Archive for the ‘International’ Category

The 2023 Tax Offender of the Year

Friday, December 29th, 2023

So many try every year for my award–The Tax Offender of the Year.  It’s not really something to be proud of; after all, to win this award you need to commit really big tax fraud or a series of Bozo-like actions (ideally, both).  As usual, there are plenty of candidates but there can only be one “winner.”

Just missing out of the top three were Ali Jaafar and Yousef Jaafar of Watertown, Massachusetts.  They came up with the not-so-brilliant idea of unlawfully claiming 14,000 winning Massachusetts lottery tickets, laundering the $20 million in proceeds, and lying on their tax returns.  They each get to spend five years at ClubFed and make restitution of $6,082,578 and must forfeit their profits on the scheme.

Also just missing the top three was Las Vegas resident Scott Lawrence.  Mr. Lawrence operated a real estate business that did quite well from 2009 through 2019; he just didn’t want to pay the $1,905,325 in taxes he owed.  He elected to deliberately thwart efforts to levy his bank account and caused his attorney to send a misleading letter to the IRS; he then deliberately paid his taxes using an overdrawn bank account.  He’ll enjoy a year and a day at ClubFed and must make restitution.

Coming in third place was Stephen Schechter, a resident of Monaco.  Mr. Schechter is an investment advisor and is doing quite well.  Back in 2011 he sold an apartment in Monaco for about €14,000,000.  Now, that wasn’t all profit–but quite a bit was.  Unfortunately, that sale didn’t make it onto his 2011 tax return.  Nor were various foreign financial accounts where the money went noted on his FBAR (FinCEN Form 114, the Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts).  Somehow, the interest and dividends from those accounts also didn’t make it onto his returns.  Mr. Schechter pleaded guilty to concealing over $5,130,000 in income from the IRS.

Walter “Terry” Douglas Roberts II, of Flat Rock, North Carolina just missed out on the brass ring.  Mr. Roberts is an appraiser, and he did lots of appraising of conservation easements.  The IRS looks at Syndicated Conservation Easements as part of their “Dirty Dozen” tax scams. Now, not all conservation easements (or syndicated conservation easements) are scams; many are legitimate.  However, when you admit to fraudulently inflating the values of the easements by “…not following normal appraisal methods, making false statements and either personally manipulating or relying on knowingly manipulated data to reach a targeted appraisal value – communicated to him by co-conspirators…,” you’re looking at a problem.  And when those 18 appraisals end up having fraudulent tax deductions totaling $466,961,000 and a tax loss of $129 million, you’re talking big tax fraud.  He has to make restitution of that $129 million plus spend 12 months at ClubFed.


Back in 2004, Congress passed the “American Jobs Creation Act of 2004.” Included within this law was a biodiesel tax credit.  It was extended through various other legislation and allows a tax credit for the production of various biodiesel fuel.  The tax credit $1.00 per gallon of biodiesel and renewable diesel fuel.

Various businesses began throughout the United States to take advantage of this credit and produce environmentally “good” diesel fuel.  One such company was Washakie Renewable Energy, founded by Jacob Kingston.  As noted on their website,

Committed to producing fuel that is sustainable, clean-burning, and domestically accessible, Washakie Renewable Energy (WRE) is the most significant producer of biofuel in the Intermountain West region. By operating the largest seed crush press in the US, and relying on recycled waste materials like used kitchen grease and cooking oil, Washakie Renewable Energy produces over ten million gallons of biodiesel annually.

The biodiesel produced by WRE is the only alternative fuel to complete the EPA’s study under the Clean Air Act regarding emissions and health effects. In comparison to conventional diesel, biodiesel produces only 14% of the greenhouse gases, 33% of the hydrocarbon emissions, and 53% of the particulate matter, while also being quickly biodegradable and less toxic than common table salt.

Washakie Renewable Energy’s commitment to conscientious resource management includes distributing several useful byproducts of its biodiesel operation, including high-quality animal feed and refined glycerin.

That seems great, doesn’t it? A business making money, giving back to the community, and helping the environment.  What could be wrong with that? Let’s just say that you can only sell 100% of something and follow along with what happened.

The conspiracy began in 2010 and continued through 2018 and involved multiple fraudulent schemes. One involved purchasing biodiesel from the East Coast of the United States (which had been produced by others who had already claimed the renewable fuel tax credit) and exporting it to foreign countries, including Panama, then doctoring transport documents to disguise and import the biodiesel as “feedstock.” Washakie used this false paperwork to claim it had produced biodiesel from the feedstock to support its filing of fraudulent claims for IRS biofuel tax credits. Washakie also fraudulently obtained millions of EPA renewable identification numbers that were then sold for approximately $65 million. Later, Dermen and the Kingstons conspired to purchase millions of gallons of biodiesel and rotate it though the U.S. shipping system to create the appearance that qualifying fuel was being produced and sold by Washakie. Washakie applied for and was paid by the IRS over $300 million for its claimed 2013 production and over $164 million for its claimed 2014 production. Evidence at Dermen’s trial showed that, to further create the appearance of legitimate business transactions, Dermen and the Kingstons schemed to cycle their and other co-conspirators’ fraud proceeds in more than $3 billion in financial transactions through multiple bank accounts.

I can’t say it was all a scam; however, it appears to have mostly been a scam.  Lots of the biodiesel they produced had already been produced and the biodiesel tax credit already taken.  So Washakie had low production costs (after all, they didn’t really produce it), a high profit margin, and lots and lots of refundable renewable fuel tax credits.  Indeed, the individuals involved: Lev Dermen, Jacob Kingston, Isaiah Kingston, Rachel Kingston, and Sally Kingston caused over $1 billion in fraudulent tax credits with $511 million paid to Washakie.

Where did that money end up?  A 150-foot yacht named the Queen Anne (seized in Lebanon and sold for over $10 million in Cyprus), $700,000 of land in Belize that was going to go for a casino, a 2010 Bugatti Veyron (worth $1.8 million), a Lamborghini and Ferrari, and a $3.5 million mansion; investments in other businesses; and, of course, millions sent to friends and family.

The individuals involved attempted to hide their actions by moving money to various countries outside the United States (primarily Turkey and Luxembourg).  Mr. Dermen also made an assurance to Jacob Kingston: “…Dermen falsely assured Jacob Kingston that Kingston and his family would be protected by Dermen’s “umbrella” of corrupt law enforcement and immune from criminal prosecution.” Oops.

Lev Derman (the president of Washakie) was found guilty back in 2020 of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering.  Jacob Kingston pleaded guilty in 2019 to various fraud and tax charges.  Isaiah Kingston and the other members of the Kingston family likewise pleaded guilty in 2019.

Mr. Dermen, who is 56, was sentenced to 40 years (essentially a life sentence), Jacob Kingston received 18 years with other members of the Kingston family receiving between six and 12 years at ClubFed.  Dermen was also ordered to make restitution of $442.6 million and to pay a money judgement of $181 million.  Jacob and Isaiah Kingston were each ordered to pay $511 million in restitution to the IRS. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice is continuing efforts to seize various assets to satisfy the $511 million in restitution.

A helpful hint to all: The Producers is a great play (and movie), but (a) don’t try to sell more than 100% of something and (b) conspicuous consumption while committing fraud usually doesn’t end well.  Lev Derman and the Kingston Family are worthy winners of the 2023 Tax Offender of the Year award.


That’s a wrap on 2023.  I wish all of you and your families a happy, healthy, prosperous and safe New Year!

Bozo Tax Tip #8: Use a Foreign Trust to Avoid Taxes!

Wednesday, April 5th, 2023

One of the worst tax schemes in the view of the IRS are offshore (foreign) trusts. In fact, trusts of all sorts—domestic and foreign—are regularly abused.

First, not all trusts are bad. Many trusts serve a legitimate purpose, such as family trusts. (Family trusts are a device to avoid probate, and are used in many states. For tax purposes, these revocable trusts are generally ignored.) Survivors’ trusts are another useful vehicle. Grantor trusts, another asset protection vehicle, are useful. Special Needs Trusts are extremely useful. There are plenty of ‘good’ trusts.

But trusts set up to avoid income tax are abusive, and very much Bozo-like. Individuals and businesses have spent thousands of dollars trying to avoid taxes (in some cases, mid five-figure amounts)…and many times these tax structures have been challenged successfully by the IRS.

And those are the domestic trusts.

The foreign trusts are worse. These are usually organized just to avoid taxes and hide money. If you look at Schedule B on your tax return you’ll see that you are supposed to report your foreign trusts. They work great until the IRS finds out about them. Yes, you have to report moving money into them.

But I’m smarter than the IRS, and they’ll never catch my trust set up in Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, or the Isle of Man. Well, you will spend thousands to set up your trust, and if the IRS does catch on–and in these days where governments are exchanging tax information, this can (and does) happen–your foreign trust will have served only one purpose: It will have enriched the promoters who set it up.

Remember: If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. A trust set up to evade taxes is just that.

FBAR Non-Willful Penalty Is Per Report, Not Per Account

Tuesday, February 28th, 2023

Let’s assume you have a non-willful violation of filing the FBAR (Form 114, the Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts).  Is the maximum penalty ($10,000) per account or per report?  The Circuit Courts of Appeal had split on this question; the Supreme Court decided this issue in Bittner v United States today.

[T]he question before us boils down to this: Does the BSA’s $10,000 penalty for nonwillful violations accrue on a per-report or a per-account basis? Mr. Bittner urges us to agree with the Ninth Circuit and hold that the law authorizes a single $10,000 fine for each untimely or inaccurate report. The government defends the judgment of the Fifth Circuit and asks us to hold that a new $10,000 penalty attaches to each account not timely or accurately disclosed within a report.

