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Tax implications - moving money UK to USA

Tax implications - moving money UK to USA

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Old Jan 23rd 2014, 1:53 am
  #16  
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Default Re: Tax implications - moving money UK to USA

Originally Posted by Pulaski
But you can't make a gain on a one-way movement. Only if you moved funds in one direction, then move them back could you create a gain, or suffer a loss.
True, and the first $200 of currency gain is not US taxable.
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Old Jan 23rd 2014, 6:56 pm
  #17  
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Default Re: Tax implications - moving money UK to USA

Originally Posted by Pulaski
But you can't make a gain on a one-way movement. Only if you moved funds in one direction, then move them back could you create a gain, or suffer a loss.
Depending on when you do it, if he becomes US tax resident and then later on moves his money over, there may be a capital gain/loss.
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Old Jan 23rd 2014, 7:27 pm
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Default Re: Tax implications - moving money UK to USA

Originally Posted by Steve_
Depending on when you do it, if he becomes US tax resident and then later on moves his money over, there may be a capital gain/loss.
Please explain what you mean.
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Old Jan 23rd 2014, 7:33 pm
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Default Re: Tax implications - moving money UK to USA

Originally Posted by Steve_
Depending on when you do it, if he becomes US tax resident and then later on moves his money over, there may be a capital gain/loss.
I don't understand. Suppose I have a savings account in the account that has been accumulated over several years. I move to the USA and a few weeks later I move that money over. I haven't used $ to buy those GBP in my savings account so I don't believe I have made a Forex gain or loss when I transfer the money over.
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Old Jan 23rd 2014, 7:39 pm
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Default Re: Tax implications - moving money UK to USA

Originally Posted by durham_lad
I don't understand. Suppose I have a savings account in the account that has been accumulated over several years. I move to the USA and a few weeks later I move that money over. I haven't used $ to buy those GBP in my savings account so I don't believe I have made a Forex gain or loss when I transfer the money over.
I think the argument would be that you "acquired" the GBP on the day you became US tax resident, and so the movement since then would be your gain or loss. I am certain that very few people even think about such an esoteric calculation, and fewer still declare it on their tax return.
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Old Jan 23rd 2014, 7:46 pm
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Default Re: Tax implications - moving money UK to USA

Also, in addition to the FBAR, don't forget IRS Form 8938 about foreign assets if you exceed the thresholds.
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Old Jan 23rd 2014, 7:47 pm
  #22  
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Default Re: Tax implications - moving money UK to USA

Originally Posted by Pulaski
I think the argument would be that you "acquired" the GBP on the day you became US tax resident, and so the movement since then would be your gain or loss. I am certain that very few people even think about such an esoteric calculation, and fewer still declare it on their tax return.
I certainly didn't do anything like that. I also don't attempt to calculate any forex gain when I periodically transfer money from the UK to US that has been received as part of my UK pension
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Old Jan 24th 2014, 12:55 pm
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Default Re: Tax implications - moving money UK to USA

Originally Posted by durham_lad
I certainly didn't do anything like that. I also don't attempt to calculate any forex gain when I periodically transfer money from the UK to US that has been received as part of my UK pension
Losses are non-deductible personal losses under Internal Revenue Code section 165(c). Section 988(e)(2) requires foreign currency gains attributable to personal transactions to be recognized if in excess of $200.

An individual signs a return under penalties of perjury that it is complete; so as nun has noted, if a gain over $200 was omitted a return would be incomplete. This is not a good position especially if one is filing an 8938 because the statute of limitations now does not close if income from foreign assets is not fully disclosed.
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Old Jan 24th 2014, 1:48 pm
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Default Re: Tax implications - moving money UK to USA

Originally Posted by Cook_County
Losses are non-deductible personal losses under Internal Revenue Code section 165(c). Section 988(e)(2) requires foreign currency gains attributable to personal transactions to be recognized if in excess of $200.

