IRS Requires Disclosure of Foreign Financial Assets
In 2010, President Obama signed into law the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act (HIRE). One of the provisions of the HIRE Act relates to additional reporting and disclosures for US taxpayers with interest in certain foreign assets in excess of $50,000.The federal government and US Treasury have a strong desire to close the "tax gap." The tax gap is the difference between what taxpayers should have paid and what is actually paid. Much of the tax gap is willful tax evasion by taxpayers. The remainder is primarily caused by incorrect tax filings due to the complexity of the tax code. Some estimate that the tax gap exceeds $300 billion per year. Obviously, closing this gap is a good solution for Washington (and probably for all honest US taxpayers).