Hanover FBAR Lawyer

Serving clients in Hanover, MD FBAR matters with over 40 years of combined legal experience.

If you maintain bank or financial accounts in another country, federal law may require you to report them each year, separate from your tax return. Our Hanover, MD FBAR lawyer advises taxpayers on when this filing applies and how to address accounts that were never disclosed. At Crepeau Mourges, our founding attorneys have handled federal and state tax matters for individuals, business owners, and estates across decades of practice. Foreign account reporting sits near the center of that work. Reach out to our office to talk through your accounts and what should happen next.

FBAR Lawyer Hanover, MD

FBAR stands for the Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts, a yearly filing made to the Treasury Department rather than the IRS. United States persons who hold foreign accounts above a set value must file it, and the form is submitted electronically through a federal system. An FBAR attorney determines whether you have a filing duty, prepares the report, and steps in when the government raises questions or proposes a penalty. Our Hanover FBAR lawyers look closely at account ownership, signature authority, and the years involved. The rules reach more accounts than many people realize, including some held through a business or jointly with family. Where filings were missed, we explain the correction options and the consequences that attach to each one. The right approach depends on your accounts and on what was reported before.

Types of FBAR Cases We Handle in Hanover

Foreign account reporting is rarely just one filing. It can involve old accounts, joint ownership, business holdings, inherited assets, and the penalties that follow a missed report. We handle the matters below for clients in Hanover and the surrounding communities.

• FBAR preparation and filing. We determine which accounts must be reported, including those held jointly or through signature authority, and then prepare the filing. Account ownership is not always obvious, and the analysis matters more than people expect. Doing it correctly the first time avoids harder problems down the road.
• Delinquent FBAR submissions. Taxpayers who reported their income but missed the report itself can often use a late-filing path designed for that situation. We prepare the submission along with the explanation that accompanies it. Acting before the government makes contact usually helps, since the available options narrow once an inquiry begins.
• Willful penalty defense. A finding that a missed report was intentional carries the steepest consequences. We push back on willfulness determinations and present the facts that support a different conclusion. The distinction between an oversight and a choice frequently decides the outcome.
• IRS tax. Penalties are assessed and collected through the IRS even though the report itself goes to the Treasury Department. We contest assessments, seek abatement where grounds exist, and pursue appeals when the position taken against you is wrong.
• Streamlined filing procedures. For lapses that were not willful, this route lets taxpayers catch up on reports and returns together. We confirm whether your conduct fits the requirements and assemble the certification it calls for. That certification is a sworn statement, so the facts behind it deserve careful handling.
• FATCA. Many clients who owe an FBAR also have a separate foreign asset report due with their federal return. We coordinate the two filings so that nothing is left out and the two records line up.
• Tax audits. Foreign accounts can prompt an examination of both your reports and your returns. We represent clients through the process and respond to information requests as they arrive.
• Tax fraud. Concealed accounts can raise the prospect of criminal charges. We defend clients facing those allegations and work to keep the exposure as limited as the facts allow.
• Business taxes. Owners and officers may hold reportable authority over company accounts held abroad. We advise businesses on the reports that follow from that authority and ownership.

Why Choose Crepeau Mourges as my FBAR Lawyer in Hanover, MD?

Focused on Foreign Account Reporting

Our founding attorneys built a practice around tax controversy, planning, and the reporting duties that come with assets held abroad. Brandon N. Mourges concentrates on the financial reporting issues that individuals and businesses confront, foreign accounts among them, and he holds an advanced law degree in taxation. He belongs to the Federal Bar Association along with several professional and accounting organizations. 

Brian J. Crepeau has represented taxpayers in federal and state tax controversy matters since 2003, work that regularly involves offshore accounts, and he earned his law degree from American University. His earlier training in accounting helps when a matter turns on how balances and income were recorded. Together, our founders bring more than 40 years of combined experience to these matters. For broader cross-border questions, we also act as an international tax planning lawyer in Hanover, MD.

A Record Built on Preparation

Mr. Mourges has been recognized as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers and named a JD Supra Readers’ Choice Top Author in tax, and he writes and presents often on compliance topics for national audiences. Our representative engagements, set out on our site, reflect results earned through diligence rather than guarantees. That same care goes into each FBAR matter we take on.

Understanding FBAR Cases

Reporting Duties and Foreign Account Disclosure

FBAR obligations come down to a few questions about your accounts and your connection to them. The reporting requirement traces back to the federal Bank Secrecy Act, and it applies whether the accounts produce income or sit idle. The points below shape almost every matter we handle:

• Who counts as a United States person for reporting, a group that includes citizens, residents, and certain entities.
• What qualifies as a foreign financial account, from bank and brokerage accounts to some less obvious holdings.
• How a financial interest differs from signature or other authority over an account.
• The separate, parallel duty to report specified foreign assets under FATCA with your tax return.
• The difference between willful and non-willful conduct, which drives both the penalties and the available fixes.
• How unreported offshore assets can also mean unreported income on returns from earlier years.

For a side-by-side look at the FBAR and the foreign asset form, the IRS publishes a Form 8938 and FBAR comparison chart that many filers find clarifying.

What Factors Shape an FBAR Case?

A handful of details tend to set the course early, and they are worth pinning down before settling on any approach. Each one affects both strategy and risk.

• Whether a missed filing was willful or an honest oversight.
• How many years and how many accounts are involved.
• Whether you also have unfiled tax returns that need attention.
•  Whether the IRS has already made contact or opened an examination.

What Does the FBAR Process Usually Look Like?

Timelines vary with the facts, but the work tends to move through a familiar set of stages. The list below offers a general picture.

• A review of your foreign accounts and your prior filings.
•  A determination of which years required a report and were missed.
• A choice among the available disclosure or late-filing options.
• Preparation and electronic submission of the reports and any related returns.
• Resolution of penalties, including disputes or tax liens tied to unpaid balances.
• Straightforward corrections can wrap up fairly quickly. Matters already under examination tend to take considerably longer to resolve.

What to Gather Before an FBAR Consultation

A few records help us size up your situation during the first meeting. The items below make a practical starting point.

•  Statements showing the highest balance of each foreign account.
• Prior federal returns and any foreign account or asset filings.
• Documentation of joint owners or signature authority.
•  Any letters or notices you have received from the IRS or Treasury.

You can start without every document in hand. We will flag what is missing, explain how to obtain it, and walk through the options open to you, along with the trade-offs that come with each one.

What Are Important Maryland Legal Resources for FBAR Cases?

Because the FBAR is a federal filing made to the Treasury Department, the most reliable guidance comes from federal agencies rather than state offices. These resources help taxpayers confirm the current rules and procedures.

• FinCEN describes who must report foreign accounts and the system used to file them.
• FinCEN also explains how to file the report electronically.
• The IRS sets out FBAR requirements and the records you should keep.
• The IRS summarizes how to report foreign accounts and correct late filings.
• Taxpayers behind on past years can review the streamlined filing procedures.

These pages point to the governing rules. They are not a substitute for advice on your particular accounts.

Reach Out to Crepeau Mourges to Schedule a Consultation

Foreign account matters tend to go better when they are addressed early and on your own terms. Our Hanover FBAR attorneys can review your accounts, confirm what the law requires, and lay out a sensible way forward. Contact us to arrange a consultation and discuss how we can assist with your particular situation.