That’s the beginning of the Supreme Court opinion in Bittner.  Justice Gorsuch’s majority opinion goes back to the days of Form TD F 90-22.1 (the original form number for the FBAR) and notes,

Instructions included with the FBAR form have cautioned that “[a] person who is required to file an FBAR and fails to properly file may be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000.” IRS, Form TD F 90–22.1, p. 8 (Mar. 2011). An IRS “Fact Sheet” has advised that, “[f]or the FBAR, the penalty may be up to $10,000, if the failure to file is non-willful.” IRS, Offshore Income and Filing Information for Taxpayers with Offshore Accounts, FS–2014–7 (June 2014). Ms. Boyd herself received a similarly worded letter alerting her that “‘[f]or the failure to file [the FBAR] . . . the penalty cannot exceed $10,000.’”…The drafting history of the nonwillful penalty provision undermines the government’s theory too…

On the government’s view, too, those who willfully violate the law may face lower penalties than those who violate the law nonwillfully. For example, an individual who holds $1million in a foreign account during the course of a year but withdraws it before the filing deadline and then willfully fails to file an FBAR faces a maximum penalty of $100,000. But a person who errs nonwillfully in listing 20 accounts with an aggregate balance of $50,000 can face a penalty of up to $200,000. Reading the law to apply non-willful penalties per report invites none of these curiosities; the government’s per-account theory invites them all. [citations omitted; emphasis in original]

There is good news: Logic and common sense prevailed, and:

Best read, the BSA treats the failure to file a legally compliant report as one violation carrying a maximum penalty of $10,000, not a cascade of such penalties calculated on a per-account basis.

This means the maximum non-willful FBAR violation is now $10,000 per year rather than per account per year.  Of course, there’s an easy way of avoiding all penalties: Just file the FBAR!

 

 

Online Gambling and Cryptocurrency Addresses for 2023

Wednesday, February 1st, 2023

[This list has been superceded by the 2024 list.]

If you have one or more foreign financial accounts and you have $10,000 aggregate in those account(s) at any time during 2022, you must file the Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (the “FBAR”). This is Form 114 from FINCEN. (The IRS and FINCEN now allege that foreign online poker accounts are “casino” accounts that must be reported as foreign financial accounts. The rule of thumb, when in doubt report, applies—especially given the extreme penalties.) You also should consider filing an FBAR if you have $10,000 or more in a non-US Cryptocurrency Exchange.

There’s a problem, though. Most of these entities don’t broadcast their addresses. Some individuals sent email inquiries to one of these gambling sites and received politely worded responses (or not so politely worded) that said that it’s none of your business.

Well, not fully completing the Form 114 can subject you to a substantial penalty. I’ve been compiling a list of the addresses of the online gambling sites. It’s presented below.

FINCEN does not want dba’s; however, they’re required for Form 8938. One would think that two different agencies of the Department of the Treasury would speak the same language…but one would be wrong.

You will see the entries do include the dba’s. Let’s say you’re reporting an account on PokerStars. On the FBAR, you would enter the address as follows:

Rational Intellectual Properties Limited
Douglas Bay Complex, King Edward Rd
Onchan, IM31DZ Isle of Man

Here’s how you would enter it for Form 8938:

Rational Intellectual Properties Limited dba PokerStars
Douglas Bay Complex, King Edward Rd
Onchan, IM3 1DZ Isle of Man

You will also see that on the FBAR spaces in a postal code are removed; they’re entered on Form 8938. You can’t make this stuff up….

Finally, I no longer have an address for Bodog. If anyone has a current mailing address, please leave it in the comments or email me with it.

Foreign cryptocurrency exchanges with just cryptocurrency do not have to be reported on the FBAR. However, if the account holds anything else (such as ‘fiat’ currency like US dollars, Euros, etc.) the account is reportable.

There is no dispute, though, about reporting foreign cryptocurrency exchanges on Form 8938: They must be reported on Form 8938 (if you have a Form 8938 filing requirement).

Note: This list is presented for informational purposes only. It is believed accurate as of February 1, 2023. However, I do not take responsibility for your use of this list or for the accuracy of any of the addresses presented on the list.

The list is in the cut text below.

The list is in alphabetical order by the common name (not the legal name) of the gambling site. An entry is:

Common Name
Legal Name
Address
City, State/Territory, Postal Code, Country

Note that not all entities have states/territories or postal codes.

IMPORTANT: When reporting on Form 114, the dba’s are not included. When reporting on Form 8938, the dba’s are included.

10Bet
Ocean Star Limited dba 10bet.com
Dragonara Business Center, 5th Flr, Dragonara Rd
St. Julians, STJ3141, Malta

12Bet (except U.K.)
Pacific Sea Marketing International Ltd. dba 12bet.com
MillMall, Ste 6, Wickhams Cay 1, PO Box 3085
Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands

12Bet (U.K.)
TGP Europe Limited dba 12bet.uk
22A Castle St
Douglas, IM1 2EZ, Isle of Man

188Bet
Cube Limited dba 188bet
Ground Floor, St. George’s Court, Upper Church St
Douglas, IM1 1EE, Isle of Man

5dimes
5Dimes Casino and Sportsbook
Edificio Equus
San Jose, Costa Rica

888poker (except U.K.)
Virtual Digital Services Limited dba 888 Poker
Level G, Quantum House; 75, Abate Rigord St
Ta’Xbiex, XBX1120, Malta

888poker (U.K.)
888 UK Limited dba 888 Poker
Ste 601-701, Europort
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

AA Poker
Memoriki Limited dba AA Poker
18/F, Star Centre, 35 Hung To Rd, Kwun Tong, Kowloon
Hong Kong, Hong Kong

America’s Cardroom
BMX Entertainment S.A. dba America’s Cardroom
Sabana Sur, Edificio La Colmena Contigo a Grupo Sama
San Jose, Costa Rica

Asianconnect88
Asianconnect N.V. dba Asianconnect88
E-Zone Beheer van Engelen N.V., Van Engelenweg 21A
Willemstad, Curacao (Netherlands Antilles)

BestPoker
Best Global N.V. dba Best Poker
BS Building, Level 1, Triq Il-Mosta,
Lija, LJA 9012, Malta

Bet365
Bet365
Hillside, Festival Way, Stoke-on-Trent
Staffordshire, ST1 5SH, United Kingdom

Betanysports Casino and Sportsbook
Betanysports Casino and Sportsbook
Edificio Equus
San Jose, Costa Rica

BetCaliente
Tecnologia en Entretenmiente Caliplay S.A.P.I. DE RL DE CV dba BetCaliente
Avenida Cententario Modulo 4 Parte
Tijuana, BCN 22010 Mexico

Betclic
Managas Gaming Malta Limited dba Betclic
Level 3, Tagliaferro Business Center; High St c/w Gaiety Ln
Sliema, SLM1551, Malta

Betcoin.ag
Global Limiting Holding EOOD dbaBetcoin.ag
Nikola Vaptsarov Blvd
Sofia, Bulgaria

BetCris
TV Global Enterprises Ltd dba BetCris
Villa Seminia, 8 Sir Temi Zammit Ave
Ta’Xbiex, XBX1011 Malta

BETDAQ
LC International Limited dba BETDAQ
Ste 6, Atlantic Suites
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

BETDSI
Diamond Sportsbook International dba BETDSI
Santa Ana
San Jose, Costa Rica

Betfair
PBB Counterparty Services Limited dba Betfair
Triq il-Kappillan Mifsud
St. Venera, SVR1851, Malta

Betfred
Petfre (Gibraltar) Limited
5/2 Waterfront Place
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Betmost Poker
WHG (International) Limited dba Betmost Poker
6/1 Waterfront Place
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Betnow.eu
Betnow.eu
14 Garrick St
London, WC2E 9SB, United Kingdom

Betonline
BLS International dba Betonline.ag
cs@betonline.ag
Panama City, Panama

BetPhoenix
International Radical Investment S.A. dba BetPhoenix
San Jose Paseo Colon, Condomino 6-30, Torre A, Apartamento 1201
San Jose, Costa Rica

Betsafe
BML Group Ltd Limited dba Betsafe Poker
Betsson Experience Center, Ta’Xbiex Seafront
Ta’Xbiex, XBX1027, Malta

Bettson
BML Group Ltd dba Bettson
Betsson Experience Center, Ta’Xbiex Seafront
Ta’Xbiex, XBX1027, Malta

BetUS
Firepower Trading Ltd dba BetUS
Anthinodorou, 3 Dasoupoll, Strovolos
Nicosia, 2025, Cyprus

betusa.ag
Online Management Services dba betusa.ag
Jasmine Ct, Ste 17, Friar’s Hill Rd
St. Johns, Antigua

BetVictor
Victor Chandler International Ltd dba BetVictor
Ste 23, Portland House, Glacis Rd
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Binance
Binance Marketing Services Limited
C85602 Melita Ct, Level 3, Triq Giusseppe Cali
Ta’Xbiex, XBX1420, Malta

Bitfinex (non-US users)
BFXNA Inc dba Bitfinex
Ste 13/F, 1308 Bank of America Tower, 12 Harcourt Rd, Central
Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Bitfinex (US users)
Finex Inc. dba Bitfinex
Chaucer Group Limited, 10 Lower Thames
London, E3R 6E14, United Kingdom

BitMax.io
BitMax.io
114 Lavender St, #09-88, Ct Hub 2
Singapore, 338729, Singapore

BitMex
100x Grouop dba BitMex
Second Flr, Capital City, Independence Ave, PO Box 1008
Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles

