What information do you need for an FBAR?

FinCEN Form 114 asks for information about the filer and each reportable foreign financial account. The exact fields depend on the account and your relationship to it, but a clean preparation file usually separates identity details, account details, maximum annual values, and supporting records.

This is a planning list, not a request for documents. Keep every account number, institution name, exact balance, statement, tax return, passport detail, and taxpayer-identification number out of the FBAR HQ public form. Those belong in a private workflow only after an engagement is accepted.

Filer information

The filing identifies the U.S. person responsible for the report. Depending on the filer type and instructions, preparation can require:

• full legal name and any relevant prior name;
• current mailing address;
• taxpayer-identification information;
• date of birth for an individual filer;
• the calendar year being reported; and
• whether the filer is an individual or another type of U.S. person.

FBAR HQ’s standard published tiers are for individual filers. Entity or organizational filings begin with a consultation and receive a separate scope if accepted.

Your relationship to each account

List whether you had a financial interest in the account, held it jointly, or had signature or other authority without ownership. This distinction affects how the account is reported and can require information about joint owners or account owners.

Do not leave an account off the working inventory merely because it earned no income or was open only part of the year. The IRS says whether a foreign financial account produced taxable income does not determine whether it is reportable for FBAR purposes. Definitions and exceptions still apply.

Account and institution details

The IRS says records for each reported account generally should include:

• the name on the account;
• the account number or other designation;
• the name and address of the foreign financial institution;
• the account type; and
• the maximum account value during the year.

Your working list may also need the institution country, whether the account was closed during the year, and the ownership or authority relationship. Use the current FinCEN line-item instructions for the precise fields.

Maximum value during the calendar year

The relevant amount is generally the reasonable maximum value during the reporting year, not simply the year-end balance. Account statements may help identify the highest periodic balance, but some accounts require additional work to determine a reasonable maximum.

Amounts in foreign currency must be converted to U.S. dollars under the applicable FBAR instructions. Preserve the source values, exchange-rate method, and other support for your calculation. FBAR HQ’s public inquiry asks only for an approximate account-count band—not values.

Timing and prior filing information

Before preparation, identify whether an FBAR for the same year has already been filed, whether the year is late, and whether the IRS, FinCEN, or another agency has contacted you. Late or amended filings and agency-contact facts are outside the standard fixed-price preparation tiers and begin with a consultation.

Also identify whether another compliance procedure or professional is involved. FBAR HQ does not provide penalty defense, willfulness analysis, audit representation, or legal advice.

Authorization and retention records

If someone else electronically files an FBAR for you, FinCEN Form 114a is used to record authorization. According to the IRS, the form is not submitted with the FBAR; it is retained and made available to FinCEN or the IRS on request. Any applicable BSA E-Filing registration must be in place, and the filer retains legal responsibility for the report.

The IRS says required account records generally must be retained for five years from the FBAR due date. Keep the submitted report, filing confirmation, authorization, calculations, and supporting account records together in your own secure archive.

What the initial inquiry actually needs

To ask FBAR HQ about fit, you only need to provide your name, email, country of residence, desired service, filing timing, reporting year or years, approximate account-count band, and a brief non-sensitive message. Review the six-step process to see when a matter moves from a public inquiry to a private next step.