International Tax Planning: Myths vs. Reality

Offshore does not mean illegal — but ignorance can produce catastrophic penalties. Professor Jack Ledger demystifies the three pillars of U.S. international tax compliance: FBAR reporting, Controlled Foreign Corporation rules including Subpart F and GILTI, and FATCA's global information exchange network. He then explains what legitimate international planning actually looks like — treaty optimization, residency planning, and compliant jurisdictional structuring — and what the IRS's Streamlined Disclosure program offers for those who need to come current.