Overseas Bank Account Fines Questioned at US Supreme Court (1)

US Supreme Court justices questioned the legality of stiff penalties the federal government says it can impose on people who fail to file required reports listing their foreign bank accounts.

Hearing arguments in a case with special resonance for Americans living abroad, the justices tested the Biden administration’s interpretation of a law the government says deters money laundering and tax evasion.

The 75-minute session, briefly interrupted at the beginning by three abortion-rights protesters, didn’t give a clear indication as to the outcome.

But some justices voiced concerns about unwitting taxpayers being hit with hefty penalties. Justice Samuel Alito pointed to ...