Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR): Editor’s Pick

Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR): Editor’s Pick

What is FBAR

If you have a financial interest in or signature authority over a foreign financial account, including a bank account, brokerage account, mutual fund, trust, or other types of foreign financial account, exceeding certain thresholds, the Bank Secrecy Act may require you to report the account yearly to the Department of Treasury by electronically filing a Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) 114.

Who Must File an FBAR?

A United States person that has a financial interest in or signature authority over foreign financial accounts must file an FBAR if the aggregate value of the foreign financial accounts exceeds $10,000 at any time during the calendar year.

Who is a United States Person?

A United States person means:

• United States citizens (including minor children);
• United States residents;
• Entities, including but not limited to, corporations, partnerships, or limited liability companies created or organized in the United States or under the laws of the United States;
• Trusts or estates formed under the laws of the United States.

Financial Account

A financial account includes, but is not limited to:

• Security, brokerage, savings, demand, checking, deposit, time deposit, or other account maintained with a financial institution (or other person performing the services of a financial institution);
• A commodity futures or options account;
• An insurance policy with a cash value (such as a whole life insurance policy);
• An annuity policy with a cash value;
• Shares in a mutual fund or similar pooled fund (i.e., a fund that is available to the general public with a regular net asset value determination and regular redemption).

Joint Account

A financial account type listed above owned jointly by two or more persons.

Foreign Financial Account

A foreign financial account is a financial account located outside of the United States. For example, an account maintained with a branch of a United States bank that is physically located outside of the United States is a foreign financial account. An account maintained with a branch of a foreign bank that is physically located in the United States is not a foreign financial account.

Financial Interest

A United States person has a financial interest in a foreign financial account for which:

• The United States person is the owner of record or holder of legal title, regardless of whether the account is maintained for the benefit of the United States person or for the benefit of another person.

The owner of record or holder of legal title is one of the following:

• An agent, nominee, attorney, or a person acting in some other capacity on behalf of the United States person with respect to the account;
• A corporation in which the United States person owns directly or indirectly:
  • More than 50 percent of the total value of shares of stock, or
  • More than 50 percent of the voting power of all shares of stock;
• A partnership in which the United States person owns directly or indirectly:
  • An interest in more than 50 percent of the partnership’s profits (e.g., distributive share of partnership income taking into account any special allocation agreement), or
  • An interest in more than 50 percent of the partnership capital;
• A trust of which the United States person:
  • Is the trust grantor and has an ownership interest in the trust for United States federal tax purposes. See 26 U.S.C. sections 671-679 to determine if a grantor has an ownership interest in a trust;
  • Has a greater than 50 percent present beneficial interest in the assets or income of the trust for the calendar year;
• Any other entity in which the United States person owns directly or indirectly more than 50 percent of the voting power, the total value of equity interest or assets, or interest in profits.

Filing Information

When and Where to File

The Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) is an annual report and must be filed on or before April 15th of the year following the calendar year being reported. The FBAR must be filed electronically through FinCEN’s BSA E-Filing System.

Extension of Time to File

FinCEN will grant filers failing to meet the FBAR annual due date of April 15th an automatic extension to October 15th each year. Accordingly, specific requests for an extension are not required.