An individual signs a return under penalties of perjury that it is complete; so as nun has noted, if a gain over $200 was omitted a return would be incomplete. This is not a good position especially if one is filing an 8938 because the statute of limitations now does not close if income from foreign assets is not fully disclosed.
Where is the gain if I move funds from the UK to the US? I simply change GBP to USD.
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Old Jan 24th 2014, 1:50 pm
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Default Re: Tax implications - moving money UK to USA

Originally Posted by MidAtlantic
Where is the gain if I move funds from the UK to the US? I simply change GBP to USD.
So what was the spot rate the day you acquired the GBP?
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Old Jan 24th 2014, 1:52 pm
  #26  
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Default Re: Tax implications - moving money UK to USA

Originally Posted by Cook_County
Losses are non-deductible personal losses under Internal Revenue Code section 165(c). Section 988(e)(2) requires foreign currency gains attributable to personal transactions to be recognized if in excess of $200.

An individual signs a return under penalties of perjury that it is complete; so as nun has noted, if a gain over $200 was omitted a return would be incomplete. This is not a good position especially if one is filing an 8938 because the statute of limitations now does not close if income from foreign assets is not fully disclosed.
Could you point me to some documentation that says a person who receives a salary or pension in a foreign country has to calculate exchange rate gains or losses between receiving the money and transferring it to the USA? Even when my taxes were being prepared and filed by the company's tax accountants while I was being paid part of my salary in the UK this issue was never raised.
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Old Jan 24th 2014, 2:03 pm
  #27  
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Default Re: Tax implications - moving money UK to USA

Leaving aside theoretical discussion, exactly how many people have ever been audited, still less penalized, for anything related to this?

"Penalty of perjury" means you believed your tax return was correct when you signed it. And while in theory the statute of limitations can be extended to 6 years if more than $5000 of specified foreign income is omitted, in practice it is highly unusual for the IRS to seek to go back beyond 3 years.

It's understood at disposal of significant amounts of foreign currency, as a capital asset, may create a capital gain or loss. But has the IRS ever asked a single person about whether there are exchange rate gains or losses on small scale personal transactions. Without any of this context, a thread like this can easily evolve into scaremongering.

Last edited by JAJ; Jan 24th 2014 at 2:16 pm.
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Old Jan 24th 2014, 2:36 pm
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Default Re: Tax implications - moving money UK to USA

Originally Posted by JAJ
Leaving aside theoretical discussion, exactly how many people have ever been audited, still less penalized, for anything related to this?

"Penalty of perjury" means you believed your tax return was correct when you signed it. And while in theory the statute of limitations can be extended to 6 years if more than $5000 of specified foreign income is omitted, in practice it is highly unusual for the IRS to seek to go back beyond 3 years.

It's understood at disposal of significant amounts of foreign currency, as a capital asset, may create a capital gain or loss. But has the IRS ever asked a single person about whether there are exchange rate gains or losses on small scale personal transactions. Without any of this context, a thread like this can easily evolve into scaremongering.
Thank you for your insights. The thoughts of tracking the exchange rate cost basis of monthly payments of pension and interest, and figuring out what gain or loss is made at the point of moving some of it to US $ would be a real PITA.
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Old Jan 29th 2014, 1:30 am
  #29  
 
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Default Re: Tax implications - moving money UK to USA

Originally Posted by JAJ
Leaving aside theoretical discussion, exactly how many people have ever been audited, still less penalized, for anything related to this?

"Penalty of perjury" means you believed your tax return was correct when you signed it. And while in theory the statute of limitations can be extended to 6 years if more than $5000 of specified foreign income is omitted, in practice it is highly unusual for the IRS to seek to go back beyond 3 years.

It's understood at disposal of significant amounts of foreign currency, as a capital asset, may create a capital gain or loss. But has the IRS ever asked a single person about whether there are exchange rate gains or losses on small scale personal transactions. Without any of this context, a thread like this can easily evolve into scaremongering.
Agreed. That was more or less my thought too, and certainly the possibility of a taxable FX gain on the proceeds of the sale of my house never crossed my mind. Although I transferred the proceeds about as soon as I possibly could, the amount was large enough that a one day movement could easily have exceeded $200. .... It was also 12 years ago!

Last edited by Pulaski; Jan 29th 2014 at 1:39 am.
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Old Jan 29th 2014, 4:23 pm
  #30  
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Default Re: Tax implications - moving money UK to USA

I'm trying to collate advice/info in this thread with that in:

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=823097

(Hope that's not mixing oil with water)
But it seems to mean that using the average IRS exchange rate - which might give one a fictitious loss or gain (which does not conform to what actually occured) - does not matter.......or have I just mixed oil with water?
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