Bitrue
Bitrue Singapore Pte. Ltd.
73 Upper Paya Lebar Rd, #06-01C, Centro Bianco
Singapore, 534818, Singapore

Bitstamp
Bitstamp Ltd.
5 New Street Square
London, EC4A 3TW, United Kingdom

Black Chip Poker
BMX Entertianment S.A.
Sabana Sur, Edificio La Colmena Contigo a Grupo Sama
San Jose, Costa Rica

Blockchain
Blockchain.info
Rue de Merl, 741, Rue Phillipell
Luxembourg, 2340, Luxembourg

Bluetrade.com
Bleu Digital Enterprises Ltd
527, St. Paul’s St
St. Paul’s Bay, Malta

Bodog
Bodog
service@bodog.eu
Manila, Philippines

Bookmaker.eu
Costa Rica International Sports dba Bookmaker.eu
Edificio La Colmena; 75m W Contraloria de la Sabana Sur
San Jose, Costa Rica

Bovada
Lynton Limited Ltd dba Bovada
Craig Plaza, 51-55, Fountain St
Belfast, BT1 5EB, United Kingdom

Boylesports
Boylesports Ltd
Finnabair Industrial Estate, Dundalk
County Louth, Ireland

Bwin
ElectraWorks Limited dba BWIN
Ste 6, Atlantic Suites, Europort Ave
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Cafe Casino
Lynton Limited dba Cafe Casino
Craig Plaza, 51-55 Fountain St
Belfast, BT1 5EB United Kingdom

Carbon Poker
PDC Global Collections Ltd dba Carbon Poker
19/21 Circular Rd
Douglas, Isle of Man

CaribSports
Carib International Entertainment Ltd dba CaribSports
35 New Rd
Belize City, Belize

Cashpoint
Cashpoint (Malta) Ltd.
Level 1, Salvu Psaila St
Birkirkara, BKR9077, Malta

Casino77
Mandarin Gaming NV dba Casino 77
Soho Office 3A, Edge Water Complex, Elia Zammit St
St. Julians, Malta

Celeb Poker
Wizplay OS (Cyprus) Limited dba Celeb Poker
Flat 22, 6 Tassou Papadopolou St
Agios Dometios, Nicosia, 2372, Cyprus

Celsius Network Limited
Celsius Network Limited
The Harley Bldg, 77-79 New Cavendish St
London, W1W 6XB, United Kingdom

CEX
CEX.io Ltd
24th Flr, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf
London, E14 5AB, United Kingdom

Click and Buy
Click and Buy International Ltd
6-9 Cynthia St
London, N1 9JF United Kingdom

Cloudbet
Halcyon Super Holdings BV dba Cloudbet
Pareraweg 45
Willemstad, Curacao

CoinEgg Ltd
CoinEgg Ltd
38 Hunstanton Ave
Birmingham, B17 8TA, United Kingdom

CoinLoan
CoinLoan
Lastekodu 25-38
Tallinn, Estonia

Coinmate
Confirmo Ltd. dba Coinmate
The Shard Floor 24/25, 26 London Bridge St
London, SE1 95G, United Kingdom

ComeOn! Poker
Co-Gaming Limited dba ComeOn! Poker
3rd Flr, Spinola Park, Tirq Mikiel Ang Borg
St. Julians, SPK1000, Malta

Coral Poker
Gala Interactive (Gibraltar) Ltd dba Coral Poker
Ste 6, Atlantic Suites
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Crypto.com
Foris DAX Asia Pte. Ltd. dba crypto.com
#25-01, 1 Raffles Quay, North Tower
Singapore, 048583, Singapore

Crypto.games
MuchGaming B.V. dba crypto.games
Fransche Bloemweg 4
Willemstad, Curacao

CryptoPay
CryptoPay
WeWork Bldg, 12 Hammersmith Grove
London, W6 7AP, United Kingdom

CurrencyFair
CurrencyFair Ltd
Colm House, 91 Pembroke Rd
Ballsbridge, Dublin, Ireland

Dafabet
Bayvieew Technologies Ltd dba Dafabet
RCBC Plaza, Makati
Cagayan Valley, Philippines

Diamond Sportsbook
Diamond Sportsbook International dba BETDSI
Santa Ana
San Jose, Costa Rica

DuckDice.io
Sabant B.V dba DuckDice
Heelsumstraat 51, E-Commercepark Unit 102
Willemstad, Curacao

ecoPayz
PSI-Pay Ltd dba ecoPayz
Afon House, Worthing Rd
Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1TL, United Kingdom

Electrum [Bitcoin Wallet]
Electrum
63-65 Blvd Massena
Paris, 75013, France

Entropay
Ixaris Systems (Malta) Ltd. dba Entropay
2 Stephen St
London, W1T 1AN, United Kingdom

Expekt Sportsbook
Mangas Gaming Malta Limited dba Expekt Sportsbook
Level 3, Tagliaferro Business Center, High St c/w Gaiety Ln
Sliema, SLM1551, Malta

EveryGame Sportsbook/Casino
CitoPedia N.V. dba EveryGame Sportsbook/Casino
Heelsumstraat 51
Willemstad, Curacao (Netherlands Antilles)

Fabulous Poker
Investments Manager, S.A. dba Fabulouspoker.com
Sabana Sur
San Jose, 10000, Costa Rica

Fairlay
Fairlay LLC
200 Meters norte de la Cruz Roja de Santa Ana, 8vo Piso
San Jose, San Rafael, Costa Rica

Foxbit
Foxbit
Av. Eng. Luis Carlos Berrini, 550; Cidade Moncoes
Sao Paulo, Brazil

FTX
FTX Trading Ltd.
Lower Factory Road, PO Box 990
St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda

Gala Poker
LC International Limited dba Gala Poker
Ste 6, Atlantic Suites
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Gate.io
Gate.io
PO Box 31119, Grand Pavilion, Hibiscus Way; 802 W Bay Rd
Grand Cayman KY1-1205, Cayman Islands

Gatehub
GateHub Limited
Level 3, 207 Regent St
London, W1B 3HH, United Kingdom

gbets
Dynamex (Pty) Ltd dba G-bets
PO Box 7383, Westgate
Roodeport, 1734, South Africa

GGPoker
GG International Limited dba GGPoker
8 Upper Dukes Rd
Douglas, IM2 4BA, Isle of Man

Global Poker
VGW GP Limited dba Global Poker
5-7 Matilda Ct, Giuseppe Cali St
Ta’Xbiex, XBX1423, Malta

Goalwin Poker
Merkur Interactive Italia SpA dba Goalwin Poker
Via dei Lavorsatirn 136/138 20092
Cinisello Balsamo, Italy

GTBets
gtbets.eu dba GTBets
support@gtbets.eu
Willemstad, Curacao

Heritage Sports
Heritage Sports
customerservice@heritagesports.com
San Jose, Costa Rica

HitBTC
Hit Tech Solutions Development Ltd dba HitBTC
Ste 15, Oliaji Trade Centre, Francis Rachel St
Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles

Hodlnaut
Hodlnaut Pte Ltd
16 Raffles Quay, #41-01 Hong Leong Bldg
Singapore, 048581, Singapore

Huobi
Huobi Technology Holdings Ltd
Rm 1404-05, 14F, Nan Fung Tower 88
Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Iconomi
Iconomi Ltd
10 Orange St
London, WC2H 7DQ, United Kingdom

Ignition Casino
Lynton Limited dba Ignition Casino
Craig Plaza, 51-55 Fountain St
Belfast, BT1 5EB, United Kingdom

Intertops
International Gaming & Entertainment Ltd dba Intertops
PO Box W427, Teledome bldg, Old Parham Rd
St. John’s, Antigua & Barbuda

Interwetten
Interwetten Gaming Ltd.
2nd Flr, Global Capital Bldg, Testaferrata St
Ta’Xbiex, XBX1403, Malta

iPoker
Playtech (Cyprus) Limited dba iPoker
Ground Flr, St. George’s Ct, Upper Church St
Douglas, IM1 1EE, Isle of Man

Iron Poker
Universe Entertainment Services Malta Limited dba Iron Poker
Level 3, Valletta Buildings, South St
Valletta, VLT1103, Malta

J88 Poker
J88Ent Ltd dba J88 Poker
Unit 1101, 11th Flr, Tower 1, Enterprise Square, No. 9, Sheung Yuet Rd; Kowloon Bay
Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Jazz Sports
DPT Sports Group dba jazzsports.ag
DPT Building, Pavas
San Jose, Costa Rica

Juicy Stakes Poker
Thinkquick Ltd dba Juicy Stakes Poker
3997 Armory Bldg
Basseterre, St. Kitts (Saint Kitts and Nevis)

Justbet.co
Investments Manager, S.A. dba Justbet.co
Edificio La Colmena
San Jose, Costa Rica

Just Dice
Just-Dice.com
PO Box 0823-03411
Panama City, Panama

KuCoin
KuCoin Co., Limited
20 Science Park Rd
Singapore, Singapore

Ladbrokes
LC International plc
Ste 6, Atlantic Suites
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Ledn
Ledn (USA) Inc.
700-350 Bay St
Toronto, ON, M5H 2S6, Canada

Libertyslots.lv
Liberty Slots Group dba Libertyslots.lv
support@libertyslots.com
Willemstad, Curacao

Livecoin
Red Velvet Investments Ltd dba Livecoin
help@livecoin.net
Belize City, Belize

LooseLines
DPT Sports Group dba looselines.ag
DPT Building, Pavas
San Jose, Costa Rica

