FATCA

Briefing Memo: FATCA

Questions & Answers about the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA)
FATCA is the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, which was adopted in 2010 to help pay for the HIRE (Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment) Act. FATCA requires foreign financial institutions (FFIs) to determine if accounts they have opened are held, directly or indirectly, by Americans and, if so, disclose them to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Any FFI that refuses to provide this information to the United States is subject to a 30% withholding tax on the FFI’s U.S. source income.

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FACT Sheet: Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA)

Every year, your employer, bank, the Social Security Administration, and anyone holding or investing your savings, sends you and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) information about your accounts. This is a long-standing U.S. practice that combines patriotism and accountability and has created a culture of tax compliance.

However, for U.S. citizens living abroad and wealthy individuals with accounts in foreign banks, there was little accountability. While most Americans with foreign bank accounts paid the taxes they owed, some did not. For those, FATCA was passed.

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