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An FBAR, a “Foreign Bank and Financial Account Report,” is IRS Form 90-22.1, which is an informational return each U.S. person must complete on an annual basis if such U.S. person has an interest or signature authority over foreign bank or financial account which held, at any time during the year, an aggregate balance of $10,000 or more. Being an “informational return,” there is tax liability associated with this disclosure; it merely requires that U.S. persons report the existence of their foreign accounts that fall within the parameters. ... Read More [+]

An FBAR, a “Foreign Bank and Financial Account Report,” is IRS Form 90-22.1, which is an informational return each U.S. person must complete on an annual basis if such U.S. person has an interest or signature authority over foreign bank or financial account which held, at any time during the year, an aggregate balance of $10,000 or more. Being an “informational return,” there is tax liability associated with this disclosure; it merely requires that U.S. persons report the existence of their foreign accounts that fall within the parameters.Hide Text [-]

Recent FBAR Guidance

On February 24, 2011, the Treasury Department published final regulations amending the FBAR regulations. These regulations became effective March 28, 2011, and apply to FBARs required to be filed with respect to foreign financial accounts maintained in calendar year 2010 and for FBARs required to be filed with respect to all subsequent calendar years. The FBAR form and instructions (PDF) have been revised to reflect the amendments made by the final regulations. On May 31, 2011, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued FinCEN Notice 2011-1(PDF), revised June 6, 2011, to provide administrative relief for certain individuals with signature authority over but no financial interest in foreign financial accounts. The deadline to report signature authority has been extended to June 30, 2012, for the following individuals: an employee or officer of an entity under 31 CFR § 1010.350(f)(2)(i)-(v) who has signature or other authority over and no financial interest in a foreign financial account of a controlled person of the entity; or an employee or officer of a controlled person of an entity under 31 CFR § 1010.350(f)(2)(i)-(v) who has signature or other authority over and no financial interest in a foreign financial account of the entity, the controlled person, or another controlled person of the entity. For purposes of FinCEN Notice 2011-1, a controlled person is a United States or foreign entity more than 50 percent owned (directly or indirectly) by an entity under 31 CFR § 1010.350(f)(2)(i)-(v). On June 16, 2011, the IRS issued Notice 2011-54 to provide additional administrative relief for individuals with signature authority but no financial interest whose filing requirements were properly deferred under Notice 2009-62 or Notice 2010-23. The deadline to file the FBAR for these individuals was extended until November 1, 2011. This extension only applies to reports for the 2009 or earlier calendar years. This Notice did NOT extend the reporting deadline for calendar year 2010. On June 17, 2011, FinCEN issued Notice 2011-2(PDF) to facilitate more accurate compliance with FBAR filing requirements. Notice 2011-2 was issued to provide administrative relief for certain officers or employees of investment advisors registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission who have signature or other authority but no financial interest in certain foreign financial accounts. The deadline to file an FBAR has been extended to June 30, 2012, for those specified individuals working for advisors registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Who Must File an FBAR United States persons are required to file an FBAR if:

1. The United States person had a financial interest in or signature authority over at least one financial account located outside of the United States; and
2. The aggregate value of all foreign financial accounts exceeded $10,000 at any time during the calendar year to be reported.

United States person means United States citizens; 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; and trusts or estates formed under the laws of the United States.

Exceptions to the Reporting Requirement. Exceptions to the FBAR reporting requirements can be found in the FBAR instructions. There are filing exceptions for the following United States persons or foreign financial accounts:

1. Certain foreign financial accounts jointly owned by spouses;
2. United States persons included in a consolidated FBAR;
3. Correspondent/nostro accounts;
4. Foreign financial accounts owned by a governmental entity;
5. Foreign financial accounts owned by an international financial institution;
6. IRA owners and beneficiaries;
7. Participants in and beneficiaries of tax-qualified retirement plans;
8. Certain individuals with signature authority over but no financial interest in a foreign financial account;
9. Trust beneficiaries; and
10. Foreign financial accounts maintained on a United States military banking facility.

Look to the FBAR instructions to determine eligibility for an exception and to review exception requirements. What are the potential criminal penalties/charges? Possible criminal charges related to tax returns include tax evasion (26 U.S.C.§ 7201), filing a false return (26 U.S.C. § 7206(1)) and failure to file an income tax return (26 U.S.C. § 7203). The failure to file an FBAR and the filing of a false FBAR are both violations that are subject to criminal penalties under 31 U.S.C. § 5322. A person convicted of tax evasion is subject to a prison term of up to five years and a fine of up to $250,000. Filing a false return subjects a person to a prison term of up to three years and a fine of up to $250,000. A person who fails to file a tax return is subject to a prison term of up to one year and a fine of up to $100,000. Failing to file an FBAR subjects a person to a prison term of up to ten years and criminal penalties of up to $500,000. What are the civil penalties for failure to file an FBAR? The following is a summary of potential reporting requirements and civil penalties that could apply to a taxpayer, depending on his or her particular facts and circumstances.

