The world of alternative investment funds was not the primary
target of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and Common
Reporting Standard (CRS) norms. These regulations were aimed rather
at the "wealth planning" industry, cross-border wealth
management and the "offshore" economy. However, the
widespread success of this type of investment fund along with the
complexity and the number of structures put in place by industry
actors have led alternative investment funds to be significantly
impacted by these rules.
The Luxembourg tax administration has been increasingly
monitoring the proper application of these rules, especially as
regards financial penalties in the event of confirmed violations.
In the last few months, we have witnessed exponential fines applied
to late filings or the absence of FATCA and CRS reports. The
amounts of the fines have become discouraging and have even
captured the attention of industries which generate substantial
cash flow such