience.
Less than 1% of Tax Attorneys Nationwide Are Certified Specialists
Our lead attorney is one of less than 350 Attorneys (out of more than 200,000 practicing California Attorneys) to earn the Certified Tax Law Specialist credential. The credential is awarded to less than 1% of Attorneys.
Recent Case Highlights
- We represented a client in an 8-figure disclosure that spanned 7 countries.
- We represented a high-net-worth client to facilitate a complex expatriation with offshore disclosure.
- We represented an overseas family with bringing multiple businesses & personal investments into U.S. tax and offshore compliance.
- We took over a case from a small firm that unsuccessfully submitted multiple clients to IRS Offshore Disclosure.
- We successfully completed several recent disclosures for clients with assets ranging from $50,000 – $7,000,000+.
How to Hire Experienced Offshore Counsel?
Generally, experienced attorneys in this field will have the following credentials/experience:
- 20-years experience as a practicing attorney
- Extensive litigation, high-stakes audit and trial experience
- Board Certified Tax Law Specialist credential
- Master’s of Tax Law (LL.M.)
- Dually Licensed as an EA (Enrolled Agent) or CPA
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No matter where in the world you reside, our international tax team can get you IRS offshore compliant.
We specialize in FBAR and FATCA. Contact our firm today for assistance with getting compliant.