Q: I just learned that I inadvertently committed a federal financial crime. Should I write a letter of explanation to IRS?
I'm from Canada and a US permanent resident ( through marriage) since 2011. I made several money transfers from Canada of less than $10,000 not knowing that this was a federal crime to do so. No one at my bank ever notified me of the potential problem. I am seeking a divorce and my US citizen husband brought it to my attention and is threatening to get me sent to prison for it!! Should I take proactive measures by sending in a declaration that it was uncalculated. I brought smaller amounts rather than a lump sum as I wanted to leave myself a safety net, and had just been through months of immigration paperwork and didn't want to do more. I knew that cash totaling less than $10,000 could be brought across the border without paperwork, even though it seems shady, so I thought bank transactions with an obvious paper trail offered intention of transparency. https://www.fincen.gov/resources/statutes-regulations/administrative-rulings/suspicious-activity-reporting-structuring. Thank you!
A: You need to speak with an attorney familiar with federal law around international financial transactions.
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