Section 6048 of the Internal Revenue Code requires a United States person, as defined for FBAR reporting, (and the executor of the estate of a US decedent) to file Form 3520 to report:
- Certain transactions with foreign trusts,
- Ownership of foreign trusts, and
- Receipt of certain large gifts or bequests from certain foreign persons.
Additionally, an owner of a foreign trust might be required to file a Substitute Form 3520-A if the foreign trust fails to file Form 3520-A (See SUBSTITUTE Form 3520-A below). Here is Form 3520 and Instructions.
What Is a Foreign Trust For Which Form 3520 Must Be Filed?
Although the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) refers to trusts in numerous sections, nowhere in the IRC is the term “trust” actually defined. There is a definition of foreign trust. IRC Section 7701(a)(31)(B) says: “The term ‘foreign trust’ means any trust other than a trust described in subparagraph (E) of paragraph (30).” Subparagraph (E) describes “any trust if (i) a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust, and (ii) one or more United States persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust.”
So a foreign trust is one that is not under the jurisdiction of United States courts or controlled by a United States person. But what is a “trust”?
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