The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS” – U.S. tax authorities) has set up a framework to collect on a yearly basis from non-U.S. financial institutions information relating to foreign income and assets held by U.S. taxpayers outside the United States.
Starting 1st July 2014 financial institutions such as Banks, life insurance companies, asset management institutions and investment funds, custodians, etc. will have to put in place procedures to identify their U.S. clients. During the year 2015, the financial institutions will start reporting to the U.S. tax authorities the identity and the tax identification number of their U.S. clients as well as their accounts’ balance.