Lowvig
Lowvig.ag
support@lowvig.ag
San Jose, Costa Rica

Lucky99
5Dimes Casino and Sportsbook dba Lucky99.eu
Edificio Equus
San Jose, Costa Rica

Luxon Payments
Luxon Payments Ltd
Cobden Chambers, Pelham St
Nottingham, NG1 2ED, United Kingdom

MarathonBet
MarathonBet.com
Abraham de Veerstraat 9
Willemstad, Curacao

Matchbook
Triplebet Limited dba Matchbook
Inchalla, Le Val
Alderney, GY9 3UL, Channel Islands (Guernsey)

Mercatox
104363744 Ltd dba Mercatox
Mailboxes E.T.C., Peel House 30
Altincham, WA14 2PX, United Kingdom

MuchBetter
MIR Limited UK Ltd dba MuchBetter
Finance House, 20/21 Aviation Way
Southend, Essex, SS2 6UN, United Kingdom

MyBookie.ag
Duranbah Limited N.V. dba MyBookie.ag
7 Abraham de Veerstraat
Willemstad, Curacao (Netherlands Antilles)

Natural8.com
Run Good N.V. dba Natural8.com
9 Abraham de Veerstrat
Willemstad, Curacao (Netherlands Antilles)

NetBet
NetBet Enterprises Ltd dba NetBet
209, Marina Street
Pieta, PTA9041, Malta

Neteller
Paysafe Financial Services Ltd. dba Neteller
Compass House, Vision Park, Chivers Way
Cambridge, CB24 9BZ, United Kingdom

Nexo Financial LLC
Nexo Financial LLC
1 Canada Sq, Level 39, Canary Wharf
London, E14 5AB, United Kingdom

Nitrogen Sports
Nitrogen Sports
support@nitrogensports.eu
San Jose, Costa Rica

Nordic Bet
BML Group Ltd dba NordicBet
Betsson Experience Center, Ta’Xbiex Seafront
Ta’Xbiex, XBX1027, Malta

Noxwin
Galaxy Grouop Ltd dba Noxwin.com
Intershare Chambers
Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands

Oanda Europe
Oanda Europe Limited
Flr 3, 18 St. Swithin’s Ln
London, EC4N 8AD, United Kingdom

Oddsmaker Casino
OddsMaker.ag
support@oddsmaker.ag
Curacao, Curacao (Netherlands Antilles)

OKEx
Aux Cayes FinTech Co. Ltd dba OKEx
Unit 10-02, Level 10, Menara Binjai, No. 2, Jalan Binjai
Kuala Lumpur, 50450, Malaysia

OKPoker
Loto Quebec dba OKPoker
500 Sherbrooke St W
Montreal, QC H3A 3G6 Canada

Pacific Poker
Cassava Enterprises (Gibraltar) Limited dba Pacific Poker
Suite 601-701, Europort Ave
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

PaddyPoker
PBB Counterparty Services Limited dbaPaddyPoker
Triq il-Kappillan Mifsud
St. Venera, SVR1851, Malta

Party Poker
Electra Works dba Party Poker
Suite 6, Atlantic Suites, Europort Ave
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Pinnacle Sports
Ragnarok Corporation N.V. dba Pinnacle.com
Pletterjweg 43
Willemstad, Curacao (Netherlands Antilles)

Piwi247.com
Asianconnect N.V. dba Piwi247.com
E-Zone Beheer van Engelen N.V., Van Engelenweg 21A
Willemstad, Curacao (Netherlands Antilles)

Planetwin365 Poker
SKS365 Malta, dba Planetwin365 Poker
Corso Vittoria Emanuel 11, 282-284
Rome, 00188, Italy

Players Only
Gaming Ventures Ltd. dba Players Only
60 Nevis St
St. John’s, Antigua (Antigua and Barbuda)

PlayNow
British Columbia Lottery Commission dba PlayNow
74 W Seymour St
Kamloops, BC V2C 1E2 Canada

Poker4u
Olincorp Limited dba poker4u
7, Florints St, Greg Tower, 6th Flr
Nicosia, 1065, Cyprus

Poker770
Mandarin Gaming NV dba Poker770
PO Box 4920
Curacao, Netherlands Antilles (Curacao)

Pokerhost
PH Multitech Curacao N.V. dba Pokerhost
E-Commerce Park, Vredenberg
Willemstad, Curacao, (Netherlands Antilles)

PokerKing
King Enterprises BG Ltd. dba PokerKing
Plaza P.L. Brion Unit 4
Willemstad, Curacao

PokerStars
Rational Intellectual Holdings Limited dba PokerStars
Douglas Bay Complex, King Edward Rd
Onchan, IM3 1DZ Isle of Man

PokerStars.eu
Rational Intellectual Holdings Ltd dba PokerStars.eu
Villa Seminia, 8, Sir Temi Zammit Ave
Ta’Xbiex, XBX1011, Malta

PokerStars.fr
REEL Malta Limited dba PokerStars.fr
Villa Seminia, 8, Sir Temi Zammit Ave
Ta’Xbiex, XBX1011, Malta

Poloniex
Polo Digital Assets, Ltd. dba Poloniex
F20, 1st Floor, Eden Plaza
Eden Island, Seychelles

PPPoker
AceKing Tech Limited dba PPPoker
OMC Offices, Babrow Bldg
The Valley, 2640, Anguilla

PredictIt
PredictIt Europe Limited
6 Agar St
London, WC2N 4HN, United Kingdom

PS3838.com
Ragnarok Corporation dba ps3838.com
Pletterjweg 43
Willemstad, Curacao (Netherlands Antilles)

Red Kings
SkillOnNet Ltd. dba Red Kings
Office 1/5297 Level G, Quantum House, 75 Abata Rigord St
Ta’Xbiex, XBX1120, Malta

Red Stag Casino
DeckMedia.NV
Heelsumstraat 51, E-Commerce Park
Willemstad, Curacao

RedStar Poker
RSP Entertainment N.V. dba RedStar Poker
12 Georgiou Grive Digeni, Stephanie House, Office 101
Nicosia, 3101, Cyprus

Run It Once [Poker]
Run It Once Ltd.
35 Strait St
Valletta, VLT1434, Malta

Skrill (formerly Moneybookers)
Skrill Limited
Floor 27, 25 Canada Square
London, E14 5LQ, United Kingdom

Skybook Sportsbook and Casino
Azure Ventures Limited dba Skybook Sportsbook and Casino
G1, Haven Ct, 5 Library Ramp
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

slots.lv
Lynton Limited dba slots.lv
Craig Plaza, 51-55 Fountain St
Belfast, BT1 5EB, United Kingdom

Smarkets
Smarkets (Malta) Limited
The Hedge Business Center, Level 7, Triq Ir-Rampa ta’ San Giljan
St. Julians, STJ1062, Malta

Sorare
Sorare SAS
5, Avenue du General de Gaulle
a Saint Mande, 94160, France

sportbet.com
5Dimes Casino and Sportsbook dba sportbet.com
Edificio Equus
San Jose, Costa Rica

Sports Interaction
Mohawk Online dba Sports Interaction
2006 Old Malone Rd, PO Box 1539
Kahnawake, QC, J0L 1B0, Canada

Sportsbetting.ag
Blue High House S.A. dba Sportsbetting.ag
Area Bancaria, Avenida Balboa
Panama City, Panama

Sportsbook
Paddy Power Betfair dba sportsbook.eu
Belfield Office Park, Beech Hill Rd
Clonskeagh, Dublin, 4, Ireland

swcpoker
OrangeWebsite.com dba swcpoker (aka Seals With Clubs, swcpoker.eu)
Kapparstigur 7
Reykjavik, Iceland

The Greek
WS Processing Ltd. dba The Greek Sportsbook
#1 Mangrove Way, M.B.F.Z.
Freeport, Montego Bay, Jamaica

Tiger Gaming
Troy Logic Limited dba Tiger Gaming
170, Patar House, Level 1 (Ste A203), Psaila St
Birkirkara, BKR9077, Malta

Titan Poker
Universe Entertainment Services Malta Limited dba Titan Poker
Level 3, Valletta Bldgs, South St
Valletta, VLT1103, Malta

TopBet.eu
TopBet.eu
support@topbet.eu
Manila, Philippines

TransferWise
TransferWise
6th Flr, The Tea Bldg, 56 Shoreditch High St
London, E1 6JJ, United Kingdom

TryLNK.com
TryLNK.com
csd@trylnk.com
Amsterdam, Netherlands

True Poker
BMX Entertainment S.A. dba True Poker
Sabana Sur, Edificio La Colmena Contigo a Grupo Sama
San Jose, Costa Rica

Unibet
Trannel International Ltd. dba Unibet
Level 6, The Centre, Tigne, Point
Sliema, Malta

Vauld
Defi Payments Pte Ltd dba Vauld
80 Raffles Pl, #32-01 UOB Plaza
Singapore, 048624, Singapore

Vietbet
5Dimes Casino and Sportsbook dba Eurobet
Edificio Equus, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, 7mo Piso
San Jose, Costa Rica

WagerWeb
WagerWeb.ag
support@wagerweb.ag
San Jose, Costa Rica

William Hill
WHG (International) Ltd
6/1 Waterport Place
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Winamax.fr
Winamax
CS 50746, CEDEX 07
Paris, 75345, France

Winner Poker
Universe Entertainment Service Malta dba Winner Poker
Level 3, Valletta Bldgs, South St
Valletta, VLT 1103, Malta

WPTPoker.com
Electraworks Limited (bwin.party digital entertainment plc) dba WPTPoker
Ste 711, Europort
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Yobit
Yobit.net
support@yobit.net
Moscow, Russia

Youwager.eu
Dowson Universal Technologies Limited dba Youwager.eu
20 Stuart Ct
Consett, County Durham, DH8 5GA, United Kingdom (hide)

If anyone has additions or corrections to the list feel free to email them to me.

