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.

Cookie Policy

Last updated: 2026-05-15

This Cookie Policy explains how FBAR File ("we," "us," or "our") uses cookies and similar technologies when you visit fbarfile.com. You can manage cookies through your browser settings at any time.

Cookies We Use

Cookie	Provider	Purpose	Type	Duration
__clerk_*	Clerk	Authentication, session management, and secure login state	Essential	Session
_ga	Google Analytics 4	Distinguishes unique users for aggregate traffic measurement	Analytics	2 years
_gid	Google Analytics 4	Distinguishes unique users for daily traffic counts	Analytics	24 hours

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device (computer, tablet, or phone) when you visit a website. They help the site function correctly, remember your preferences, and understand how you interact with the service. Cookies may be set by the site you are visiting ("first-party cookies") or by third-party services embedded in the page ("third-party cookies").

Essential Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary for the website to function and cannot be disabled. Without them, you cannot log in, maintain a session, or use the filing platform. Essential cookies include Clerk authentication cookies, which verify your identity and maintain your logged-in session.

Essential cookies do not track you across other websites or collect information for advertising purposes.

Analytics Cookies

Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors use our website — which pages are visited most, where users encounter difficulty, and how people navigate through the filing process. This data is aggregated and anonymized.

We use Google Analytics 4 to measure page views, traffic sources, and general usage patterns. Google Analytics cookies are loaded on all pages of our site. Data is processed in the United States under Google's data processing terms. Google Analytics does not collect personally identifiable information such as names, email addresses, or Social Security Numbers.

You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on (https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout) or by blocking cookies in your browser settings.

Managing Your Preferences

You can control cookies through your browser settings:

Browser settings: Most browsers allow you to view, delete, and block cookies. Note that blocking essential cookies (Clerk authentication) will prevent you from logging in to FBAR File.
Google Analytics Opt-out: Install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on to prevent Google Analytics from collecting your data.
Clear cookies: You can clear existing cookies at any time through your browser's privacy settings.

If you block or delete analytics cookies, it will not affect the functionality of FBAR File — you can still prepare and file your FBAR normally.

Do Not Track

Some browsers send a "Do Not Track" (DNT) signal. There is currently no industry standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals. FBAR File loads Google Analytics on all pages regardless of your DNT setting. If you wish to opt out of analytics tracking, you can use the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on or block analytics cookies in your browser settings.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy if we add new cookies or change our tracking practices. Material changes will be reflected by an updated "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. If we introduce new cookie categories, we will re-prompt for consent.

Contact

For questions about our cookie practices: support@fbarfile.com.

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