FATCA – Foreign Financial Institutions Tax Withholding
Under the new law with respect to each U.S. account (any financial account held by one or more specified U.S. Persons or U.S. owned foreign entities (IRC 1471(d)(1)(A)), the foreign financial institution must provide information about account gross receipts and withdrawals.
U.S.-Source investment income is subject to U.S. information reporting and tax withholding.
Every person engaged in a trade or business in the United States must file with the IRS a Form 1099 information return for payments totaling at least $600 that it makes to a U.S. Person in the course of its trade or business (IRC 6041).
To avoid 28% back-up tax withholding (IRC 3406), a U.S. Person must furnish the payor with Form W-9 establishing that the payee is a U.S. Person (T.R. 32.3406(d)-1 and T.R. 32.3406(h)-3).
The combination of Form 1099 tax reporting and 28% back-up tax withholding is intended to ensure that U.S. Persons pay tax on investment income.
U.S. source income amounts, paid to foreign persons, are exempt from Form 1099 information reporting because they are subject to non-resident withholding rules.
A non-resident investor who seeks withholding tax relief for U.S. source investment income must provide certification on the appropriate IRS Form W-8 to the withholding agent to establish foreign status and eligibility for an exemption or reduced tax rate.
A withholding agent making payments of U.S. source amounts to a foreign person is required to report the payments, including any U.S. tax withheld, to the IRS on Forms 1042 and 1042-S by March 15th of the year following the year that the payment is made (T.R. A�1.1461-1(b) and (c)). If the withholding agent withholds more than is required, the payee may file a claim for refund.
A non-financial foreign entity that is a beneficial owner of a withholdable payment must certify that it has no substantial U.S. owners or provide identifying information for each substantial U.S. owner.