Answering to a Higher Authority

Wednesday, August 10th, 2022

Robert Brockman, the 2020 Tax Offender of the Year, passed away last weekend.  Mr. Brockman was facing a 39-count indictment for tax fraud and related charges; his trial was set for this coming February.  Mr. Brockman’s attorneys argued that he was incompetent to stand trial due to dementia; however, the judge had ruled him competent.  The criminal case is now moot—Mr. Brockman is answering to a higher authority; the civil case will continue against his estate (the IRS attempting to obtain back taxes, penalties, and interest).

My condolences to his family.

When Bad Recordkeeping Helps You (And Bad News for Some Canadian Professional Poker Players)

Monday, July 18th, 2022

As we previously reported, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) thought that Jonathan Duhamel, the winner of the Main Event of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in 2010 was a professional gambler, and that he conducted himself as a professional gambler.  Thus, his gambling winnings should be subject to Canadian income tax.  Mr. Duhamel argued that poker is a game of chance and not subject to tax in Canada, and that even if it were a game of skill Mr. Duhamel did not conduct himself as a professional poker player.  The case was tried in front of the Tax Court of Canada last November, and a decision was released late last month.  (I am indebted to a friend of mine who speaks French for translating the key points of the decision — his translation runs 40 pages.)

The evidence as presented to the court showed that Mr. Duhamel was bad at recordkeeping.  He apparently only kept track of his tournament results, and never tracked cash games (even though he played lots of cash games).  For a Canadian who doesn’t want to be considered a professional gambler, bad recordkeeping appears to be a plus as this was a factor that influenced the court.

(Of course, if you are an American—and this blog caters to Americans—a warning is needed.  Bad recordkeeping is not what you want to do as either an amateur or a professional gambler in the United States.  All gamblers in the United States must pay tax on their winnings, and a gambling log is a must.  But I digress….)

The Court noted (as translated) [1]:

Because the evidence shows that chance is a very important element in poker game results, that Mr. Duhamel’s poker game activities do not demonstrate an ability to generate profits, that the probability Mr. Duhamel’s ruin in his poker gambling business is well over 50% (but less than 87%), that Mr. Duhamel does not act like a serious businessman in his poker gaming activities, that Mr. Duhamel has not developed any system for managing or mitigating risks in connection with his poker gaming activities and that the financial results of his tournaments do not show any consistency or progress in the results, the Court concludes, on a balance of probabilities, that Mr. Duhamel’s poker gaming activities are not carried on in a sufficiently commercial manner to constitute a source of business income for the purposes of the Act. Accordingly, the net earnings from Mr. Duhamel’s poker gaming activities should not be included in the calculation of his income under sections 3 and 9 for the 2010, 2011 and 2012 taxation years.

The court looked at the activities of Mr. Duhamel, and found that he acted as an amateur; for Mr. Duhamel, this decision is excellent news.  Mr. Duhamel won in part because he didn’t act like he was in business.

However, there is bad news implicit in this decision for some Canadian professional poker players:  It’s clear that there are Canadian poker players who consistently make their living from poker, and who would likely be considered professional gamblers if the CRA were to look at their activities.  I don’t practice in Canada, but I would advise any Canadian professional poker player to seek advice from a Canadian tax professional who understands gambling activities and this decision.

 

[1] This paragraph in French reads, “Puisqu’il ressort de la preuve que le hasard est un élément très important dans les résultats au jeu de poker, que les activités de jeu de poker de M. Duhamel ne démontrent pas une capacité de générer des profits, que la probabilité de ruine de M. Duhamel dans le cadre de ses activités de jeu de poker est bien supérieure à 50 % (mais inférieure à 87 %), que M. Duhamel n’agit pas comme un homme d’affaires sérieux dans le cadre de ses activités de jeu de poker, que M. Duhamel n’a mis au point aucun système de gestion ou d’atténuation des risques dans le cadre de ses activités de jeu de poker et que les résultats financiers de ses tournois ne démontrent aucune constance ni progression dans les résultats, la Cour conclut, selon la prépondérance des probabilités, que les activités de jeu de poker de M. Duhamel ne sont pas exercées de manière suffisamment commerciale pour constituer une source de revenu d’entreprise aux fins de la Loi. Conséquemment, les gains nets tirés des activités de jeu de poker de M. Duhamel ne doivent pas être inclus dans le calcul de son revenu aux termes des articles 3 et 9 pour les années d’imposition 2010, 2011 et 2012.”

Is It One Penalty of $10,000 or Multiple Penalties of $10,000?

Tuesday, June 21st, 2022

Suppose you are a resident of a foreign country–say, Romania–and you have foreign financial accounts.  You need to file the FBAR (Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts) to tell the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN) what foreign accounts you have.  There is no tax due; however, there are substantial penalties for not filing the FBAR.  The penalty for willfully not filing the form starts at $100,000 per account.  The non-willful penalty is up to $10,000.

But a questions is unanswered regarding the non-willful penalty: Is the penalty per account that is not reported or per form that is not reported?  The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has held that it’s per foreign account; the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has held it’s per form.  This can make a huge difference (as you might imagine).

Alexandru Bittner failed to file his FBARs.  His violation was held to be non-willful.  He’s in the Fifth Circuit (he resides in Texas); he was assessed a penalty of $2.7 million.  Had Mr. Bittner resided in Nevada, he would have been fined $50,000.  That’s a difference of $2.65 Million, surely a large enough difference to file a petition for certiorari.

The Supreme Court doesn’t take many tax related cases.  Almost all of them relate to circuit conflicts such as this one.  Indeed, one of the primary purposes of the Supreme Court is to make sure that federal law is uniform among the states.  The Supreme Court granted certiorari this morning; the case will likely be heard late this year with a decision probably coming in early 2023.  At that point in time, we’ll know whether the non-willful penalty is based on accounts or forms.

One reminder to everyone: If you have an FBAR filing requirement, just file the form (including all of your accounts) and you avoid all these penalties.  I’d much prefer paying no fine at all then paying $50,000 (or $2.7 million).  The FBAR deadline coincides with the tax filing deadline (with an automatic extension to October 15th).

Case: Bittner v. United States

Bozo Tax Tip #7: Only Income Earned Outside the United States Is Taxable

Thursday, April 7th, 2022

A few days ago I was explaining to a client the basics of the US Tax Code: All income is taxable unless Congress exempts it; nothing is deducible unless Congress allows it. That’s the basics.

My office is in Las Vegas, Nevada. I’m a US citizen. So I owe US income tax on my earnings, right? Of course I do. But where few willingly go the Bozo contingent jumps in. Here’s a method of avoiding tax on all your income. It’s been used by celebrities such as Wesley Snipes. So let’s use Section 861 of the Tax Code to avoid tax!

Section 861 states that certain items are always considered as income from within the United States. It does not say that income earned in the US is exempt from tax. But tax protesters claim that’s the case; courts, though, basically state, ‘You must be kidding.’ This argument has never been used successfully. In an audit or in court, if you use the Section 861 argument you have no chance of success.

The US taxes its citizens on their worldwide income. That includes the United States. Indeed, if that weren’t the case I’d be out of a job. Mr. Snipes received three years at ClubFed. In the long-run it’s far, far easier to simply pay your tax.

Online Gambling and Cryptocurrency Addresses for 2022

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2022

[This listing has been replaced by the 2023 listing.]

If you have one or more foreign financial accounts and you have $10,000 aggregate in those account(s) at any time during 2019, you must file the Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (the “FBAR”). This is Form 114 from FINCEN. (The IRS and FINCEN now allege that foreign online poker accounts are “casino” accounts that must be reported as foreign financial accounts. The rule of thumb, when in doubt report, applies—especially given the extreme penalties.) You also should consider filing an FBAR if you have $10,000 or more in a non-US Cryptocurrency Exchange.

There’s a problem, though. Most of these entities don’t broadcast their addresses. Some individuals sent email inquiries to one of these gambling sites and received politely worded responses (or not so politely worded) that said that it’s none of your business.

Well, not fully completing the Form 114 can subject you to a substantial penalty. I’ve been compiling a list of the addresses of the online gambling sites. It’s presented below.

FINCEN does not want dba’s; however, they’re required for Form 8938. One would think that two different agencies of the Department of the Treasury would speak the same language…but one would be wrong.

You will see the entries do include the dba’s. Let’s say you’re reporting an account on PokerStars. On the FBAR, you would enter the address as follows:

Rational Intellectual Properties Limited
Douglas Bay Complex, King Edward Rd
Onchan, IM31DZ Isle of Man

Here’s how you would enter it for Form 8938:

Rational Intellectual Properties Limited dba PokerStars
Douglas Bay Complex, King Edward Rd
Onchan, IM3 1DZ Isle of Man

You will also see that on the FBAR spaces in a postal code are removed; they’re entered on Form 8938. You can’t make this stuff up….

Finally, I no longer have an address for Bodog. If anyone has a current mailing address, please leave it in the comments or email me with it.

Foreign cryptocurrency exchanges with just cryptocurrency do not have to be reported on the FBAR. However, if the account holds anything else (such as ‘fiat’ currency like US dollars, Euros, etc.) the account is reportable.

There is no dispute, though, about reporting foreign cryptocurrency exchanges on Form 8938: They must be reported on Form 8938 (if you have a Form 8938 filing requirement).

