December 03, 2023

Did You Just Manifest the Opposite of What You Wanted - (IN)Ability to Use G.I.L.T.I. Losses to Offset Gain

December 03, 2023/ Ruchelman P.L.L.C.

Forward-looking tax planning for U.S. taxpayers and their foreign subsidiaries was never an easy task. Since the adoption of the G.I.L.T.I. regime, domestic tax plans must be adjusted when applied to a cross border scenario. In their article, Stanley C. Ruchelman and Neha Rastogi examine a straightforward merger of related corporations, each operating at a loss, followed by a significant gain from the sale of an operating asset. What is a statutory merger when two companies are based outside the U.S.? What information must be reported on a U.S. Shareholder’s U.S. income tax return? What forms are used to report the information? Do the G.I.L.T.I. rules make operating losses of a C.F.C. useless to a U.S. Shareholder when a C.F.C. sells operating assets at a sizable gain? These and other issues are explored by the authors.

March 28, 2023

Tax Considerations for a U.S. Holder Of Bare Legal Title in a Usufruct Arrangement

March 28, 2023/ Ruchelman P.L.L.C.

When European parents engage in inheritance planning by transferring bare legal title in shares of a privately held company to children resident in the U.S., the gift may bring with it a pandora’s box of tax issues. If the value of the bare legal title exceeds 50% of the value of the property when computed in accordance with U.S. tax rules for valuing split interests in property, the foreign company may become a C.F.C. That can trigger certain reporting requirements in the U.S. related to Form 5471 (Information Return of U.S. Persons With Respect To Certain Foreign Corporations) even though the children have no right to income from the company. Separate and apart from C.F.C. status, the basis which the children have in the shares is a carryover basis that will not be stepped up then the usufruct interest and the bare legal title are merged. Separate and apart from the foregoing issues is a potential F.B.A.R. filing requirement on FinCEN Form 114 (Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts) with immediate effect. In their article, Nina Krauthamer, Wooyoung Lee, and Stanley C. Ruchelman explain these issues, why they pop up, and potential ways to mitigate some if not all of the problems.

January 28, 2019

Code §962 Election: One or Two Levels of Taxation?

January 28, 2019/ Ruchelman P.L.L.C.

Code §962 allows an Individual U.S. Shareholder to apply corporate tax rates and offers relief from double taxation in certain situations, but where new provisions of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (“T.C.J.A.”) are involved, the application is murky. The T.C.J.A. introduced two provisions designed to limit the scope of deferral for the earnings of foreign subsidiaries operating abroad. One provision is the one-time deemed repatriation tax regime of Code §965, which looks backward to tax what had been permanently deferred earnings. The other provision is the global intangible low taxed income (“G.I.L.T.I.”) regime, which eliminates most deferral on a go-forward basis. Each provision limits deferral but, at the same time, imposes relatively benign tax on U.S.-based multinationals. Interestingly, it seems that it was only in the last days of the legislative process that Congress became aware that owner-managed businesses also operate abroad. While the provisions clearly apply to corporations, Congress may or may not have provided a benefit for the U.S. individuals who own of these companies. Sound cryptic? Fanny Karaman and Nina Krauthamer explain all.

May 09, 2018

Code §962 Election Offers Benefits Under U.S. Tax Reform

May 09, 2018/ Ruchelman P.L.L.C.

Two provisions in the recent tax reform legislation – Code §§965 (transition tax) and 250 (50% deduction for G.I.L.T.I.) – focus on C.F.C.’s and their U.S. Shareholders. In each case, corporate U.S. Shareholders are entitled to a deduction that is not granted to an individual with regard to income that is taxed under Subpart F. However, Code §962 may allow an individual who is a U.S. Shareholder of a C.F.C. to elect to be taxed on the Subpart F Income as if a corporation. This allows for tax at a lower rate and a foreign tax credit for corporate income taxes paid by the C.F.C. Elizabeth V. Zanet and Galia Antebi explain the workings of Code §962 and focus on the position of naysayers who caution that it may not provide the relief it appears to provide.