If you're a U.S. taxpayer with foreign accounts, foreign stock, or other overseas financial assets above the FATCA thresholds, you may have to attach Form 8938 to your tax return each year. We explain the rules in plain English — no jargon, no upsell.
Whether you just learned this requirement exists or you're double-checking a detail before the deadline, start with the guide that matches where you are.
The basics: what the form covers, the FATCA law behind it, and how it differs from an FBAR.
Specified individuals and specified domestic entities — citizens, residents, and certain businesses.
The dollar amounts that trigger a filing, broken down by filing status and whether you live in the U.S. or abroad.
Exactly which foreign assets count — and the surprising ones (like real estate) that don't.
A step-by-step walkthrough: gathering values, Parts I–VI, and avoiding duplicate reporting.
Due dates, extensions, and a realistic look at what happens when Form 8938 is late, wrong, or missing.
Two overlapping but distinct requirements. Here's how Form 8938 and FinCEN Form 114 actually differ.
Quick, direct answers to the questions we hear most — from joint filers to crypto to closed accounts.
Beyond the core guides, we publish longer explainers on the FATCA backstory, valuation, foreign pensions, and the edge cases the rules never quite spell out.
How a 2010 law aimed at offshore tax evasion created a brand-new form millions of Americans now attach to their returns.
Read the article →Different agency, different threshold, different form. The specific situations where Form 8938 and the FBAR genuinely diverge.
Read the article →Which exchange rate do you use? What's the "maximum value"? A practical guide to putting dollar figures on foreign assets.
Read the article →Our "Reporting Thresholds" guide lays out every dollar figure by filing status and residency, with worked examples for the year-end and any-time-during-the-year tests.