# FBAR and SFOP



## casie88 (May 18, 2021)

Hi everybody!
I'm using the platform myexpattaxes.com for my SFOP and a lot of doubts 😅

1. In the past years I had 2 prepaid cards with IBAN and now are expired/closed/ don't exist anymore. For the first one I have the IBAN but I don't remember when was opened and closed this "account", I can't access to my data of course and here I received some payments for occasional jobs. The amount was very low in any case.
For the second one I have no data and I don't remember anything! I never used the second one.
So my question ist: do I have to enter the data of these prepaid cards in the FBAR forms? How if I have no data?? 😭

2. Someone told me that I should receive the 2020 and 2021 stimulus checks. How can I request them? Will it be automatic or do I have to specify it in the forms? In which section?

3. With my German tax returns, I received a tax refund. Do I have to declare these amounts as well or is it not necessary? If so, in which section?

I will definitely come up with more questions 😄


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

One question: Why are you doing this? If you have German citizenship, do you really want to enter the US tax system, even if there's a free $3200 on offer this year?


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## casie88 (May 18, 2021)

Nononymous said:


> One question: Why are you doing this? If you have German citizenship, do you really want to enter the US tax system, even if there's a free $3200 on offer this year?


I have an American citizenship because I was born in the US and also Italian citizenship, but not German (but I live in Germany now).
I'd like to change my bank account and the bank ask me to sign a declaration stating that I am exempt or not from US taxes.
I read up on it and found out that I have to file the US tax return.
I honestly had no idea and don't want any trouble so I'm doing it for that.
The stimulus check is just one more thing.


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

casie88 said:


> I have an American citizenship because I was born in the US and also Italian citizenship, but not German (but I live in Germany now).
> I'd like to change my bank account and the bank ask me to sign a declaration stating that I am exempt or not from US taxes.
> I read up on it and found out that I have to file the US tax return.
> I honestly had no idea and don't want any trouble so I'm doing it for that.
> The stimulus check is just one more thing.


You should think hard about this. The $3200 is nice but if you're not planning on ever living in the US, you don't necessarily want to spend the rest of your life filing US tax returns. It can be simple at first but there are nasty implications when you begin investing or saving for retirement, or start a business. You are more likely to cause trouble for yourself by filing than by not filing, since the IRS does not have the ability to discover or punish non-residents.

The bigger problem for you right now is FATCA. With a US birthplace on your ID it may be difficult to open a new account without the bank insisting that you are a US citizen. If you can successfully conceal your US status, that would be better. In extreme cases the only way to avoid banking problems is to renounce US citizenship (to do this you are not required to be in US tax compliance).


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## casie88 (May 18, 2021)

Nononymous said:


> You should think hard about this. The $3200 is nice but if you're not planning on ever living in the US, you don't necessarily want to spend the rest of your life filing US tax returns. It can be simple at first but there are nasty implications when you begin investing or saving for retirement, or start a business. You are more likely to cause trouble for yourself by filing than by not filing, since the IRS does not have the ability to discover or punish non-residents.
> 
> The bigger problem for you right now is FATCA. With a US birthplace on your ID it may be difficult to open a new account without the bank insisting that you are a US citizen. If you can successfully conceal your US status, that would be better. In extreme cases the only way to avoid banking problems is to renounce US citizenship (to do this you are not required to be in US tax compliance).


Since I was born in the US it's hard to hide it. Not doing it would also mean not being able to open a bank account if I don't want to make false statements. I also don't want to renounce my citizenship because you never know in the future what can happen.


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

casie88 said:


> Since I was born in the US it's hard to hide it. Not doing it would also mean not being able to open a bank account if I don't want to make false statements. I also don't want to renounce my citizenship because you never know in the future what can happen.


Well, take your time and make a considered decision. There are plenty of resources available for Accidental Americans such as yourself, including some groups active in Europe where FATCA restrictions have been the worst.


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