Who we help
High-net-worth individuals
Complexity scales with the balance sheet, and cross-border structures rarely stay efficient without maintenance.
The reporting burden grows faster than the portfolio.
Once holdings extend into companies, trusts, partnerships and funds across both countries, the number of separate information returns grows quickly, and each carries its own penalty for lateness.
The exposure is usually not the tax rate. It is the disclosure that nobody was told to file.
What we handle
01
Information returns
Forms 5471, 8865, 3520 and 8621 as holdings require, filed on time and consistently year to year.
02
Investment structure
Non-US funds, offshore bonds and life policies frequently carry US treatment their promoters do not mention.
03
Estate exposure
US estate tax and UK inheritance tax apply on different bases, and both can reach the same asset.
04
Philanthropy
Cross-border giving that is deductible in both countries needs the right vehicle from the outset.
Why us
Penalties attach to forms, not to tax
Several of these returns carry substantial penalties for late or missing filing, whether or not any tax is due on the underlying position.
We map the whole obligation once, so the annual cycle is predictable rather than discovered.
Frequently asked
We have advisers in both countries already. What changes?
Usually the co-ordination. We are happy to work alongside existing advisers — the value is in the interaction between the two positions, which neither is scoped to own.
How do you handle offshore structures?
We start from what is actually in place, tell you plainly where the reporting stands, and separate the genuinely useful structures from the ones now costing more than they save.
Which forms carry the biggest penalties?
Forms 3520, 5471 and 8938 are the ones that most often produce penalties disproportionate to the tax at stake, because they are penalised for lateness independently of any liability.
What is GILTI and does it affect me?
It taxes US shareholders on certain earnings of controlled foreign companies as they arise rather than on distribution. If you own a UK trading company and are a US person, it is likely relevant.
Are offshore bonds efficient?
They can be efficient for UK purposes and are frequently punitive for US taxpayers. Products sold on their UK treatment rarely mention the other side.
Do you work with our existing advisers?
Routinely. Much of the value is co-ordination between advisers who are each correct in isolation and contradictory together.
How do you charge for this work?
Compliance on a fixed annual fee once the scope is known, advisory scoped and quoted per project. No open-ended engagements.
Complexity scales with the balance sheet, and cross-border structures rarely stay efficient without maintenance.
Talk it through
Tell us what you are trying to solve and we will put the right specialist on the call.
Client enquiries
US–UK tax team
Others we work with
Everyone we help
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