The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) was enacted as a comprehensive measure to combat offshore tax evasion—a noble enough goal. But FATCA’s comprehensiveness is also a sore point for many in the financial services industry, especially insurance carriers and producers. In comments to regulators, one foreign life insurance trade organization, the Association of International Life Offices (AILO), recently called FATCA’s requirements “onerous and disproportionate to the risk involved.”

Passed as part of H.R. 2847, the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act (HIRE Act) on March 18, 2010, FATCA combats tax evasion by requiring disclosure from foreign institutions about accounts held by individuals, including U.S. citizens, and institutions that may be subject to U.S. tax. Many life insurance and annuity contracts are considered “accounts” under the Act, although FATCA doesn’t generally apply to property, casualty, and term life insurance contracts.

Read this complete analysis of the impact at AdvisorFX (sign up for a free trial subscription with full access to all of the planning libraries and client presentations if you are not already a subscriber).

For previous coverage of FATCA in Advisor’s Journal, see IRS Proposed FATCA Guidance Expands Offshore Compliance Initiatives (CC 10-52) & Offshore’s Limited Shelf Life (CC 10-47).

Tags: Business, Financial services, Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act, insurance, Insurance policy, Internal Revenue Service, life insurance, Tax

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