Blog

09
Feb

USA and European Governments agree to pursue framework for implementing FATCA

Treasury and IRS issue proposed regulations under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act to improve offshore tax compliance and reduce burden

After many months of intensive discussions with foreign governments, the Treasury Department jointly issued a statement with France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom expressing mutual intent to pursue a government-to-government framework for implementing FATCA – an important step toward addressing legal impediments to financial institutions’ ability to comply with the regulations.

The statement does not contemplate an exemption from FATCA for any jurisdiction, but instead offers a framework for information sharing pursuant to existing bilateral income tax treaties and allows FFIs to report the necessary information to their respective governments rather than to the IRS. The joint statement will serve as a model for the United States’ work with other countries, as Treasury officials continue to engage in discussions with foreign governments about the effective and efficient implementation of FATCA by their financial institutions.

source:IRS