International Money Laundering Examples – What is Laundering Money?

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International Money Laundering Examples - What is Laundering Money? - Golding & Golding

International Money Laundering Examples – What is Laundering Money? – Golding & Golding

International Money Laundering Examples – What is Laundering Money?

Most people can go their whole lives without ever being investigated, interrogated, or even audited by the IRS or DOJ. This includes our clients who may have made a mistake or two…or three when it comes to their business practices.

Unfortunately, with the U.S. Government’s renewed interest and enforcement of FBAR Reporting (Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Account), FATCA Compliance (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), Structuring, Smurfing and other Money Laundering crimes – it is becoming harder and hard to fly below the radar.

In recent months, it appears Money Laundering is becoming a bigger priority on the U.S. Government’s hit list — and especially International Money Laundering

International Money Laundering

With the recent trial and conviction of Paul Manafort, the generak public learned first-hand how intricate International Money Laundering can be, and who can be guilty of it.

On the flip-side, it became evident to many would be launderers how a simple (intentional) omission on Mr. Manafort’s Schedule B (an ordinarily benign 1040 tax form) regarding the reporting and disclosure of his foreign Accounts set Mr. Manafort up for disaster.

Examples of International Money Laundering

Example 1: Scott has illegal money he received in the U.S. from the sale of stolen merchandise. Scott never reported the income on his tax return, since he was selling stolen goods. In addition, Scott does not want to walk $500,000 into his local bank. Therefore, Scott’s friend in Taiwan uses the money to flip properties, and “clean the money.”

Example 2: David has illegal money he received from a pump and dump scheme with stocks and futures. He has $2,000,000 sitting in U.S. Accounts. David transfers the money to his cousin in Brazil. She invests the money in a new restaurant venture which guarantees David 10% dividends annual. In this scenario, David has cleaned the money, which is now generating legal profits. (although the investment was illegal, and the profits are actually “Fruit off the poisonous tree”).

Example 3: Michelle has received $600,000 from her mother. This money is legal, BUT Michelle wants to avoid the banks issuing a CTR (Currency Transaction Reports), which it issues if she deposits more than $10,000 cash at any time. Therefore, Michelle hires a bunch of people (smurfs) to make small <$10,000 deposits into multiple accounts to avoid detection. Technically, this is legal money being deposited into accounts, BUT Michelle has committed two crimes: Structuring and Smurfing.

Can These People Voluntarily Disclose to the IRS?

As long as the income was itself “legal” the person should still qualify to make a disclosure to the IRS. If the income was illegal then the person is disqualified from making a voluntary disclosure, since the voluntary disclosure would actually be a form of Laundering.

We Specialize in IRS Voluntary/Offshore Disclosure

At Golding & Golding, we specialize in Offshore, Foreign and International tax related issues.

Tax matters involving tax fraud, offshore accounts/assets, and forced disclosure. It requires the coordination of several moving parts, including strategy development, Tax Preparation, Legal Analysis, Negotiation and more.

You should hire a Tax Attorney who has the following credentials:

  • ~20 Years of Private Practice experience representing his/her own clients
  • Experienced in Criminal and Civil Tax Litigation
  • Experienced representing clients in Eggshell and Reverse Eggshell Audits.
  • Advanced Tax Degree (LL.M.)
  • Preferably a Board-Certified Tax Law Specialist

We have successfully handled a diverse range of IRS Voluntary Disclosure and International Tax Investigation/Examination cases involving FBAR, FATCA, and high-stakes matters for clients around the globe (In over 65 countries!)

Whether it is a simple or complex case, safely getting clients into compliance is our passion, and we take it very seriously.

Examples of areas of tax we handle

Who Decides to Disclose Unreported Money?

What Types of Clients Do we Represent?

We represent Attorneys, CPAs, Doctors, Investors, Engineers, Business Owners, Entrepreneurs, Professors, Athletes, Actors, Entry-Level staff, Students, Former/Current IRS Agents and more.

You are not alone, and you are not the only one to find himself or herself in this situation.

