Do spouses combine separately owned accounts for the $10,000 FBAR threshold?
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Short answer
How the rule works
Each person adds the full value of any joint account to their own separate accounts and any accounts they have signature authority over. The deciding facts are whose name is on each account, whether anyone holds an account on another person's behalf, and who can instruct the bank. IRS guidance says family attribution rules don't apply to the FBAR.Source 2
Example
What to check
Related questions
- Does married filing jointly mean we also file our FBAR jointly?
- Can we file one FBAR if one spouse has an account in their own name?
- Can my spouse and I file one FBAR together?
- Can spouses file one FBAR if one spouse has signature authority over an employer's foreign account?
- The $10,000 aggregate thresholdHow to add up your accounts and when the total triggers a filing.
Full rules and more examples: Joint accounts, spouses and children
Sources
Official sources used for this page.
Source 1: IRS, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) (opens in a new tab)
U.S.-person and $10,000 tests, spousal exception, irrelevance of income-tax filing status and extensions for certain employees and officers.
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Source 2: IRS, Internal Revenue Manual 4.26.16 — FBAR (opens in a new tab)
Financial interests, signature authority, U.S. residency (including 6013(g)/(h) elections and treaties), family attribution, spousal filing, Form 114a parts and amended-FBAR identifiers.
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Source 3: FinCEN, Reporting Jointly Held Accounts (opens in a new tab)
Part III instructions, full account values, joint owner count, principal joint owner identity and blank items.
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