IRS Determines Year Taxpayer Had Theft loss From Ponzi Scheme

IRS Determines Year Taxpayer Had Theft loss From Ponzi Scheme The IRS Chief Counsel’s office released a legal memorandum - ILM 201511018 - which sets forth the proper year a taxpayer can claim a theft loss deduction when victim of a Ponzi scheme. I.R.C. §165(a) permits a deduction for losses sustained during the tax year (and not compensated by insurance or otherwise). A loss arising from criminal fraud or embezzlement in a transaction entered into for profit is a theft loss, not a capital loss, under §165. Pursuant to §165(e) any loss arising from a theft is deemed sustained in the tax year a taxpayer discovers the loss. But the Regulations state that if, in the year of discovery, there exists a claim for reimbursement with respect to which there is a reasonable prospect of recovery, no portion of the loss for which reimbursement may be received is sustained until the tax year in which it can be ascertained with reasonable certainty whether or not the reimbursement will be received. Whether a reasonable prospect of recovery exists is a question of fact to be determined upon examination of all facts and circumstances. Treas. Reg. §1.165-8(a)(2) and 1.165-1(d). Rev. Proc. 2009-20 provides a safe harbor under these schemes for the timing and amount of the theft loss in Ponzi schemes which are defined as a fraudulent arrangement in which a party (the lead figure) receives cash or property from investors; purports to earn income for the investors; reports income amounts to the investors that are partially or wholly fictitious; makes payments, if any, of purported income or principal to some investors from amounts that other investors invested in the fraudulent arrangement; and appropriates some or all of the investors' cash or property. Where the lead figure is indicted, Rev. Proc. 2009-20 states that a taxpayer's discovery year is the tax year of the investor in which the indictment, information, or complaint is filed. And if the lead figure died, then Rev. Proc. 2011-58 provides the discovery year as the later of the civil claim becoming public, a receiver appointed or funds frozen or the death of the lead figure. In ILM 201511018, the Internal Revenue Service determined that the year of discovery was the year when: (1) the civil complaint was filed by the Agency that alleged facts that comprise substantially all of the elements of a specified fraudulent arrangement conducted by the lead figures; (2) one of the lead figures died before being criminally charged; and (3) a receiver was appointed with respect to the arrangement. While these Ponzi schemes are becoming all too frequent, at least the Government is easing the path for taking the loss as a deductible theft.

District Court affirms FBAR penalties but disallows FBAR late payment penalty and interest

District Court affirms FBAR penalties but disallows FBAR late payment penalty and interest In Moore v U.S., 2015 WL4508688, 116 AFTR 2d ¶ 2015-5094 (W.D. Wa. 7/24/2015), a district court found that the Taxpayer did not provide an adequate explanation for not imposing FBAR penalties, so those penalties were affirmed. But, the Court also found that tacking on additional late payment penalties was excessive. As a result, the court disallowed IRS's assessment of interest and late payment penalties with respect to the original FBAR penalties and treated the FBAR penalty as if it were assessed on the date of the judgment imposing the penalties. Background. The Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) provides that the Treasury Department has the authority to collect information from U.S. persons who have financial interests in or signature authority over financial accounts maintained with financial institutions located outside of the U.S. Taxpayers are required to file a Form 114, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) if the values of the foreign financial accounts (“FFA”) exceed $10,000. For non-willful violations, the maximum civil penalty is $10,000 per failure. (31 CFR 5321(5)(b)(i)) However, no penalty is imposed if the violation was due to reasonable cause. (For willful violations, in addition to possible criminal penalties, the maximum civil penalty is the greater of $100,000 or 50% of the FFA per year) In Moore, the Court affirmed the imposition of the non-willful penalties of $10,000 per year for four years since the IRS demonstrated that its decision to assess FBAR penalties of $10,000 for each year for four years was not arbitrary, not capricious, and not an abuse of its discretion. However, the IRS's conduct in seeking further late payment penalties and interest on those FBAR penalties, was determined to be arbitrary since the IRS disclosed no adequate basis for its decision to assess the penalties until the litigation forced its hand. The IRS had even promised not to assess penalties in an earlier communication until an internal appeal was exhausted. Thus any late fee or interest that IRS attempted to tack on to the FBAR penalties was void. The government had to treat the FBAR penalties as if they were first assessed on the date of the court's order. In addressing FBAR penalties, taxpayers are well served to consult with tax counsel prior to making disclosures.