Strategizing Multinational Tax Risks

Amid the last-minute penciled-in amendments and heated discussions, the Senate Bill was narrowly passed by a vote of 51-49, with the text referenced herein.

The bill now moves to a reconciliation phase between the House and Senate, with such bill potentially forwarded to the President for signature before Christmas.

Several amendments were passed, including a phase-out of the corporate property expensing provision after 2022, reinstatement of corporate AMT and an increase of the deemed repatriation tax for accumulated foreign earnings (thereby achieving greater tax revenues for passage).

The 479-page bill is still incredibly complex, in effect layering upon the present US tax rules in many areas, and the final reconciliation stage will produce additional changes.  However, it is expected that the Senate’s provisions will largely remain in place as the votes are more critical for passage and major shifts in an already contentious bill may point to possible defeat of the bill, which President Trump is not willing to accept.

Next stage after passage: A review, starting now, of earnings and profits, etc. that will drive the relevant tax accounting adjustments required for year-end closing of the books for calendar-year taxpayers due to “enactment” of the bill prior to Dec. 31st.

https://assets.bwbx.io/documents/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/rXqXuQfYbRas/v0