中美监管大战可能开辟新战线

    眼下，美国上市公司会计监管委员会(PCAOB)和美国证券交易委员会(SEC)与中方在审计工作底稿问题上的僵持不下。不过，相比起来，正在中美监管机构之间酝酿的另一场争端可能将产生更大的影响。

    按照美国《海外账户纳税法》(FATCA)的要求，如果美国客户的账户余额超过5万美元，其他国家的银行、投资基金及其他金融机构就要向美国国家税务局(Internal Revenue Service)申报。如果不遵守这项规定，这些金融机构就可能被逐出美国市场。这里所说的是大型金融企业，比如中国银行（Bank of China）和汇丰银行（HSBC）。

    就像上述审计问题一样，许多国家和地区都已拒绝提供此类信息；但也和上述审计问题一样，美国正在和多个国家和地区就双边协议进行磋商，尤其重要的是，其中包括以银行保密工作著称的瑞士。

    和香港一样，中国大陆也拒绝配合美国监管机构，这一点并不意外。中国政府可能认为，这是美国又一次试图把美国法律凌驾于中国的国家主权之上。不过，这项措施针对的是美国公民，而不是中国人，所以和SEC与PCAOB对中国会计公司以及赴美上市的中国公司穷追不舍相比，它可能不会那么容易触怒中方。

    路透社(Reuters)上周三发表了一篇有趣的文章，猜测说中国政府可能希望美方提供同样的信息，并以此来实现合作。中国的税务体系对中国公民在全球范围内的收入征税，这一点和美国非常接近。所以，中国公民通过瞒报美国金融机构存款而逃避中国政府税收和美国人通过在中国金融机构存款来逃避美国政府税收属于同一种情况。

    此外，中方可能有意通过这类信息来追查腐败官员。2011年，中国人民银行公布的数据显示，有16,000-18,000名政府官员和国企人员携1,200多亿美元（7,452亿元人民币）潜逃国外。其中多数资金都流入了美国。

    这就是以其人之道还治其人之身。

    有人建议，可以通过双向合作来打破中美在审计问题上的僵局。如果美国公司在中国证券交易所上市，中国监管机构就有权审查其审计工作底稿及美国审计机构。目前还没有美国公司在中国境内上市，但中方计划建立国际板，情况可能因此发生改变。不过，假设通用汽车(General Motors)决定在国际板上市。那么倘若中国监管人员出现在底特律(Detroit)并要求查看德勤(Deloitte)的工作底稿，考虑到通用汽车是一家主要国防承包商，美国对此将作何反应呢？

    对读到本文并在中国大陆和香港开立了账户的美国公民来说，你们的账户余额超过5万美元并不是违法行为。但如果不申报，就有可能惹上麻烦。即便中美没有就此达成协议，但在反恐过程中为追踪资金流而做出的巨大投入意味着美国国家税务局有权找到这些账户，特别是在你曾尝试将其中的资金带回美国的情况下。如果监管部门发现你没有申报，你就会面临巨额罚款，甚至有可能坐牢。相比之下，就这些账户进行申报，同时缴纳所得税的代价要小得多。（财富中文网）

    译者：Charlie

    There is a battle brewing between U.S. and Chinese regulators that may be bigger than the current standoff between the PCAOB and SEC with Chinese regulators over audit working papers.

    The Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) requires non-U.S. banks, investment funds and other financial institutions to tell the U.S. Internal Revenue Service about accounts held by Americans with more than $50,000. If financial institutions do not cooperate, they could be kicked out of the U.S. We are talking big institutions here, like Bank of China and HSBC.

    Like in the auditing standoff, many other countries have also resisted providing this information, and also like the auditing standoff, bilateral arrangements have been negotiated with many countries, including most importantly the popular bank secrecy country of Switzerland.

    Unsurprisingly, China is holding out, as is Hong Kong. China probably views this as another attempt by the U.S. to extend U.S. law to China that impinges on China’s national sovereignty. This is an action against U.S. citizens, not Chinese, so it is probably less offensive to the Chinese than the SEC/PCAOB actions which go after Chinese accounting firms and U.S. listed Chinese companies.

    In an interesting article today, Reuters speculates that the Chinese want similar information from the U.S. in exchange for cooperation. China’s tax system is very similar to the U.S. in that it taxes its citizens on their worldwide income. So, if Chinese citizens have unreported deposits in U.S. financial institutions they are evading Chinese taxes in the same way that Americans are suspected of evading U.S. taxes with deposits in Chinese financial institutions.

    But the Chinese are probably interested in getting this information to track down corrupt officials. In 2011, the People’s Bank of China reported that between 16,000 and 18,000 officials and employees of state-owned companies had left China with more than $120 billion stolen from China. Most of this money went to the United States.

    What is good for the goose is good for the gander.

    It has been suggested that one solution to the auditing standoff is to make that cooperation a two way street. If U.S. companies are listed on Chinese stock exchanges, then Chinese regulators should have the right to inspect U.S. audit working papers and U.S. auditors. No U.S. companies are presently listed on China’s stock exchanges, but plans for an International Board could change that. But suppose that General Motors decides to list on the International Board. How will the U.S. react to Chinese regulators showing up in Detroit demanding to see the Deloitte’s working papers, considering that GM is a major defense contractor?

    For my readers who are U.S. citizens with accounts in China and Hong Kong, it is not illegal to have foreign accounts with more than $50,000. However, you are going to get caught if you do not report them. Even if no deal is reached between the U.S. and China on this matter, the huge investment in tracking funds to fight terrorism means that the IRS has the power to find these accounts, particularly if you ever try to bring them back to the U.S. It costs a lot less to report the accounts and pay tax on the earnings than to pay the huge penalties, potentially including jail time, when you get caught.