Managing Third-Party Relationships and Risks
On June 6, 2023, Federal Bank Regulatory Agencies (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (FRB), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)) issued final joint guidance designed to help banking organizations manage risks associated with third-party relationships, including relationships with financial technology companies. The Agencies […]
Digital Assets Transactions Subject to IRS Increased Enforcement Activities
On 4/5/23, the IRS published the Inflation Reduction Act Strategic Operating Plan where it states that the Agency will pursue enforcement for complex, high-risk and emerging issues; including digital assets transactions. IRS reports in its Operating Plan that digital asset transactions have high risk for non-compliance. Despite the IRS’s resource limitations, the Agency reports that […]
Offshore Digital Assets Information Exchange Coming!
The Biden Administration General Explanations of the Administration’s Revenue Proposals for Fiscal Year 2024 discusses the proposal for exchange of information reporting by financial institutions and offshore digital asset brokers. The proposal for exchange of information stems from the sentiment that tax evasion using digital assets continues to be a rapidly growing problem. The global […]
GAO highlights Underreporting, Underpayment and Non-filing of Taxes
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is known as the U.S. “congressional watchdog,”. GAO is an independent, non-partisan agency that works for Congress by examining how taxpayer dollars are spent and provides Congress and federal agencies with objective, non-partisan, fact-based information to help the government save money and work more efficiently. On 2/27/23, GAO issued […]
Social Media Tax Advice? Could be bad news!
On 3/20/23, the IRS launched its 2023 “Dirty Dozen” list with new warnings each day about common scams taxpayers (individuals and business) should avoid. Some items on the Dirty Dozen list are new, and some make a return visit. The Dirty Dozen is intended to alert taxpayers and the tax professional community about various scams […]
High Income Filers are “Schematized” by Fraudsters
On 3/31/23, the IRS continued the release of its 2023 annual “Dirty Dozen” List – this time geared towards high income filers by presenting abusive arrangements that involve Charitable Remainder Annuity Trusts and Monetized Installment Sales. These tools can be misused by promoters, who can advertise these schemes to attract high income filers. “The IRS […]
Crypto Asset Related Activities Assessed by the FDIC
On 4/5/23, the FDIC released its 2023 Spring Consumer Compliance Supervisory Highlights. The purpose of the Supervisory highlights is to provide an overview of consumer compliance issues identified through the FDIC’s supervision of state non-member banks and thrifts in 2022. The FDIC supervises approximately 3,000 state-chartered banks and thrifts that are not members of the […]
Phishing and Smishing IRS Warnings
On 3/21/23, day two of the annual Dirty Dozen tax scams campaign, the IRS issued a Phishing and Smishing warning to taxpayers to remain vigilant against email and text scams aimed at tricking taxpayers about refunds or tax issues. The Phishing and Smishing alert appeared on the IRS 2022 Dirty Dozen as well which includes […]
FinCEN BOI Guidance
On 3/24/23, FinCEN issued its first set of guidance materials to aid the public in understanding upcoming beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting requirements taking effect on January 1, 2024. BOI refers to identifying information about the individuals who directly or indirectly own or control a company. BOI reporting information reporting will be done directly to […]
Foreign Digital Asset Accounts to be Reported
The Biden’s Administration 2024 Revenue Proposal includes US taxpayer reporting requirements for foreign digital asset accounts. The proposal would be effective for returns required to be filed after December 31, 2023. Tax compliance and enforcement with respect to digital assets continues to be a growing problem for the US Government given that the digital asset […]
Extension to file taxes does not equal extension to pay taxes
Need more time to prepare your federal tax return? Taxpayers who aren’t able to file by the April 18, 2023, deadline can request an extension before that deadline, but they should know that an extension to file is not an extension to pay taxes as per IRS’s Tax Tip 2023-30. If a taxpayer owes taxes, […]
Check Fraud FinCEN Alert
On February 27, 2023, FinCEN issued (in close collaboration with the United States Postal Inspection Service) an Alert on Nationwide Surge in Mail Theft-Related Check Fraud Schemes Targeting the U.S. Mail. Despite the declining use of checks in the United States, Criminals have been increasingly targeting the U.S. Mail and United States Postal Service mail […]
