# The current FBAR form is outdated--can we still use?



## BlakeWHSJ

I was going to fill out my 2018 FBAR last night and went to the Treasury website to download the PDF so I could fill it out.

But after the form downloaded I noticed it seems the Treasury hasn't updated the FBAR form for this year. I know that because the form still states "The new annual due date for filing Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) for foreign financial accounts is April 17."

April 17 was the Tax Day in 2017. In 2018 the Tax Day is back to the normal April 15. Thus, the FBAR form the Treasury has available for download is still last year's form.

Is it OK to use this form to submit my 2018 FBAR or should I wait/hope until the treasure updates the form for 2018?


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## BlakeWHSJ

BlakeWHSJ said:


> I was going to fill out my 2018 FBAR last night and went to the Treasury website to download the PDF so I could fill it out.
> 
> But after the form downloaded I noticed it seems the Treasury hasn't updated the FBAR form for this year. I know that because the form still states "The new annual due date for filing Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) for foreign financial accounts is April 17."
> 
> April 17 was the Tax Day in 2017. In 2018 the Tax Day is back to the normal April 15. Thus, the FBAR form the Treasury has available for download is still last year's form.
> 
> Is it OK to use this form to submit my 2018 FBAR or should I wait/hope until the treasure updates the form for 2018?


Sorry, I meant to write "April 17 was the Tax Day in 2018. In 2019 the Tax Day is back to the normal April 15."


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## Bevdeforges

The FBAR form must be completed online at the FinCEN site. Using the website https://bsaefiling.fincen.treas.gov/NoRegFBARFiler.html you have the option to either download the pdf form or use the "live" online function. (Meaning that you don't need the Adobe software to fill out the form if you use the live version.)

The form itself has no filing date. You fill in the year that you are filing for at the top of the form. 

As far as the filing date is concerned, effectively speaking you're supposed to file by the deadline for filing your 1040s. This year the deadline is later in two states (I think it is) because of state holidays on April 15th and/or 16th. But practically speaking, there is no penalty attached to filing the forms "late."

Given the big government shutdown that only just recently ended (and may start up again at the end of this week), updating the information on the FinCEN site probably wasn't high on their priorities when they got back to work.


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## Moulard

The form itself is technically due in the April following the previous tax year. 

However all filers get an automatic extension to October. 

It used to be that international and domestic filers had different extension dates, and the change was made to align it all last year I think.


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## BlakeWHSJ

Bevdeforges said:


> The FBAR form must be completed online at the FinCEN site. Using the website [/url] you have the option to either download the pdf form or use the "live" online function. (Meaning that you don't need the Adobe software to fill out the form if you use the live version.)
> 
> The form itself has no filing date. You fill in the year that you are filing for at the top of the form.
> 
> As far as the filing date is concerned, effectively speaking you're supposed to file by the deadline for filing your 1040s. This year the deadline is later in two states (I think it is) because of state holidays on April 15th and/or 16th. But practically speaking, there is no penalty attached to filing the forms "late."
> 
> Given the big government shutdown that only just recently ended (and may start up again at the end of this week), updating the information on the FinCEN site probably wasn't high on their priorities when they got back to work.


Thanks, Bev. So in other words, I'm OK using the current PDF they have posted even though it's the form from last year?


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## Bevdeforges

BlakeWHSJ said:


> Thanks, Bev. So in other words, I'm OK using the current PDF they have posted even though it's the form from last year?


It's not the form from last year. Maybe the instructions haven't been updated, but the form itself doesn't change from year to year. You need to insert the year for which you are filing in the form - but as long as you get it from the FinCEN page, it's the right form.


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## andie17

I had been using my previous year filed FBAR (since 2013) and simply changing the date and updating my data. Last year my attempt to do this was rejected, with a message about the version being outdated. It looked to be identical except the due date had been changed.

I download and filed the version from the BSE website, with the April 17 due date, and it was accepted. I have been waiting to see if a new version is available, as I do not wish to fill this form out twice again.


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## Moulard

Last year they did make a change to the form, but did not change the form number.

My understanding is that they stopped allowing diacritics. 

If you didn't, say, have a diacritic in an address then you could still lodge the "old" form.


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## Bevdeforges

andie17 said:


> I had been using my previous year filed FBAR (since 2013) and simply changing the date and updating my data. Last year my attempt to do this was rejected, with a message about the version being outdated. It looked to be identical except the due date had been changed.
> 
> I download and filed the version from the BSE website, with the April 17 due date, and it was accepted. I have been waiting to see if a new version is available, as I do not wish to fill this form out twice again.


There are currently two options for filing on the BSE website. For one, you download a pdf file, fill it out and then upload the completed file back to the website. You must have the appropriate version of Adobe to fill out the form and submit it. It is often possible to re-use the prior year's form however if they have made changes to the form or the criteria for acceptance of the form, it will be rejected.

The other option is their "live" form that you fill out online and submit. You can download a copy of whatever you submit, but that copy cannot be used to submit in subsequent years.


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## DebL22

I was told by my accountant that the previous form would be rejected. Have any of you found this to be true? 

Its so much easier to just fill in the amounts. 

Thanks for your help!


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## Moulard

I have not submitted this year yet, so with that caveat, I have been using the same form I downloaded in about 2008, simply updating the year and the max values. I have had no issue submitting them.

I plan to keep following that pattern of open last years, amend the dates and values , save as the current tax year and submit, until such time as the form gets rejected. If that happens, its just a cut and paste into the new form at which point I will continue the same pattern for future years.


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## Bevdeforges

Moulard, that's probably the best approach. Even in years when there is a "new" form, I've been really hard pressed to find the differences - and given that you always have to enter the year for which you're filing, I really doubt it will even be noticed. (And if it is, they'll be in touch.)


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## powerdrw

BlakeWHSJ said:


> Thanks, Bev. So in other words, I'm OK using the current PDF they have posted even though it's the form from last year?


So BlakeWHSJ the form does say it's due date is 4/17. I understand why you asked. Were you able to submit the PDF without a problem?


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