Luxembourg Government Approves Draft FATCA Legislation

On March 6 Luxembourg's government adopted the draft legislation transposing into national law the grand duchy's intergovernmental agreement with the US and facilitating compliance by the country's financial institutions with the requirements of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.

FATCA, which was signed into law in 2010 but only took effect last July, is designed to identify US persons (citizens, residents, green card holders, there spouses or other individuals with a connection to the US) who may be failing to declare tax purposes investments or assets in accounts with non-US financial institutions or other entities, which can include not only banks but insurance companies, asset management firms or funds and even trusts.