Abusive Offshore Tax Avoidance Schemes -
Facts (Section III)
From: http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=106558,00.html

III. Abusive Promotions

In contrast to their legitimate roles, foreign entities are increasingly being promoted as a means to divert income and conceal assets for taxpayers who have no real operations in a foreign country.

In addition to preferential tax regimes and protection against creditors, most tax havens also offer strict laws against disclosure of banking and business records. Generally, these nations do not have income tax treaties with the United States, and tax evasion is not considered a criminal act subject to Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties. Promoters of many abusive offshore schemes rely on the difficulty of access to records of tax haven banks, attorneys, and trustees. Furthermore, in the absence of government scrutiny, some offshore banks, attorneys, trustees, and other service providers have been known to falsify or fabricate records.

Despite being hidden or disguised, the income and assets of U.S. persons are still subject to U.S. tax. Taxpayers should be aware that abusive offshore arrangements will not produce the tax benefits advertised by their promoters and that the IRS is actively examining these types of arrangements. Furthermore, taxpayers and/or the promoters of these offshore arrangements may be subject to civil and/or criminal penalties.

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