Author: Kendall R. Fisher

Kendall’s practice focuses on U.S. federal tax issues related to domestic and cross-border mergers, acquisitions and debt and equity financings, as well as inbound and outbound tax planning related to multinational structures, tax treaties, controlled foreign corporation issues, passive foreign investment company issues, the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), and the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA). His practice also includes domestic business formations, joint ventures, acquisitions, combinations, sales, and general tax planning.

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Tax

Initial Guidance for New U.S. Excise Tax on Stock Repurchase Transactions: IRS Substantially Expands Scope of Applicable Canadian Companies

In our blog post dated August 22, 2022, we discussed the one percent (1%) excise tax on certain stock repurchase transactions by certain publicly traded corporations enacted as part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the “Excise Tax”). The Excise Tax became effective on January 1, 2023. The Internal Revenue Services (the “IRS”) issued...

Tax

Inflation Reduction Act: New U.S. Excise Tax on Stock Repurchase Transactions Applicable to Certain Canadian Companies

On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, HR 5376 (the “Act”), into law. Among other significant changes, the Act includes a new 1% excise tax on stock repurchase transactions by certain publicly traded corporations (the “Excise Tax”). As described below, publicly traded Canadian companies that: are treated as U.S....

Capital Markets / M&A / Tax

Cross-Border de-SPAC Structures

More special purpose acquisition vehicles (common known as “SPACs”) completed their initial public offering (“IPO”) in 2021 than in any prior year. In 2021, approximately 613 SPACs completed their IPO within the United States alone. An increasing number of Canadian companies are being approached by U.S. and tax haven SPACs with significant US shareholders. A...

Tax

Share Buyback Transactions: U.S. Tax Consequences may differ for each U.S. Shareholder

On Thursday, November 4, 2021, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions announced that, subject to approval by the superintendent, Canadian banks and other financial institutions may begin repurchasing their own shares. Share buyback transactions by Canadian companies are not novel. However, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of U.S. shareholders participating in a...

M&A / Tax

Canadian Corporations Acquiring U.S. Target Companies in Tax-Deferred Transactions: When Business Activities Outside the U.S. Matter

In transactions in which a Canadian corporation seeks to acquire a U.S. target entity for shares of the Canadian acquiror in a transaction intended to be tax-deferred for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the ability of U.S. shareholders of the U.S. target to qualify for tax-deferral may depend on the activities the Canadian acquiror conducts...

M&A / Tax

President Biden’s Made in America Tax Plan Would Treat More Cross-border Transactions as Inversion Transactions

Generally, an “inversion” is a transaction in which a non-U.S. corporation directly or indirectly acquires substantially all of the properties held by a U.S. corporation or partnership, after which the former owners of that U.S. corporation or partnership are in control of the acquiring non-U.S. corporation. Inversion transactions can take many different forms.  Over the...

Tax

Critical Reporting Obligation: Canadian-Owned U.S. Corporations and Disregarded Entities

Canadian persons and entities owning a significant interest in a U.S. corporation or U.S. entity classified as a “disregarded entity” for U.S. federal income tax purposes should ensure they are compliant with IRS Form 5472 filing requirements to avoid substantial U.S. federal income tax penalties. IRS Form 5472, “Information Return of a 25% Foreign-Owned U.S....

Tax

Often Overlooked Exception to Withholding and Reporting Requirements under FATCA

An often overlooked exception to U.S. withholding taxes may result in a lower overall U.S. tax burden. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) was enacted in an effort to ensure that U.S. taxpayers could not avoid U.S. federal income tax on investment income through the use of non-U.S. accounts or entities. FATCA requires that...

Tax

“ECI” and its Trap for Unwary Canadian Investors in Partnerships and LLCs

A Canadian which holds a partnership interest in a U.S. or non-U.S. partnership that has “effectively connected income” (“ECI”) is subject to U.S. tax withholding with respect to the Canadian partner’s allocable share of the partnership’s ECI.  That withholding tax must be remitted by the partnership to the IRS irrespective of whether any distributions are...