The federal government has long been concerned with assets and businesses based abroad but owned by United States citizens. The IRS regularly looks to address income that is purposefully generated outside the country to avoid taxation. As part of the efforts to ensure that foreign investments are taxed correctly, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which was passed last year, made sizable changes to taxation rules, such as the addition of regulations mandating that global intangible low-taxed income produced by controlled foreign corporations be included in a taxpayer’s taxable income.
What Is a Controlled Foreign Corporation?
A controlled foreign corporation (CFC) is an American corporation that operates in another country with U.S. shareholders who hold 50% or more of the control of that corporation. American shareholders, directors, or officers of one of these businesses must report their income from the foreign corporation and pay taxes on that income.
New Laws Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
The TCJA provides that a U.S. taxpayer who possesses at least 10% of the value or voting rights in at least one CFC must now report global intangible low-taxed income from these CFCs as currently taxable income. This holds true even if there are no distributions to shareholders.
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As tax season draws to an end, many taxpayers have scrambled to compile financial information and file their tax returns prior to this year’s extended deadline of April 18. During this time, many people worked with accountants or tax preparers to ensure they were able to obtain the largest possible tax refund. In many cases, however, the assistance of an experienced 
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