IRS’ Information Reporting Program Advisory Committee Issues Annual Report Recommending FATCA Delays

The Information Reporting Program Advisory Committee (IRPAC) has issued its annual report for 2017, including numerous recommendations to the Internal Revenue Service on new and continuing issues in tax administration. The report includes a discussion on how to improve some processes, such as for penalties, abatement requests and levies, as well as business master file entity addresses. The report also recommended enhancements to Form W-9 and the truncation of Social Security numbers on Form W-2, IRC § 6050S and Form 1098-T reporting.

During 2017, the committee continued its dialogue with IRS officials regarding reporting requirements under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act and the Affordable Care Act and made extensive recommendations regarding both programs.

Recommendation G.11 – FATCA Gross Proceeds Withholding

IRPAC requests a delay in the implementation of the Treas. Reg. §1.1473-1(a)(1)(ii) requirement to deduct and withhold tax on gross proceeds for two years following the issuance of guidance on FATCA gross proceeds withholding.

Treas. Reg. §1.1473-1(a)(1)(ii) provides that a withholdable payment includes “for any sales or other dispositions occurring after December 31, 2018, any gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of any property of a type that can produce interest or dividends that are U.S. source FDAP income.” Industry standard generally holds that withholding systems require approximately two years to design, build, test, and implement. Given it is less than two years until this December 31, 2018 date, IRPAC requests that the IRS delay the implementation of FATCA gross proceeds withholding for a minimum of two years following the issuance of applicable guidance.

Recommendation G.12 – FATCA Foreign Passthru Payment Withholding

IRPAC requests a delay in the Treas. Reg. §1.1471-4(b)(4) requirement to deduct and withhold tax on foreign passthru payments for a minimum of  two years following the issuance of guidance defining the term foreign passthru payment.

Treas. Reg. §1.1471-4(b)(4) provides that “A participating FFI is not required to deduct and withhold tax on a foreign passthru payment made by such participating FFI to an account held by a recalcitrant account holder or to a nonparticipating FFI before the latter of January 1, 2019, or the date of publication in the Federal Register of final regulations defining the term foreign pass-thru payment.” Industry standard generally holds that withholding systems require approximately two years to design, build, test, and implement. Given it is less than two years until this January 1, 2019 date, IRPAC requests the IRS delay the implementation of foreign pass-thru payment withholding for a minimum of two years following the issuance of guidance further defining the term foreign pass-thru payment.

IRPAC is a federal advisory committee that provides an organized public forum for discussion of information reporting issues. It is comprised of a diverse cross-section of individuals drawn from the tax professional community, financial institutions, small and large businesses, universities and colleges and securities and payroll firms.

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William H. Byrnes has achieved authoritative prominence with more than 20 books, treatise chapters and book supplements, 1,000 media articles, and the monthly subscriber Tax Facts Intelligence. Titles include: Lexis® Guide to FATCA Compliance, Foreign Tax and Trade Briefs, Practical Guide to U.S. Transfer Pricing, and Money Laundering, Asset Forfeiture; Recovery, and Compliance (a Global Guide). He is a principal author of the Tax Facts series. He was a Senior Manager, then Associate Director of international tax for Coopers and Lybrand, and practiced in Southern Africa, Western Europe, South East Asia, the Indian sub-continent, and the Caribbean. He has been commissioned by a number of governments on tax policy. Obtained the title of tenured law professor in 2005 at St. Thomas in Miami, and in 2008 the level of Associate Dean at Thomas Jefferson. William Byrnes pioneered online legal education in 1995, thereafter creating the first online LL.M. offered by an ABA accredited law school (International Taxation and Financial Services graduate program).

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