Note: This list is presented for informational purposes only. It is believed accurate as of February 22, 2022. However, I do not take responsibility for your use of this list or for the accuracy of any of the addresses presented on the list.

The list is in the cut text below.

The list is in alphabetical order by the common name (not the legal name) of the gambling site. An entry is:

Common Name
Legal Name
Address
City, State/Territory, Postal Code, Country

Note that not all entities have states/territories or postal codes.

IMPORTANT: When reporting on Form 114, the dba’s are not included. When reporting on Form 8938, the dba’s are included.

10Bet
Ocean Star Limited dba 10bet.com
Dragonara Business Center, 5th Flr, Dragonara Rd
St. Julians, STJ3141, Malta

12Bet (except U.K.)
Pacific Sea Marketing International Ltd. dba 12bet.com
MillMall, Ste 6, Wickhams Cay 1, PO Box 3085
Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands

12Bet (U.K.)
TGP Europe Limited dba 12bet.uk
22A Castle St
Douglas, IM1 2EZ, Isle of Man

188Bet
Cube Limited dba 188bet
Ground Floor, St. George’s Court, Upper Church St
Douglas, IM1 1EE, Isle of Man

5dimes
5Dimes Casino and Sportsbook
Edificio Equus
San Jose, Costa Rica

888poker (except U.K.)
Virtual Digital Services Limited dba 888 Poker
Level G, Quantum House; 75, Abate Rigord St
Ta’Xbiex, XBX1120, Malta

888poker (U.K.)
888 UK Limited dba 888 Poker
Ste 601-701, Europort
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

AA Poker
Memoriki Limited dba AA Poker
18/F, Star Centre, 35 Hung To Rd, Kwun Tong, Kowloon
Hong Kong, Hong Kong

America’s Cardroom
BMX Entertainment dba America’s Cardroom
71C Georgio A, Office 3, Germasogeia
Limassol, 4047, Cyprus

Asianconnect88
Asianconnect N.V. dba Asianconnect88
E-Zone Beheer van Engelen N.V., Van Engelenweg 21A
Willemstad, Curacao (Netherlands Antilles)

BestPoker
Best Global N.V. dba Best Poker
BS Building, Level 1, Triq Il-Mosta,
Lija, LJA 9012, Malta

Bet365
Bet365
Hillside, Festival Way, Stoke-on-Trent
Staffordshire, ST1 5SH, United Kingdom

Betanysports Casino and Sportsbook
Betanysports Casino and Sportsbook
Edificio Equus
San Jose, Costa Rica

Betclic
Managas Gaming Malta Limited dba Betclic
Level 3, Tagliaferro Business Center; High St c/w Gaiety Ln
Sliema, SLM1551, Malta

Betcoin.ag
Global Limiting Holding EOOD dbaBetcoin.ag
Nikola Vaptsarov Blvd
Sofia, Bulgaria

BetCris
TV Global Enterprises Ltd dba BetCris
Villa Seminia, 8 Sir Temi Zammit Ave
Ta’Xbiex, XBX1011 Malta

BETDAQ
LC International Limited dba BETDAQ
Ste 6, Atlantic Suites
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

BETDSI
Diamond Sportsbook International dba BETDSI
Santa Ana
San Jose, Costa Rica

Betfair
PBB Counterparty Services Limited dba Betfair
Triq il-Kappillan Mifsud
St. Venera, SVR1851, Malta

Betfred
Petfre (Gibraltar) Limited
5/2 Waterfront Place
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Betmost Poker
WHG (International) Limited dba Betmost Poker
6/1 Waterfront Place
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Betonline
BLS International dba Betonline.ag
cs@betonline.ag
Panama City, Panama

Betsafe
BML Group Ltd Limited dba Betsafe Poker
Betsson Experience Center, Ta’Xbiex Seafront
Ta’Xbiex, XBX1027, Malta

Bettson
BML Group Ltd dba Bettson
Betsson Experience Center, Ta’Xbiex Seafront
Ta’Xbiex, XBX1027, Malta

BetUS
Firepower Trading Ltd dba BetUS
Anthinodorou, 3 Dasoupoll, Strovolos
Nicosia, 2025, Cyprus

betusa.ag
Online Management Services dba betusa.ag
Jasmine Ct, Ste 17, Friar’s Hill Rd
St. Johns, Antigua

BetVictor
Victor Chandler International Ltd dba BetVictor
Ste 23, Portland House, Glacis Rd
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Binance
Binance Marketing Services Limited
C85602 Melita Ct, Level 3, Triq Giusseppe Cali
Ta’Xbiex, XBX1420, Malta

Bitfinex (non-US users)
BFXNA Inc dba Bitfinex
Ste 13/F, 1308 Bank of America Tower, 12 Harcourt Rd, Central
Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Bitfinex (US users)
Finex Inc. dba Bitfinex
Chaucer Group Limited, 10 Lower Thames
London, E3R 6E14, United Kingdom

BitMax.io
BitMax.io
114 Lavender St, #09-88, Ct Hub 2
Singapore, 338729, Singapore

BitMex
100x Grouop dba BitMex
Second Flr, Capital City, Independence Ave, PO Box 1008
Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles

Bitrue
Bitrue Singapore Pte. Ltd.
73 Upper Paya Lebar Rd, #06-01C, Centro Bianco
Singapore, 534818, Singapore

Bitstamp
Bitstamp Ltd.
5 New Street Square
London, EC4A 3TW, United Kingdom

Black Chip Poker
BMX Entertianment S.A.
Sabana Sur, Edificio La Colmena Contigo a Grupo Sama
San Jose, Costa Rica

Blockchain
Blockchain.info
Rue de Merl, 741, Rue Phillipell
Luxembourg, 2340, Luxembourg

Bluetrade.com
Bleu Digital Enterprises Ltd
527, St. Paul’s St
St. Paul’s Bay, Malta

Bodog
Bodog
service@bodog.eu
Manila, Philippines

Bookmaker.eu
Costa Rica International Sports dba Bookmaker.eu
Edificio La Colmena; 75m W Contraloria de la Sabana Sur
San Jose, Costa Rica

Bovada
Lynton Limited Ltd dba Bovada
Craig Plaza, 51-55, Fountain St
Belfast, BT1 5EB, United Kingdom

Boylesports
Boylesports Ltd
Finnabair Industrial Estate, Dundalk
County Louth, Ireland

Bwin
ElectraWorks Limited dba BWIN
Ste 6, Atlantic Suites, Europort Ave
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Cafe Casino
Lynton Limited dba Cafe Casino
Craig Plaza, 51-55 Fountain St
Belfast, BT1 5EB United Kingdom

Carbon Poker
PDC Global Collections Ltd dba Carbon Poker
19/21 Circular Rd
Douglas, Isle of Man

CaribSports
Carib International Entertainment Ltd dba CaribSports
35 New Rd
Belize City, Belize

Cashpoint
Cashpoint (Malta) Ltd.
Level 1, Salvu Psaila St
Birkirkara, BKR9077, Malta

Casino77
Mandarin Gaming NV dba Casino 77
Soho Office 3A, Edge Water Complex, Elia Zammit St
St. Julians, Malta

Celeb Poker
Wizplay OS (Cyprus) Limited dba Celeb Poker
Flat 22, 6 Tassou Papadopolou St
Agios Dometios, Nicosia, 2372, Cyprus

Celsius Network Limited
Celsius Network Limited
The Harley Bldg, 77-79 New Cavendish St
London, W1W 6XB, United Kingdom

CEX
CEX.io Ltd
24th Flr, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf
London, E14 5AB, United Kingdom

Click and Buy
Click and Buy International Ltd
6-9 Cynthia St
London, N1 9JF United Kingdom

Cloudbet
Halcyon Super Holdings BV dba Cloudbet
Pareraweg 45
Willemstad, Curacao

CoinEgg Ltd
CoinEgg Ltd
38 Hunstanton Ave
Birmingham, B17 8TA, United Kingdom

Coinmate
Confirmo Ltd. dba Coinmate
The Shard Floor 24/25, 26 London Bridge St
London, SE1 95G, United Kingdom

ComeOn! Poker
Co-Gaming Limited dba ComeOn! Poker
3rd Flr, Spinola Park, Tirq Mikiel Ang Borg
St. Julians, SPK1000, Malta

Coral Poker
Gala Interactive (Gibraltar) Ltd dba Coral Poker
Ste 6, Atlantic Suites
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Crypto.com
Foris Dax, Inc. dba crypto.com
Unit 1506-07, 15/F, Pacific Plaza 418, Des Voeux Rd W
Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Crypto.games
MuchGaming B.V. dba crypto.games
Fransche Bloemweg 4
Willemstad, Curacao

CryptoPay
CryptoPay
WeWork Bldg, 12 Hammersmith Grove
London, W6 7AP, United Kingdom

CurrencyFair
CurrencyFair Ltd
Colm House, 91 Pembroke Rd
Ballsbridge, Dublin, Ireland

Dafabet
Bayvieew Technologies Ltd dba Dafabet
RCBC Plaza, Makati
Cagayan Valley, Philippines

ecoPayz
PSI-Pay Ltd dba ecoPayz
Afon House, Worthing Rd
Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1TL, United Kingdom

Electrum [Bitcoin Wallet]
Electrum
63-65 Blvd Massena
Paris, 75013, France

Entropay
Ixaris Systems (Malta) Ltd. dba Entropay
2 Stephen St
London, W1T 1AN, United Kingdom

Expekt Sportsbook
Mangas Gaming Malta Limited dba Expekt Sportsbook
Level 3, Tagliaferro Business Center, High St c/w Gaiety Ln
Sliema, SLM1551, Malta

