The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) has come into force in New Zealand over the past 18 months.

The Act requires financial institutions around the world to provide information about customers who are United States “persons” to the IRS.

But a guidance note issued by the IRD makes it clear that family trusts in this country become financial institutions, with associated FATCA requirements, when they use professional investment management services, even if no one involved in the trust is a US citizen.

There is a small amount of relief available to trusts under the US Treasury rules but only if the income from professionally-managed investments is less than 50 per cent of the trust’s income.

They need to obtain a global investor ID number and use it in any future dealing with other financial institutions, register with the US and report on changes to trustees and beneficiaries of the trust.

Mike Newton, of Newton Ross, said: “It’s insanity. They can’t possibly think this is a good outcome for New Zealand.”

He said many family trusts might not even realise they were not compliant with the rules. 

Newton said there was a risk those trusts might decide that it was not worth the hassle of dealing with a fund manager or investment adviser, and opt to invest directly to avoid the FATCA rules.

Vivian Cheng, a senior associate at Chapam Tripp, said even family trusts with small investments were caught.  “Just because you hold less than a certain dollar value doesn’t save you.”

She said it sounded onerous but compliance might not be too big a burden.

“They only have to carry out due diligence in respect of their accounts if there are any trustees or beneficiaries who are US persons. Then the account becomes reportable. If not they only have to register... some people just don’t want to register in the first place because they wonder what that means.”