Daily Tax Update - August 18, 2017: Sixth Circuit Affirms Dismissal of FATCA Challenge

Sixth Circuit Affirms Dismissal of FATCA Challenge:  In Crawford v. Department of Treasury, a panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the district court’s dismissal of a lawsuit brought by several individuals—including Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)—to enjoin the enforcement of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and the foreign bank account reporting (FBAR) requirement imposed by the Bank Secrecy Act. The Sixth Circuit affirmed the district court’s judgment that all of the plaintiffs lacked standing to sue. As stated in the opinion, “none of the[] alleged harms are injuries that are fairly traceable to FATCA.”

IRS Accepting Applications for Advisory Committee on Tax Exempt and Government Entities:  The IRS is seeking applications for vacancies on the Advisory Committee on Tax Exempt and Government Entities (ACT). ACT is an organized public forum for discussion of relevant employee plans; exempt organizations; tax-exempt bonds; and federal, state, local, and Indian tribal government issues. ACT members provide observations about current or proposed IRS policies, programs, and procedures, and suggest improvements through a yearly final report. Members are appointed by the Treasury Department and serve three-year terms, beginning in June 2018. Applications will be accepted through September 18.