I missed an FBAR deadline. What should I do?

An FBAR covers one calendar year and is due the following year. List each year you may have missed and check it on that year's facts: were you a U.S. person, did you have a financial interest in or authority over foreign accounts, and did their combined maximum values exceed $10,000?⁠^{[1]Source 1}

No FBAR rule limits how many years you file: each missed year is its own late report. The IRS has six years from a violation to assess an FBAR penalty, and the Streamlined procedures described below ask for the most recent six years of FBARs.⁠^{[5]Source 5}⁠^{[7]Source 7}

• Gather the institutions and account numbers for that calendar year, including accounts closed before December 31.⁠^{[1]Source 1}
• Work out each account's maximum value for that year from its statements and convert it at that year's rate, not at today's balance or rate.⁠^{[1]Source 1}⁠^{[2]Source 2}

Prepare the FBAR for the missing calendar year and submit it through BSA E-Filing. Select the year you are reporting, then choose the reason for filing late from the list on the first page; the "Other" option lets you write your own explanation. Keep a copy and the filing acknowledgement.⁠^{[2]Source 2}⁠^{[3]Source 3}⁠^{[4]Source 4}

A late FBAR is a first report for a year you missed. If you filed an FBAR and it contained an error, file an amended FBAR instead.⁠^{[2]Source 2}

Late FBAR only: if your income was reported and taxed correctly and you only missed the FBAR, file the late FBAR with your explanation. The IRS says it will not penalize people who properly report an account on a late FBAR when it finds reasonable cause. Where examiners do find a violation, they either issue a warning letter (Letter 3800) or determine a penalty.⁠^{[2]Source 2}⁠^{[4]Source 4}

Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures: for individuals whose failure was non-willful and who also failed to report income from foreign financial assets. You file three years of tax returns and six years of FBARs. The procedures are not available once the IRS has opened a civil examination of your returns.⁠^{[5]Source 5}

IRS-CI Voluntary Disclosure Practice: for people whose noncompliance may have been willful and who want to resolve potential criminal exposure. In December 2025 the IRS proposed changes to its terms; those changes are not final.⁠^{[6]Source 6}

Foreign banks report U.S. account holders to the IRS under FATCA, so the IRS may already know about your accounts. Acting before the IRS contacts you keeps the most options open.⁠^{[5]Source 5}⁠^{[8]Source 8}

Get advice from a qualified U.S. tax professional or lawyer if several years are missing, foreign income was left off your tax returns, the IRS has already contacted you, or you are concerned your conduct could be seen as willful. Those facts decide which route is open to you.⁠^{[1]Source 1}⁠^{[4]Source 4}⁠^{[5]Source 5}