An amicus brief in Alexandru Bittner v. United States was filed on August 16, 2022, with the Supreme Court by ACTEC. This is an important case dealing with the Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”) which presently authorizes a $10,000 civil money penalty for foreign account reporting violations that are non-willful, and which do not satisfy the reasonable cause exception.
The College took no position in the case, but instead, filed in order to: “assist the Court in understanding the history and evolution of the statute at issue and the implications of its application, particularly in common trust and estate situations involving principals and agents under property powers of attorney; trusts, grantors, trustees and beneficiaries of trusts; and executors and beneficiaries of estates (referred to collectively as “fiduciary parties”).”
Oral argument in Bittner is set for November 2.