From Investment Vehicles to Treaties- What Foreign Investors Need to Know About Cross-Border Estate Planning
By Anthony Diosdi Foreign investors generally have the same goal of minimizing their tax liabilities from their U.S. real estate and other U.S. investments, as do their U.S. counterparts, although their objective is complicated by the very fact that they are not domiciled in the U.S. The U.S. has a special estate and gift tax regime that is applicable to foreign investors that are not domiciled in the U.S. This article summarizes the basic estate and gift tax issues that affect foreign investors investing in the U.S. This article also discusses international tax planning opportunities that may be available to individuals that are not-U.S. citizens.An Overview of the Estate and Gift TaxU.S. Federal law imposes a transfer tax upon the privilege of transferring property by gift, bequest or inheritance. During…
