Recently I was notified by my cousin's attorney in Malaysia where he lived the majority of the time and passed away there. It seems that there is some inheritance located in a bank there and the his attorney says that I, as a beneficiary, need to claim the inheritance.

What I need to know is how do I claim this money for the US? Can I just have it transferred to an account here in the US? What taxes do I need to claim/pay and to whom do I pay them? I'm rather ignorant regarding having large amounts of money deposited in my bank and I know that I have been asked previously, on a cash-out of employee profit sharing, about the money and where I got it. Something about watching for money and illegal activity. I don't want to raise any questions and ensure that I know who I should ask and what I should ask.

I appreciate any help that anyone can give me. Thanks.

First, contact the bank in Malysia and find out how much money is involved. If it is less than $10,000, you can have it wired to your local bank with no problems at all.

If it is more than $10,000, be prepared to explain from where you got the money. The Malaysian bank should be willing to provide you the necessary legal documents for the inheritance.