Accounts abroad? Report them the right way.
If your accounts outside the U.S. added up to more than $10,000 at any point in the year, you may need to file an FBAR. We help you find out whether you need to report them, and we prepare and file the report for you when it is required.
Illustration only. Balances are examples, and each account is valued at its highest point in the year.
Is this you?
Many people with money abroad have never heard of the FBAR. Reach out if any of these sound familiar.
An account back home
You kept a bank or savings account in the country you came from, or opened one while living abroad.
Signature on a family account
You can sign on a parent’s or relative’s account outside the U.S., even though the money is not yours.
Several small accounts
No single account is large, but together they may have passed $10,000 at some point in the year.
Not sure if it applies
You have heard of the FBAR, but you do not know whether your accounts need to be reported.
A separate report, on its own calendar.
The FBAR is not part of your tax return. It goes to a different agency, through a different system, with its own due date.
No extension request is needed. The FBAR covers the prior calendar year.
The FBAR is not part of your tax return. It is filed electronically with FinCEN through the BSA E‑Filing System. Form 8938 is a separate IRS form with higher thresholds.
Records for each account must be kept for five years from the FBAR due date.
More accounts count than people think.
The FBAR looks at foreign financial accounts you have an interest in or can sign on, whether or not they earn income.
- Checking, savings, and deposit accounts at banks outside the U.S.
- Brokerage and other investment accounts held abroad.
- Accounts you can sign on, even when the money belongs to someone else, in most cases.
- Accounts held jointly, or through a company or trust you own.
- Q1Are you a U.S. person?U.S. citizens and residents, and U.S. companies, partnerships, trusts, and estates.Yes
- Q2Do you have a financial interest in, or signature authority over, an account outside the U.S.?Your own accounts, joint accounts, and accounts you can sign on, even when the money is someone else’s.Yes
- Q3Did those accounts add up to more than $10,000 at any time during the year?Add the highest value of every account together, even if each one was small.Yes
From a question to a filed report.
Five steps, with one point of contact the whole way through.
- 1
Free review
We talk through your accounts outside the U.S. in plain language, with no obligation.
- 2
A clear answer
We confirm whether you need to report, based on your accounts and their combined value.
- 3
Gather the details
For each account, we collect the institution, the account number, and its highest value in the year, converted to U.S. dollars.
- 4
Prepare and file
We prepare the FBAR and file it electronically through the BSA E‑Filing System.
- 5
Your records
You receive a copy of the filed report and a list of the records to keep for five years.
What to know about the FBAR.
Three rules that catch most people by surprise.
All accounts added together
The $10,000 test uses the combined value of all your foreign accounts, at any time in the year.
Not filed with your return
The FBAR is filed electronically with FinCEN, separately from your federal tax return.
Due April 15
With an automatic extension to October 15. No extension request is needed.
What we do for you.
An Enrolled Agent leads your case, with the same person handling it from the first call to the final result.
A clear answer first
Before anything is filed, we tell you in plain language whether you need to report.
Every account reviewed
We walk through each account, including family accounts you can sign on and accounts held through a business.
Values done right
Highest values, currency conversion, and account details, prepared the way FinCEN expects them.
Filed and documented
We file the report for you and send you a copy for your records.
About the FBAR.
The questions we hear most. Anything else, ask us during your free case review.
Do I need to file if each account is under $10,000?
Possibly. The test uses the total of all your foreign accounts. If they added up to more than $10,000 at any time during the year, an FBAR is generally required.
What information will you need from me?
For each account: the name and address of the financial institution, the account number, the type of account, and its highest value during the year.
Is the FBAR the same as Form 8938?
No. The FBAR is filed with FinCEN on its own. Form 8938 is a different form, attached to your tax return, with higher thresholds.
Is the FBAR a tax?
No. The FBAR is a report, not a tax. Income those accounts earn, such as interest, is reported on your tax return.
Other ways we can help.
If your situation involves more than the FBAR, these services may help.
Unfiled & Back Tax Returns
Bringing past years current and compliant, one return at a time.
View serviceRelated serviceIRS Notice & Letter Response
Clear answers and a timely response when an IRS or state letter arrives.
View serviceRelated serviceIRS Audit Representation
Representation through the audit, from the first request to the final report.
View serviceMoney abroad? Find out if you need to file.
Tell us about your accounts outside the U.S. The first review is free and confidential.
Free case reviewNo obligationOne point of contact