What is an FBAR and who needs to file?

An FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) is required for any US person — citizens, green card holders, and residents — who has foreign financial accounts that together exceeded $10,000 at any point during the calendar year. This includes Americans living abroad, immigrants maintaining accounts in their home country, and dual citizens. If the total across all your foreign accounts hit $10,000 for even one day, you're required to file.

What's the penalty for not filing?

Non-willful failure to file carries a penalty of up to $16,536 per account, per year. Willful failure can result in penalties up to $165,353 or 50% of the account balance, whichever is greater. Criminal penalties can include up to 5 years imprisonment. The good news: the IRS rarely penalizes taxpayers who come forward voluntarily with non-willful violations.

When is the FBAR deadline?

The FBAR is due April 15 each year, with an automatic extension to October 15. No extension request is needed — it applies automatically. For the 2025 tax year, the October 15, 2026 extension deadline is the current active deadline. We recommend filing as early as possible to stay ahead of the deadline.

How does the FinCEN submission work?

We generate your completed FinCEN Form 114 — both a FinCEN-compliant XML for submission and a PDF copy for your records. We walk you through uploading to the BSA E-Filing system, the same portal CPAs and tax professionals use. The upload takes about 2 minutes. Once submitted, you get a BSA tracking ID as proof of filing, saved in your dashboard alongside your PDF receipt.

How is my data protected?

Your SSN and account numbers are encrypted with AES-256-GCM before they're stored. The encryption architecture means we cannot access your sensitive data in plain text. All traffic uses TLS. Bank statement uploads are encrypted at rest and deleted after data extraction is complete.

What if I have accounts in multiple countries?

You can add as many accounts as you need — there's no per-account charge. We handle currency conversion automatically using Treasury Department exchange rates for the reporting year. Five accounts across three countries is the same $29.

Can I file for previous years?

Yes. You can file for any year going back 6 years. Each year is a separate filing. If you have multiple years of unfiled FBARs, we recommend consulting a tax professional about the Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures before filing — it can protect you from penalties.

How is this different from using a CPA?

A CPA typically charges $200–500 for FBAR preparation. For straightforward filings, the work involved is primarily data entry — your name, bank details, and account balances. We handle that same process for $29 in about 12 minutes, with bank-grade encryption. For complex situations like delinquent filings, FATCA Form 8938, or tax treaty issues, a CPA is the right choice.

Can I file myself for free on the BSA site?

Yes, the BSA E-Filing system at FinCEN is free and open to the public. It's a functional but dated system — no save-and-resume, no currency conversion, and no error checking before submission. Most filers report it takes 45–90 minutes. FBAR File provides a modern interface with automatic currency conversion, error detection, and the ability to save your progress for $29.

Is my data really safe?

We use AES-256-GCM encryption — the same standard used by the US government for classified information. Your SSN and account numbers are encrypted before they're written to our database, using a key derived from your account. We cannot read them in plain text. Bank statement uploads are encrypted at rest and automatically deleted after data extraction.

How to Determine Your Account's Maximum Value for FBAR

Maximum Value, Not Year-End Balance

A common mistake is reporting the December 31 balance. The FBAR requires the highest value the account reached at any point during the calendar year.

How to Find Maximum Value

For most accounts, check your monthly or quarterly statements and identify the highest balance. Some banks provide an annual maximum on year-end statements.

Currency Conversion

If your account is in a foreign currency, convert to USD using the Treasury Department's end-of-year exchange rate. Do NOT use the exchange rate on the day of maximum value.

The Treasury publishes rates at fiscal.treasury.gov. Use the December 31 rate for the reporting year.

Account Type Specifics

Bank accounts: Use the highest balance shown on any statement during the year.

Securities accounts: Use the highest aggregate value including cash, stocks, bonds, and other securities based on periodic statements.

Joint accounts: Report the full value of the account, not just your share.

Life insurance: Use the cash surrender value.

What FBAR File Does

When you enter your account information, we ask for the maximum value in the account's local currency. We then automatically apply the correct Treasury exchange rate for the tax year you're filing.