Withholding Tax Refunds for Non-US Person Real Estate Sales, For This Year and Prior Years
The most recent information on tax returns and early refunds for US and Non-US Citizens
What We Do at Directs
We Assist Non-US Persons Obtain the Quickest Possible Refund of the IRS Withholding Tax on US Real Estate Sales
The central function of DIRECTS (Domestic and International Real Estate Closing Tax Services, Inc.) is to help non-US persons recover their withheld funds (tax) controlled by the IRS in connection with a US real estate transaction. The IRS requires non-US parties who sell US real estate to have 15% of the gross sales price withheld at the time of sale, regardless of whether the seller made any profit on the sale (and regardless of whether the seller actually owes any income tax to the IRS). This is the current rule required under FIRPTA (the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980). For example, assume a Canadian national who buys a Los Angeles home in 2014 for $1,400,000, and sells it in 2019 for $1,500,000 (a $100,000 profit), might owe $15,000 to the IRS in income tax (using a 15% capital gains rate), but because the Canadian seller is not a US person, the IRS requires $225,000 to be withheld from the sale proceeds at closing. At DIRECTS, we help this non-US person recover their $210,000 (excess tax) controlled by the IRS. It will take many foreign sellers well over a year, or even years, to obtain the $210,000 refund (if they ever receive their refund at all). At DIRECTS, we help the non-US person obtain a refund either quickly, via the 8288-B application (which might return the $210,000 to the non-US person in around four months after sale); or we can help the non-US person obtain the $210,000 refund in the regular tax refund cycle in the next calendar year. This problem exists even if the non-US person sells the real estate for a loss. Say a Chinese national purchased real estate in Irvine, California, for $1,300,000 a few years ago, and later sells it for $1,200,000. The IRS still requires the Irvine escrow company to withhold $180,000 on the sale (a net loss on the transaction does not change the withholding requirement), but DIRECTS can help the Chinese investor obtain the $180,000 refund, and receive it quickly. By working with DIRECTS, foreign investors will almost certainly avoid the biggest problem faced in selling the US real estate- never obtaining the refund. So many foreign sellers never receive any refund of the 15% withholding tax, because retrieving the IRS withholding tax refund is not easy. But at DIRECTS, we simplify and expedite the refund process.
DIRECTS公司主要业务
我们帮助非美国公民售房者以最快的速度获取国税局房地产预扣税退税
DIRECTS (国内，国际房地产交易税务服务公司)主要帮助非美国公民，居民获取在美出售房产时缴纳给美国国税局的预扣税退税。根据当前的1980外国人投资美国房地产税收法 (FIRPTA) 的规定，当外国公民出售在美房产时，美国国税局规定必须征收房屋出售价的15%做为预扣税，不管售房者是否有任何盈利和是否拖欠任何收入所得税。例如：一名外国公民在2014年花费140万购买了一栋位于洛杉矶的房子，2018年于150万售出(盈利10万)，因此需要上缴美国国税局大约1.5万的收入所得税， 但是因为售房者是非美国公民，居民，美国国税局要求该外国公民在房屋结束交易时上缴 22.5万做为预扣税。在DIRECTS公司，我们帮助外国公民向美国国税局提交8288-B预扣税快速退还申请(在房屋出售后大约四个月获取21 万的多余预扣税退税)或者在第二年度（甚至第三年或更久）申请21万的预扣税退税。这种预扣税即使售房者亏损卖房时也同样需要缴纳。例如一名中国公民几年前以130万在加州尔湾购买了一栋房子，之后以120万售出。美国国税局仍然按规定要求尔湾的产权过户公证公司上缴18万的预扣税(房屋亏损10万也没有影响预扣税的金额)，但是DIRECTS可以帮助这名中国投资者很快收回这18万的预扣税。通过DIRECTS的专业服务，外国投资者可以避免在出售房屋时面临最大的预扣税永远无法退还问题。很多外国售房者永远不能获取任何15%的预扣税，因为从国税局申请预扣税退税的程序很复杂。但是在DIRECTS, 我们可以简化和加速预扣税退还程序。
We Assist Foreign Sellers in Obtaining Withholding Tax Refunds From Prior Year Sales
So many foreign investors fail to receive a refund of the 15% withholding tax, even years after the sale. They consider this large tax withheld by the IRS gone for good- a lost cause. But the tax belongs to them, and it can very likely still be recovered. Recovery of the withholding tax held deep in the bowels of the IRS (from prior year sales) is not easy. At DIRECTS, we have an intimate knowledge of the IRS’ non-US seller withholding tax refund process, and we can assist foreign investors obtain refunds from prior year sales, where the tax has long been considered gone for good.
我们帮助外国售房者获取在过去几年出售房屋的预扣税退税
很多外国售房者在房屋出售几年后仍不能收到之前缴纳的预扣税。他们认为这笔钱已经要不回来，但实际上这笔预扣税属于售房者并且是可以退还的。但是从国税局申请几年前售房的预扣税退税非常复杂。通过DIRECTS的专业服务，外国售房者可以获取几年前的被认为永远不能退还的预扣税。
We Assist Foreign Individuals in Procuring ITIN’s
At DIRECTS, we help non-US investors of US real estate procure ITIN’s (Individual Taxpayer ID Numbers). A non-US person selling US real estate will never obtain a refund of their withholding tax without first procuring an ITIN (or a US social security number). And procuring ITIN’s in conjunction with a US real estate sale is not simple or easy. The timing of the submission of the ITIN application to the IRS is critical to the overall refund process. At DIRECTS, we assist hundreds of foreign individuals obtain ITIN’s each year, and we apply for the foreign individuals ITIN’s at the correct time to ensure the most efficient tax withholding refund process.
我们帮助外国投资者获取ITIN’s (美国纳税人身份号)
如果非美国公民投资者在出售房屋没有先申请ITIN (或美国社会安全号)，国税局永远不会返还预扣税的退税。卖房时同时申请税号很不简单。税号申请的正确提交时间对退税流程有很大影响。在DIRECTS, 我们每年帮助上千名的房地产投资者申请税号，我们会帮助售房者在正确的时间提交税号申请以确保预扣税在最快时间内退回。
We Prepare Rental Tax Returns for Non-US Owners of US Real Estate
Non-US persons who own US real estate and receive rental income from renting out their US real estate are subject to a 30% (of the gross rents received) mandatory IRS withholding tax (30% of the gross rents, right off the top). But this mandatory 30% withholding requirement can be removed by following a specific process dictated by the IRS. At DIRECTS, we help non-US persons who rent out their US real estate properly report their income so they can net their expenses against the rental income earned, and therefore avoid the mandatory 30% of the gross rents withholding tax requirement.
Led by CEO and California tax attorney Michael W. Brooks, DIRECTS is staffed by a team of highly experienced tax professionals who’s sole focus and expertise is assisting non-US real estate investors recoup their real estate withholding tax and complete their US tax filing obligations. At DIRECTS, we help non-US parties rescue their money trapped by the IRS!
我们帮助购买美国房产并出租获得收益的外国投资者准备房屋出租收入报税
当外国公民购置美国房屋并出租获得收入时，美国国税局规定外国公民必须缴纳房屋出租总收入的30%做为预扣税，我们同样帮助外国公民申请预扣税退税。在DIRECTS的首席执行官及专业税务律师Michael W. Brooks的领导下，我们的具有多年房地产税务经验的税务专家团队为外国房地产投资者提供独家房地产税务服务。在DIRECTS, 我们帮助外国公民获取被国税局扣除的各项超额退税!