• A penalty for failing to file the Form TD F 90-22.1 (“FBAR”). United States citizens, residents and certain other persons must annually report their direct or indirect financial interest in, or signature authority (or other authority that is comparable to signature authority) over, a financial account that is maintained with a financial institution located in a foreign country if, for any calendar year, the aggregate value of all foreign accounts exceeded $10,000 at any time during the year. Generally, the civil penalty for willfully failing to file an FBAR can be as high as the greater of $100,000 or 50 percent of the total balance of the foreign account. See 31 U.S.C. § 5321(a)(5). Non-willful violations are subject to a civil penalty of not more than $10,000.
• A penalty for failing to file Form 3520, Annual Return to Report Transactions With Foreign Trusts and Receipt of Certain Foreign Gifts. Taxpayers must also report various transactions involving foreign trusts, including creation of a foreign trust by a United States person, transfers of property from a United States person to a foreign trust and receipt of distributions from foreign trusts under section 6048. This return also reports the receipt of gifts from foreign entities under section 6039F. The penalty for failing to file each one of these information returns, or for filing an incomplete return, is 35 percent of the gross reportable amount, except for returns reporting gifts, where the penalty is five percent of the gift per month, up to a maximum penalty of 25 percent of the gift.
• A penalty for failing to file Form 3520-A, Information Return of Foreign Trust With a U.S. Owner. Taxpayers must also report ownership interests in foreign trusts, by United States persons with various interests in and powers over those trusts under section 6048(b). The penalty for failing to file each one of these information returns or for filing an incomplete return, is five percent of the gross value of trust assets determined to be owned by the United States person.
• A penalty for failing to file Form 5471, Information Return of U.S. Person with Respect to Certain Foreign Corporations. Certain United States persons who are officers, directors or shareholders in certain foreign corporations (including International Business Corporations) are required to report information under sections 6035, 6038 and 6046. The penalty for failing to file each one of these information returns is $10,000, with an additional $10,000 added for each month the failure continues beginning 90 days after the taxpayer is notified of the delinquency, up to a maximum of $50,000 per return.
• A penalty for failing to file Form 5472, Information Return of a 25% Foreign-Owned U.S. Corporation or a Foreign Corporation Engaged in a U.S. Trade or Business. Taxpayers may be required to report transactions between a 25 percent foreign-owned domestic corporation or a foreign corporation engaged in a trade or business in the United States and a related party as required by sections 6038A and 6038C. The penalty for failing to file each one of these information returns, or to keep certain records regarding reportable transactions, is $10,000, with an additional $10,000 added for each month the failure continues beginning 90 days after the taxpayer is notified of the delinquency, up to a maximum of $50,000 per return.
• A penalty for failing to file Form 926, Return by a U.S. Transferor of Property to a Foreign Corporation. Taxpayers are required to report transfers of property to foreign corporations and other information under section 6038B. The penalty for failing to file each one of these information returns is ten percent of the value of the property transferred, up to a maximum of $100,000 per return, with no limit if the failure to report the transfer was intentional.
• A penalty for failing to file Form 8865, Return of U.S. Persons With Respect to Certain Foreign Partnerships. United States persons with certain interests in foreign partnerships use this form to report interests in and transactions of the foreign partnerships, transfers of property to the foreign partnerships, and acquisitions, dispositions and changes in foreign partnership interests under sections 6038, 6038B, and 6046A. Penalties include $10,000 for failure to file each return, with an additional $10,000 added for each month the failure continues beginning 90 days after the taxpayer is notified of the delinquency, up to a maximum of $50,000 per return, and ten percent of the value of any transferred property that is not reported, subject to a $100,000 limit.
• Fraud penalties imposed under sections 6651(f) or 6663. Where an underpayment of tax, or a failure to file a tax return, is due to fraud, the taxpayer is liable for penalties that, although calculated differently, essentially amount to 75 percent of the unpaid tax.
• A penalty for failing to file a tax return imposed under section 6651(a)(1). Generally, taxpayers are required to file income tax returns. If a taxpayer fails to do so, a penalty of 5 percent of the balance due, plus an additional 5 percent for each month or fraction thereof during which the failure continues may be imposed. The penalty shall not exceed 25 percent.
• A penalty for failing to pay the amount of tax shown on the return under section 6651(a)(2). If a taxpayer fails to pay the amount of tax shown on the return, he or she may be liable for a penalty of .5 percent of the amount of tax shown on the return, plus an additional .5 percent for each additional month or fraction thereof that the amount remains unpaid, not exceeding 25 percent.
• An accuracy-related penalty on underpayments imposed under section 6662. Depending upon which component of the accuracy-related penalty is applicable, a taxpayer may be liable for a 20 percent or 40 percent penalty.

What is a Voluntary Disclosure? Taxpayers with undisclosed foreign accounts or entities should make a voluntary disclosure because it enables them to become compliant, avoid substantial civil penalties and generally eliminate the risk of criminal prosecution. Making a voluntary disclosure also provides the opportunity to calculate, with a reasonable degree of certainty, the total cost of resolving all offshore tax issues. Taxpayers who do not submit a voluntary disclosure run the risk of detection by the IRS and the imposition of substantial penalties, including the fraud penalty and foreign information return penalties, and an increased risk of criminal prosecution. Where can I get more information? Much of the information regarding the Voluntary Disclosure procedure is provided by the IRS on its website (see links below). Since that information is very general and each client’s situation depends on the client’s specific facts and circumstances, we strongly encourage you to contact our office and schedule a conference with one of our attorneys to go over your specific situation so that we may advise you on the proper steps you should be taking to resolve this matter, put it behind you and get back to sleeping through the night.

• 2011 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative
• 2011 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
• Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR)
• FAQs Regarding Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) – Filing Requirements
• FAQs Regarding Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) – Financial Accounts