Abusive foreign trust schemes Abusive foreign trusts are often formed in foreign countries that impose little or no tax on trusts and also provide financial secrecy. These are usually "tax haven" countries, supposedly outside the jurisdiction of the U.S. Typically, abusive foreign trust arrangements enable taxable funds to flow through several trusts or entities until the funds ultimately are distributed or made available to the original owner, purportedly tax-free. In actuality, the income from these arrangements is fully taxable. Foreign packages often begin with an Asset Management Company, a business trust, and then distribution of income to several trust layers. These schemes also involve offshore bank accounts and International Business Corporations (IBCs). A typical abusive foreign trust scheme has the following steps: Asset Management Company In many promotions, taxpayers are advised to create asset management companies (AMCs). The AMC, which lists the taxpayer as the director, is formed as a domestic trust. An individual on the promoter's staff is usually the trustee of the AMC, but the taxpayer quickly replaces this individual. The purpose of the AMC is to give the appearance that the taxpayer is not managing his or her business and to start the layering process. Business Trust The next step is to form the business trust, again very similar to the domestic scheme. Foreign Trust One Next, a foreign trust is formed in a tax haven country and the income from the business trust is distributed to this trust. We will refer to this foreign trust as "foreign trust one". In many cases, the AMC will be the trustee of foreign trust one. Because the source of income is U.S.-based and there is a U.S. trustee, this foreign trust has filing requirements as discussed earlier in this section. Foreign Trust Two The next step is to form a second foreign trust or "foreign trust two". All income of foreign trust one is distributed to foreign trust two. Either foreign trust one or a foreign member of the promoter's staff becomes the trustee of foreign trust two. If the trustee is foreign trust one, the taxpayer still controls foreign trust two by the fact that he/she is in control of foreign trust one's trustee, by the directorship of the AMC. If a foreigner is the trustee of foreign trust two, the taxpayer is empowered by the promoter to overrule any decisions by this trustee. In either case, the taxpayer is in control of foreign trust two. Promoters will claim that since the trustee and the sources of income are now foreign, there are no U.S. filing requirements. Promoters also advise taxpayers that since the trusts are formed in tax haven countries it is impossible for the IRS to determine who is in control of the trusts. In actuality, the taxpayer has never relinquished control of their business, but has set up, with the assistance of a promoter, an elaborate scheme to subvert and evade U.S. tax laws. Asset Protection Trust Either as part of the second foreign trust or as a separate trust, an asset protection trust is formed. The taxpayer supposedly transfers all of his assets to it including his home and other assets actually located within the United States. According to the promoter, this will make the taxpayer judgment-proof. In actuality, the courts look at the economic substance of the transaction and, if the taxpayer continues to reside in his home and control his assets, those assets may be seized and sold in satisfaction of his liabilities. This definition of an asset protection trust is not meant to imply that all are formed as part of an abusive tax scheme. However, beware of any asset protection trust marketed as part of a package to reduce federal income or employment taxes. The courts can ignore such trusts and order the taxpayer's property sold to satisfy the outstanding liabilities. Related topic Abusive trust tax evasion schemes