Fabulous Poker
Investments Manager, S.A. dba Fabulouspoker.com
Sabana Sur
San Jose, 10000, Costa Rica

Fairlay
Fairlay LLC
200 Meters norte de la Cruz Roja de Santa Ana, 8vo Piso
San Jose, San Rafael, Costa Rica

Foxbit
Foxbit
Av. Eng. Luis Carlos Berrini, 550; Cidade Moncoes
Sao Paulo, Brazil

FTX
FTX Trading Ltd.
Lower Factory Road, PO Box 990
St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda

Gala Poker
LC International Limited dba Gala Poker
Ste 6, Atlantic Suites
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Gate.io
Gate.io
PO Box 31119, Grand Pavilion, Hibiscus Way; 802 W Bay Rd
Grand Cayman KY1-1205, Cayman Islands

Gatehub
GateHub Limited
Level 3, 207 Regent St
London, W1B 3HH, United Kingdom

gbets
Dynamex (Pty) Ltd dba G-bets
PO Box 7383, Westgate
Roodeport, 1734, South Africa

GGPoker
GG International Limited dba GGPoker
8 Upper Dukes Rd
Douglas, IM2 4BA, Isle of Man

Global Poker
VGW GP Limited dba Global Poker
5-7 Matilda Ct, Giuseppe Cali St
Ta’Xbiex, XBX1423, Malta

Goalwin Poker
Merkur Interactive Italia SpA dba Goalwin Poker
Via dei Lavorsatirn 136/138 20092
Cinisello Balsamo, Italy

GTBets
gtbets.eu dba GTBets
support@gtbets.eu
Willemstad, Curacao

Heritage Sports
Heritage Sports
customerservice@heritagesports.com
San Jose, Costa Rica

HitBTC
Hit Tech Solutions Development Ltd dba HitBTC
Ste 15, Oliaji Trade Centre, Francis Rachel St
Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles

Huobi
Huobi Technology Holdings Ltd
Rm 1404-05, 14F, Nan Fung Tower 88
Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Iconomi
Iconomi Ltd
10 Orange St
London, WC2H 7DQ, United Kingdom

Ignition Casino
Lynton Limited dba Ignition Casino
Craig Plaza, 51-55 Fountain St
Belfast, BT1 5EB, United Kingdom

Intertops
International Gaming & Entertainment Ltd dba Intertops
PO Box W427, Teledome bldg, Old Parham Rd
St. John’s, Antigua & Barbuda

Interwetten
Interwetten Gaming Ltd.
2nd Flr, Global Capital Bldg, Testaferrata St
Ta’Xbiex, XBX1403, Malta

iPoker
Playtech (Cyprus) Limited dba iPoker
Ground Flr, St. George’s Ct, Upper Church St
Douglas, IM1 1EE, Isle of Man

Iron Poker
Universe Entertainment Services Malta Limited dba Iron Poker
Level 3, Valletta Buildings, South St
Valletta, VLT1103, Malta

J88 Poker
J88Ent Ltd dba J88 Poker
Unit 1101, 11th Flr, Tower 1, Enterprise Square, No. 9, Sheung Yuet Rd; Kowloon Bay
Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Jazz Sports
DPT Sports Group dba jazzsports.ag
DPT Building, Pavas
San Jose, Costa Rica

Juicy Stakes Poker
Thinkquick Ltd dba Juicy Stakes Poker
3997 Armory Bldg
Basseterre, St. Kitts (Saint Kitts and Nevis)

Justbet.co
Investments Manager, S.A. dba Justbet.co
Edificio La Colmena
San Jose, Costa Rica

Just Dice
Just-Dice.com
PO Box 0823-03411
Panama City, Panama

KuCoin
KuCoin Co., Limited
20 Science Park Rd
Singapore, Singapore

Ladbrokes
LC International plc
Ste 6, Atlantic Suites
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Ledn
Ledn (USA) Inc.
700-350 Bay St
Toronto, ON, M5H 2S6, Canada

Libertyslots.lv
Liberty Slots Group dba Libertyslots.lv
support@libertyslots.com
Willemstad, Curacao

Livecoin
Red Velvet Investments Ltd dba Livecoin
help@livecoin.net
Belize City, Belize

LooseLines
DPT Sports Group dba looselines.ag
DPT Building, Pavas
San Jose, Costa Rica

Lowvig
Lowvig.ag
support@lowvig.ag
San Jose, Costa Rica

Luxon Payments
Luxon Payments Ltd
Cobden Chambers, Pelham St
Nottingham, NG1 2ED, United Kingdom

MarathonBet
MarathonBet.com
Abraham de Veerstraat 9
Willemstad, Curacao

Matchbook
Triplebet Limited dba Matchbook
Inchalla, Le Val
Alderney, GY9 3UL, Channel Islands (Guernsey)

Mercatox
104363744 Ltd dba Mercatox
Mailboxes E.T.C., Peel House 30
Altincham, WA14 2PX, United Kingdom

MuchBetter
MIR Limited UK Ltd dba MuchBetter
Finance House, 20/21 Aviation Way
Southend, Essex, SS2 6UN, United Kingdom

MyBookie.ag
Duranbah Limited N.V. dba MyBookie.ag
7 Abraham de Veerstraat
Willemstad, Curacao (Netherlands Antilles)

Natural8.com
Run Good N.V. dba Natural8.com
9 Abraham de Veerstrat
Willemstad, Curacao (Netherlands Antilles)

NetBet
NetBet Enterprises Ltd dba NetBet
209, Marina Street
Pieta, PTA9041, Malta

Neteller
Paysafe Financial Services Ltd. dba Neteller
Compass House, Vision Park, Chivers Way
Cambridge, CB24 9BZ, United Kingdom

Nexo Financial LLC
Nexo Financial LLC
1 Canada Sq, Level 39, Canary Wharf
London, E14 5AB, United Kingdom

Nitrogen Sports
Nitrogen Sports
support@nitrogensports.eu
San Jose, Costa Rica

Nordic Bet
BML Group Ltd dba NordicBet
Betsson Experience Center, Ta’Xbiex Seafront
Ta’Xbiex, XBX1027, Malta

Noxwin
Galaxy Grouop Ltd dba Noxwin.com
Intershare Chambers
Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands

Oanda Europe
Oanda Europe Limited
Flr 3, 18 St. Swithin’s Ln
London, EC4N 8AD, United Kingdom

Oddsmaker Casino
OddsMaker.ag
support@oddsmaker.ag
Curacao, Curacao (Netherlands Antilles)

OKEx
Aux Cayes FinTech Co. Ltd dba OKEx
Unit 10-02, Level 10, Menara Binjai, No. 2, Jalan Binjai
Kuala Lumpur, 50450, Malaysia

OKPoker
Loto Quebec dba OKPoker
500 Sherbrooke St W
Montreal, QC H3A 3G6 Canada

Pacific Poker
Cassava Enterprises (Gibraltar) Limited dba Pacific Poker
Suite 601-701, Europort Ave
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

PaddyPoker
PBB Counterparty Services Limited dbaPaddyPoker
Triq il-Kappillan Mifsud
St. Venera, SVR1851, Malta

Party Poker
Electra Works dba Party Poker
Suite 6, Atlantic Suites, Europort Ave
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Pinnacle Sports
Ragnarok Corporation N.V. dba Pinnacle.com
Pletterjweg 43
Willemstad, Curacao (Netherlands Antilles)

Planetwin365 Poker
SKS365 Malta, dba Planetwin365 Poker
Corso Vittoria Emanuel 11, 282-284
Rome, 00188, Italy

Players Only
Gaming Ventures Ltd. dba Players Only
60 Nevis St
St. John’s, Antigua (Antigua and Barbuda)

Poker4u
Olincorp Limited dba poker4u
7, Florints St, Greg Tower, 6th Flr
Nicosia, 1065, Cyprus

Poker770
Mandarin Gaming NV dba Poker770
PO Box 4920
Curacao, Netherlands Antilles (Curacao)

Pokerhost
PH Multitech Curacao N.V. dba Pokerhost
E-Commerce Park, Vredenberg
Willemstad, Curacao, (Netherlands Antilles)

PokerKing
King Enterprises BG Ltd. dba PokerKing
Plaza P.L. Brion Unit 4
Willemstad, Curacao

PokerStars
Rational Intellectual Holdings Limited dba PokerStars
Douglas Bay Complex, King Edward Rd
Onchan, IM3 1DZ Isle of Man

PokerStars.eu
Rational Intellectual Holdings Ltd dba PokerStars.eu
Villa Seminia, 8, Sir Temi Zammit Ave
Ta’Xbiex, XBX1011, Malta

PokerStars.fr
REEL Malta Limited dba PokerStars.fr
Villa Seminia, 8, Sir Temi Zammit Ave
Ta’Xbiex, XBX1011, Malta

Poloniex
Polo Digital Assets, Ltd. dba Poloniex
F20, 1st Floor, Eden Plaza
Eden Island, Seychelles

PPPoker
AceKing Tech Limited dba PPPoker
OMC Offices, Babrow Bldg
The Valley, 2640, Anguilla

PredictIt
PredictIt Europe Limited
6 Agar St
London, WC2N 4HN, United Kingdom

PS3838.com
Ragnarok Corporation dba ps3838.com
Pletterjweg 43
Willemstad, Curacao (Netherlands Antilles)

Red Kings
SkillOnNet Ltd. dba Red Kings
Office 1/5297 Level G, Quantum House, 75 Abata Rigord St
Ta’Xbiex, XBX1120, Malta

