For U.S. taxpayers with offshore bank accounts, they should be particularly wary of one potential action by the IRS: If it believes the taxpayer is intentionally failing to report the offshore accounts, the IRS can seize the taxpayer’s foreign assets and income.

Do you own an offshore bank account? If you are a U.S. taxpayer with offshore bank accounts, it is imperative that you know and understand the importance of filing Foreign Bank Account Reports (FBARs). Additionally, if you are a taxpayer who has failed to file FBARs for past years, you must know how to deal with delinquent FBARs.

The promise of anonymity and potential high interest rates are just two of the reasons investors might decide to explore moving funds to offshore bank accounts. But opting to deposit funds in a foreign bank account without understanding all the potential ramifications could be a mistake.

Under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, U.S. individuals and businesses are prohibited from bribing foreign officials. That seems clear enough. But the problem is things are often not what they seem. Unfortunately for unsuspecting companies, many violations of the FCPA are the result of ignorance of what could constitute a bribe under the law. Other violations occur because individuals in a company will do whatever they can to keep business humming, even if it violates the federal anti-bribery statute.

Many Americans dream of retiring abroad, perhaps to a tropical island or other exotic and stress-free location. The last thing anyone wants during their retirement years is an IRS tax reporting headache. That’s why consulting a New Jersey tax lawyer is a great way to understand the IRS requirements for banking abroad before you make an error that could cost you some of that retirement money.