With all of the focus on FBARs and Form 8938s these days, it’s sometimes easy to forget about the other IRS international reporting forms. Below is a list of other important international reporting forms that relate to foreign asset reporting along with their penalties.

(1) Form 3520, Annual Return to Report Transactions With Foreign Trusts and Receipt of Certain Foreign Gifts: Under IRC § 6048, taxpayers must report various transactions involving foreign trusts, including creation of a foreign trust by a United States person, transfers of property from a United States person to a foreign trust, and receipt of distributions from foreign trusts. This return also reports the receipt of gifts from foreign entities under IRC § 6039F. 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. However, for returns reporting gifts, the penalty is five percent of the gift per month, up to a maximum penalty of 25 percent of the gift.

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