By Abe Livchitz, CPA, Senior Manager, Tax & Advisory
ASL Tax Group
In 2021, Congress enacted the Corporate Transparency Act in an effort to provide law enforcement agencies with the ownership information of business entities doing business in the U.S. This information is to be used to help prevent money laundering, the use of shell companies, and other financial crimes. The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN, the same agency that administers the foreign bank account reporting rules) was charged with running this program often called “Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting” (BOI). The program’s rules apply very broadly so nearly all privately held businesses will be required to comply beginning January 1, 2024. FinCEN expects over 32 million entities will be filing their initial reporting in 2024. The program was designed to help prevent financial crimes but the compliance burden is falling on privately held businesses across the U.S. and according to recent surveys, most business owners are completely unaware of this new program. FinCEN has created a guide, Small Entity Compliance Guide, FAQs, and informational videos to help businesses understand and comply with these new rules. (more…)