Red Stag Casino
DeckMedia.NV
Heelsumstraat 51, E-Commerce Park
Willemstad, Curacao

RedStar Poker
RSP Entertainment N.V. dba RedStar Poker
12 Georgiou Grive Digeni, Stephanie House, Office 101
Nicosia, 3101, Cyprus

Run It Once [Poker]
Run It Once Ltd.
35 Strait St
Valletta, VLT1434, Malta

Skrill (formerly Moneybookers)
Skrill Limited
Floor 27, 25 Canada Square
London, E14 5LQ, United Kingdom

Skybook Sportsbook and Casino
Azure Ventures Limited dba Skybook Sportsbook and Casino
G1, Haven Ct, 5 Library Ramp
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

slots.lv
Lynton Limited dba slots.lv
Craig Plaza, 51-55 Fountain St
Belfast, BT1 5EB, United Kingdom

Smarkets
Smarkets (Malta) Limited
The Hedge Business Center, Level 7, Triq Ir-Rampa ta’ San Giljan
St. Julians, STJ1062, Malta

Sorare
Sorare SAS
5, Avenue du General de Gaulle
a Saint Mande, 94160, France

sportbet.com
5Dimes Casino and Sportsbook dba sportbet.com
Edificio Equus
San Jose, Costa Rica

Sports Interaction
Mohawk Online dba Sports Interaction
2006 Old Malone Rd, PO Box 1539
Kahnawake, QC, J0L 1B0, Canada

Sportsbetting.ag
Blue High House S.A. dba Sportsbetting.ag
Area Bancaria, Avenida Balboa
Panama City, Panama

Sportsbook
Paddy Power Betfair dba sportsbook.eu
Belfield Office Park, Beech Hill Rd
Clonskeagh, Dublin, 4, Ireland

swcpoker
OrangeWebsite.com dba swcpoker (aka Seals With Clubs, swcpoker.eu)
Kapparstigur 7
Reykjavik, Iceland

The Greek
WS Processing Ltd. dba The Greek Sportsbook
#1 Mangrove Way, M.B.F.Z.
Freeport, Montego Bay, Jamaica

Tiger Gaming
Troy Logic Limited dba Tiger Gaming
170, Patar House, Level 1 (Ste A203), Psaila St
Birkirkara, BKR9077, Malta

Titan Poker
Universe Entertainment Services Malta Limited dba Titan Poker
Level 3, Valletta Bldgs, South St
Valletta, VLT1103, Malta

TrransferWise
TransferWise
6th Flr, The Tea Bldg, 56 Shoreditch High St
London, E1 6JJ, United Kingdom

True Poker
BMX Entertainment dba True Poker
71C Georgio A, Office 3, Germasogeia
Limassol, 4047, Cyprus

Unibet
Trannel International Ltd. dba Unibet
Level 6, The Centre, Tigne, Point
Sliema, Malta

Vietbet
5Dimes Casino and Sportsbook dba Eurobet
Edificio Equus, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, 7mo Piso
San Jose, Costa Rica

WagerWeb
WagerWeb.ag
support@wagerweb.ag
San Jose, Costa Rica

William Hill
WHG (International) Ltd
6/1 Waterport Place
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Winamax.fr
Winamax
CS 50746, CEDEX 07
Paris, 75345, France

Winner Poker
Universe Entertainment Service Malta dba Winner Poker
Level 3, Valletta Bldgs, South St
Valletta, VLT 1103, Malta

WPTPoker.com
Electraworks Limited (bwin.party digital entertainment plc) dba WPTPoker
Ste 711, Europort
Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Yobit
Yobit.net
support@yobit.net
Moscow, Russia

Youwager.eu
Dowson Universal Technologies Limited dba Youwager.eu
20 Stuart Ct
Consett, County Durham, DH8 5GA, United Kingdom (hide)

If anyone has additions or corrections to the list feel free to email them to me.

The K-2/K-3 Kerfuffle

Saturday, February 5th, 2022

The IRS announced a year ago that there would be two new forms for partnerships and S-Corporations with international income and/or partners: Schedules K-2 and K-3 (links are to the partnership versions of these forms).  Most tax professionals would have a return or two that had to deal with these new schedules; no one believed it would be a big deal.  Indeed, the original IRS instructions for these forms confirmed that.

And then the IRS changed the instructions.  Most of these changes are technical and of little concern to the public.  However, the IRS made a major change related to the interaction of these schedules and Form 1116 and Form 1118 (Foreign Tax Credit).  The change–which I’ll detail below–means that almost every partnership (and many S-Corporations) will need to complete at least a portion of these new schedules.

The IRS added an example in the new instructions of when a partnership does not need to complete Schedules K-2 and K-3:

Example. U.S. citizen A and U.S. citizen B own equal interests in domestic partnership. In Year 1, domestic partnership has no foreign source income and no assets that generate foreign source income. Domestic partnership does not pay or accrue foreign taxes. In Year 1, U.S. citizen A pays $100 of foreign income taxes on passive category income which was reported to U.S. citizen A on a qualified payee statement. U.S. citizen A does not pay or accrue any other foreign taxes and has no other foreign source income. U.S. citizen B does not pay or accrue foreign income taxes. In Year 1, because U.S. citizen B paid no foreign taxes for which it can claim a foreign tax credit and U.S. citizen A qualifies for the exemption from completing Form 1116 to claim a foreign tax credit and such information was provided to domestic partnership by both U.S. citizen A and U.S. citizen B, domestic partnership need not complete Schedules K-2 and K-3, Part I, box 1, box 2, box 3, box 4, box 5, and box 10, Parts II or III.

In English, this means that if a tax professional is certain that no partner is taking a foreign tax credit where Form 1116 or Form 1118 is completed, then Schedules K-2 and K-3 do not need to be completed.  The problem is that in almost all cases, tax professionals will not know this and will have no way of knowing this!

Form 1116 is exempt on a personal return if you have $300 or less in foreign taxes paid ($600 if married filing jointly).  Consider Acme Partners–with Bill, Jane, and Ralph as partners.  It has no foreign activities at all, so you would think it would be exempt from Schedules K-2 and K-3.  Bill and Jane have no foreign income of any sort.  Ralph, though, invests in lots of partnerships that issue him K-1s.  Some years he’s had $1,000 of foreign tax paid; other years, it’s $10.  Ralph isn’t on good terms with Bill and Jane, but Ralph is still a partner.  Russ is the tax professional, and he deals with Bill in getting the return prepared.  Russ can ask Bill, “Will any of the partners file Form 1116?”  We have a number of issues:

  1. Whether Form 1116 is required might not be known until each partner receives all of his or her K-1s (and that can be in mid-September).  There’s an obvious circular issue here: Whether a partner needs to file Form 1116 depends on all the K-1s (and K-2/K-3s), but you’re preparing a K-1 (and K-2/K-3).
  2. What if a partner refuses to discuss this with the “Tax Matters Partner?”  Conflict of interest rules under Circular 230 (the regulations governing tax professionals) likely prohibit the tax professional from asking the recalcitrant partner.
  3. What if one or more partners honestly doesn’t know?
  4. Why should a partnership with only US activities complete Schedules K-2 and K-3 given that (a) there is no international activity; (b) there are no foreign partners; and (c) the IRS can accurately determine the income and expenses of the partnership (and accurately determine each partner’s share of income) from the return and the Schedule K-1.  Additionally, any partner who is filing Form 1116 can accurately complete it using Schedule K-1 for a US-only partnership.
  5. Completing Schedules K-2 and K-3 will add time and cost to any partnership return.
  6. As of today, the IRS estimates it will be ready to accept efiled Schedules K-2 and K-3 for partnerships on March 17th (partnership returns are due on March 15th).  It’s even worse for S-Corporations: the IRS is estimating it will be ready for those Schedules K-2 and K-3 in the May to June time-frame (S-Corporation returns are due on March 15th, too).
  7. The IRS is allowing “transition relief” for 2021 returns, but a “good faith” effort is supposed to be made to prepare the new schedules.

There are only three solutions that I can see.  The first–and best–is that the IRS simply state that a partnerships and S-Corporations with no foreign activity or partners need not file Schedules K-2 and K-3.  The reality is that the IRS does not need such partnerships (and S-Corporations) to complete the forms in order to determine whether a partner’s (or S-Corporation shareholder’s) Form 1116 (or Form 1118) was completed accurately.  The second possible solution is for the IRS to allow a statement to be attached to the return stating that the partnership has no foreign income (similar to the de minimis property regulation statement).  The third solution is just to postpone Schedules K-2 and K-3 until the 2022 tax year so that a workable solution can be found.

If the IRS continues down their current path, I do not see a way around preparing Schedules K-2 and K-3 for almost every partnership.  For perhaps 10% of the partnership returns we prepare, we also prepare all partners’ tax returns (most of those are husband-wife partnerships); for those, we can determine if we must prepare Schedules K-2 and K-3.  For the other 90%, I will have no choice but to prepare these schedules.  This will add at least 20 minutes of work for each return (possibly more), and that will add to every client’s bill.  Additionally, all of these partnerships will have to go on extension.  And by the time March 17th comes and I can efile the returns, we’ll be buried in personal returns.

The issue is less of one for S-Corporations.  Perhaps half of the S-Corporation returns we prepare are one-owner returns.  For those, we know whether they need to include Schedules K-2 and K-3.  Still, we will have many impacted returns; all of those returns will need to be extended (and the owners’ personal returns will all have to be extended).

This was already shaping up to be a miserable Tax Season. This change is only going to make miserable year turn nightmarish.  If anyone from the IRS reads this, please reconsider what you’ve done or postpone it a year.