Sean M. Golding, Board-Certified Tax Law Specialist

Our Managing Partner, Sean M. Golding, Board-Certified Tax Law Specialist  earned an LL.M. (Master’s in Tax Law) from the University of Denver and is also an Enrolled Agent (the highest credential awarded by the IRS, and authorizes him to represent clients nationwide.)

Mr. Golding and his team have successfully handled several hundred IRS Offshore/Voluntary Disclosure Procedure cases. Whether it is a simple or complex case, safely getting clients into compliance is our passion, and we take it very seriously.

He is frequently called upon to lecture and write on issues involving IRS Voluntary Disclosure.

Less than 1% of Tax Attorneys Nationwide are Board-Certified Tax Law Specialists 

The Board-Certified Tax Law Specialist exam is offered in many states, and is widely regarded as one of (if not) the hardest tax exam given in the United States for practicing Attorneys. Certification also requires the completion of significant ethics and experience requirements.

In California alone, out of more than 200,000 practicing attorneys (with thousands of attorneys practicing in some area of tax law), less than 350 attorneys are Board-Certified Tax Law Specialists.

Beware of Copycat Law Firms

Unlike other attorneys who call themselves specialists or experts in Voluntary Disclosure but are not “Board-Certified,” handle 5-10 different areas of tax law, purchase multiple keyword specific domain names, and even practice outside of tax, we are absolutely dedicated to Offshore Voluntary Disclosure.

*Click here to learn the benefits of retaining a Board-Certified Tax Law Specialist with advanced tax credentials.

IRS Penalty List

The following is a list of potential IRS penalties for unreported and undisclosed foreign accounts and assets:

Failure to File

If you do not file by the deadline, you might face a failure-to-file penalty. If you do not pay by the due date, you could face a failure-to-pay penalty. The failure-to-file penalty is generally more than the failure-to-pay penalty.

The penalty for filing late is usually 5 percent of the unpaid taxes for each month or part of a month that a return is late. This penalty will not exceed 25 percent of your unpaid taxes. If you file your return more than 60 days after the due date or extended due date, the minimum penalty is the smaller of $135 or 100 percent of the unpaid tax.

Failure to Pay

f you do not pay your taxes by the due date, you will generally have to pay a failure-to-pay penalty of ½ of 1 percent of your unpaid taxes for each month or part of a month after the due date that the taxes are not paid. This penalty can be as much as 25 percent of your unpaid taxes. If both the failure-to-file penalty and the failure-to-pay penalty apply in any month, the 5 percent failure-to-file penalty is reduced by the failure-to-pay penalty.

However, if you file your return more than 60 days after the due date or extended due date, the minimum penalty is the smaller of $135 or 100 percent of the unpaid tax. You will not have to pay a failure-to-file or failure-to-pay penalty if you can show that you failed to file or pay on time because of reasonable cause and not because of willful neglect.

Civil Tax Fraud

If any part of any underpayment of tax required to be shown on a return is due to fraud, there shall be added to the tax an amount equal to 75 percent of the portion of the underpayment which is attributable to fraud.

A Penalty for failing to file FBARs

The civil penalty for willfully failing to file an FBAR can be as high as the greater of $100,000 or 50 percent of the total balance of the foreign financial account per violation. See 31 U.S.C. § 5321(a)(5). Non-willful violations that the IRS determines were not due to reasonable cause are subject to a $10,000 penalty per violation.

A Penalty for failing to file Form 8938

The penalty for failing to file each one of these information returns is $10,000, with an additional $10,000 added for each month the failure continues beginning 90 days after the taxpayer is notified of the delinquency, up to a maximum of $50,000 per return.

A Penalty for failing to file Form 3520

The penalty for failing to file each one of these information returns, or for filing an incomplete return, is the greater of $10,000 or 35 percent of the gross reportable amount, except for returns reporting gifts, where the penalty is five percent of the gift per month, up to a maximum penalty of 25 percent of the gift.

