Complex tax laws are among the various hurdles individuals and business owners have to face in one way or another. If your tax situation involves multiple international jurisdictions, it compounds their complexity. International tax laws often overlap and interact in ways that aren’t immediately obvious.
Following are some tips to help you handle foreign tax planning a little more easily.
Tip 1: Stay Current on Relevant International Laws
First of all, it’s important to note that tax laws are constantly changing, both in your home country and abroad. Tax treaties may change in response to shifts in the law in one country or another, meaning it’s absolutely crucial to stay current on relevant international laws.
Allowances on what is taxed where, where income counts as taxable or untaxable, and so forth are all important to keep track of since they have implications on how your overall obligations to each country work.
Tip 2: Keep Home Country Laws in Mind
Not only do you need to keep foreign laws in mind, but you also need to remember your obligations to your home country. In the U.S., there are limitations on what qualifies as foreign income (and thus would be exempt from taxation in the states), so it’s important to keep those limitations in mind when working or conducting business abroad.
It’s worth noting that the IRS often adjusts these laws to try to prevent the exploitation of foreign income rules, so keeping current in this area is a good idea.
Tip 3: Document Everything
Any sort of income or gain you or your international assets generate should be carefully documented and monitored in accordance with regulations and best practices. Not only should dollar amounts be recorded, but also types of income, where it was earned, and how it was used.
If, for instance, income from a foreign business operation is used domestically, it may be exposed to taxation within your home country, so it’s important to track where your income goes.
Tip 4: Strive for Integrity
While you do want to make every effort to keep your tax exposure to an absolute minimum, integrity is key to protecting yourself in the event of an IRS audit.
Whether you’re operating a business, managing foreign assets, or documenting and reporting your income, make sure you’re honest about where each dollar comes from and how it’s used. If the IRS detects any kind of unscrupulous behavior, you might face an audit. As such, make sure your personal and business practices with respect to foreign income are designed to support transparency and integrity.
Tip 5: Draw Upon Professional Expertise
Finally, throughout your tax planning, draw upon professional expertise. A tax attorney can advise you on local, state, national, and international tax laws that are pertinent to your situation, and they’ll guide you through the process of managing your income (and the sources thereof) in the most effective way possible.
This is especially important if you’re conducting business overseas since the laws can get particularly complex in those areas. To mitigate the risk of an audit and minimize your tax exposure, it’s worth hiring a tax lawyer.