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LB&I Division Announces 3 New Compliance Campaigns

APR. 16, 2019

LB&I Division Announces 3 New Compliance Campaigns

DATED APR. 16, 2019
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IRS Announces the Identification and Selection of Three Large Business and International Compliance Campaigns

April 16, 2019

The IRS Large Business and International division (LB&I) has announced the approval of three additional compliance campaigns.

To date, LB&I has announced a total of 53 campaigns.

The three campaigns listed below were identified through LB&I data analysis and suggestions from IRS employees. LB&I's goal is to improve return selection, identify issues representing a risk of non-compliance, and make the greatest use of limited resources.

The three new campaigns are:

Captive Services Provider Campaign

Practice Area: Treaty and Transfer Pricing Operations

Lead Executives: Jennifer Best, director, Treaty and Transfer Pricing Operations; and John Hughes, director, Advanced Pricing and Mutual Agreement

The section 482 regulations and the OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines provide rules for determining arm's length pricing for transactions between controlled entities, including transactions in which a foreign captive subsidiary performs services exclusively for the parent or other members of the multinational group.

The arm's length price is determined by taking into consideration data available on companies performing functions, employing assets, and assuming risks that are comparable to those of the captive subsidiary.

Excessive pricing for these services would inappropriately shift taxable income to these foreign entities and erode the U.S. tax base. The goal of this campaign is to ensure that U.S. multinational companies are paying their captive service providers no more than arm's length prices. The treatment streams for this campaign are issue-based examinations and soft letters.

Offshore Private Banking Campaign

Practice Area: Withholding & International Individual Compliance

Lead Executive: John Cardone, director of Withholding & International Individual Compliance

U.S. persons are subject to tax on worldwide income from all sources including income generated outside of the United States. It is not illegal or improper for U.S. taxpayers to own offshore structures, accounts, or assets. However, taxpayers must comply with income tax and information reporting requirements associated with these offshore activities.

The IRS is in possession of records that identify taxpayers with transactions or accounts at offshore private banks. This campaign addresses tax noncompliance and the information reporting associated with these offshore accounts. The IRS will initially address tax noncompliance through the examination and soft letter treatment streams. Additional treatment streams may be developed based on feedback received throughout the campaign.

Loose Filed Forms 5471

Practice Area: Withholding & International Individual Compliance

Lead Executive: John Cardone, director of Withholding & International Individual Compliance

Form 5471, Information Return of U.S. Persons With Respect to Certain Foreign Corporations, must be attached to an income tax return (or a partnership or exempt organization return, if applicable) and filed by the return's due date including extensions. Some taxpayers are incorrectly filing Forms 5471 by sending the form to the IRS without attaching it to a tax return (or partnership or exempt organization return, if applicable).

If a Form 5471 is required to be filed and was not attached to an original return, an amended return with the Form 5471 attached should be filed. The goal of this campaign is to improve compliance with the requirement to attach a Form 5471 to an income tax, partnership or exempt organization return.

Page Last Reviewed or Updated: 16-Apr-2019

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