A Penalty for failing to file Form 3520-A

The penalty for failing to file each one of these information returns or for filing an incomplete return, is the greater of $10,000 or 5 percent of the gross value of trust assets determined to be owned by the United States person.

A Penalty for failing to file Form 5471

The penalty for failing to file each one of these information returns is $10,000, with an additional $10,000 added for each month the failure continues beginning 90 days after the taxpayer is notified of the delinquency, up to a maximum of $50,000 per return.

A Penalty for failing to file Form 5472

The penalty for failing to file each one of these information returns, or to keep certain records regarding reportable transactions, is $10,000, with an additional $10,000 added for each month the failure continues beginning 90 days after the taxpayer is notified of the delinquency.

A Penalty for failing to file Form 926

The penalty for failing to file each one of these information returns is ten percent of the value of the property transferred, up to a maximum of $100,000 per return, with no limit if the failure to report the transfer was intentional.

A Penalty for failing to file Form 8865

Penalties include $10,000 for failure to file each return, with an additional $10,000 added for each month the failure continues beginning 90 days after the taxpayer is notified of the delinquency, up to a maximum of $50,000 per return, and ten percent of the value of any transferred property that is not reported, subject to a $100,000 limit.

Fraud penalties imposed under IRC §§ 6651(f) or 6663

Where an underpayment of tax, or a failure to file a tax return, is due to fraud, the taxpayer is liable for penalties that, although calculated differently, essentially amount to 75 percent of the unpaid tax.

A Penalty for failing to file a tax return imposed under IRC § 6651(a)(1)

Generally, taxpayers are required to file income tax returns. If a taxpayer fails to do so, a penalty of 5 percent of the balance due, plus an additional 5 percent for each month or fraction thereof during which the failure continues may be imposed. The penalty shall not exceed 25 percent.

A Penalty for failing to pay the amount of tax shown on the return under IRC § 6651(a)(2)

If a taxpayer fails to pay the amount of tax shown on the return, he or she may be liable for a penalty of .5 percent of the amount of tax shown on the return, plus an additional .5 percent for each additional month or fraction thereof that the amount remains unpaid, not exceeding 25 percent.

An Accuracy-Related Penalty on underpayments imposed under IRC § 6662

Depending upon which component of the accuracy-related penalty is applicable, a taxpayer may be liable for a 20 percent or 40 percent penalty

Possible Criminal Charges related to tax matters include tax evasion (IRC § 7201)

Filing a false return (IRC § 7206(1)) and failure to file an income tax return (IRC § 7203). Willfully failing to file an FBAR and willfully filing a false FBAR are both violations that are subject to criminal penalties under 31 U.S.C. § 5322.  Additional possible criminal charges include conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims (18 U.S.C. § 286) and conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud the United States (18 U.S.C. § 371).

A person convicted of tax evasion

Filing a false return subjects a person to a prison term of up to three years and a fine of up to $250,000. A person who fails to file a tax return is subject to a prison term of up to one year and a fine of up to $100,000. Failing to file an FBAR subjects a person to a prison term of up to ten years and criminal penalties of up to $500,000.  A person convicted of conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims is subject to a prison term of up to not more than 10 years or a fine of up to $250,000.  A person convicted of conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud the United States is subject to a prison term of not more than five years and a fine of up to $250,000.

What Should You Do?

Everyone makes mistakes. If at some point you discover that you should have been reporting your foreign income, accounts, assets or investments, the prudent and least costly (but most effective) method for getting compliance is through one of the approved IRS offshore voluntary disclosure programs.

Be Careful of the IRS

With the introduction and enforcement of FATCA for both Civil and Criminal Penalties, renewed interest in the IRS issuing FBAR Penalties, crackdown on Cryptocurrency (and IRS joining J5), the termination of OVDP, and recent foreign bank settlements with the IRS…there are not many places left to hide.

You May Avoid Tax Fraud with IRS Voluntary Disclosure

There are typically four types of IRS Voluntary Disclosure programs, and they include:

Contact Us Today; Let us Help You.