Will filing my first FBAR this year trigger a review of my previous unfiled FBAR obligations?

15 You're right to address this situation now rather than continuing to not file. The FBAR requirement catches many immigrants by surprise. The good news is that the IRS and FinCEN distinguish between willful and non-willful violations. From what you've described, yours would likely be considered non-willful since you genuinely didn't know about the requirement. For non-willful violations, they tend to be much more lenient. While filing your first FBAR doesn't automatically trigger an investigation into past years, it does potentially put you on their radar. The safest approach would be to use the IRS's Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures, which is specifically designed for taxpayers who non-willfully failed to report foreign financial assets and pay taxes on income from those assets. This program allows you to become compliant while potentially avoiding penalties. The streamlined procedures require you to file FBARs for the last 6 years and amended tax returns for the last 3 years if needed, along with a statement explaining that your failure to file was non-willful. It's a much better option than simply starting to file now and hoping nobody notices the gap.

8 I went through almost the exact same situation last year. After discovering I needed to file FBARs, I was panicking about potential penalties. I tried calling the IRS but couldn't get through to anyone who could help with international tax questions. Then I found this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that specifically helps with international tax compliance issues. They have specialists who review your foreign account documentation and help determine the best compliance approach based on your specific situation. What I appreciated most was that they handled my Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedure and made sure my non-willful statement was properly documented. They explained that simply filing a current FBAR without addressing past non-compliance could potentially cause more issues down the road.

12 Just wanted to update after taking the advice about taxr.ai from this thread. I was initially worried about handling my FBAR situation, but decided to give them a try. They reviewed all my foreign account statements and found that I qualified for a simplified streamlined filing. The specialist pointed out that simply filing a current FBAR without addressing the past years would have been risky. They helped me prepare the last 6 years of FBARs and reviewed my tax returns to ensure all foreign income was properly reported. What really impressed me was how they documented everything to demonstrate my non-willful status, which apparently is critical if there's ever any question from the IRS. The whole process was much less stressful than I expected, and I'm now fully compliant without having to worry about looking over my shoulder!

3 I had a similar issue with missing FBARs a couple years ago. When I finally discovered the requirement, I was totally stressed trying to get through to someone at the IRS to discuss my options. I must have called 20+ times and either got disconnected or was on hold for hours. A friend recommended I try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to actually get through to an IRS agent. I was skeptical but checked out their demo video (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and decided to give it a shot. The service basically waits on hold with the IRS for you, then calls you when an actual human agent is on the line. I finally got to speak with an IRS representative who walked me through my options for the unfiled FBARs. Having that conversation made a huge difference in my approach and ultimately saved me from making mistakes that could have triggered penalties.

19 I want to follow up on my skeptical comment earlier. After struggling to get IRS help with my FBAR situation for weeks, I finally tried Claimyr out of desperation. I'm shocked to admit it actually worked! I had been trying to reach the international tax department at the IRS for specific guidance on accounts from multiple countries. Using their service, I got a call back about 2 hours later with an actual IRS agent on the line who specialized in international reporting. The agent walked me through the Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures and gave me specific advice for my situation. He confirmed that simply starting to file FBARs now without addressing past years could potentially create bigger problems down the road. Having a real conversation with the IRS saved me from making a serious mistake in how I approached my compliance. I'm now working through the proper procedures and feel much more confident about resolving this correctly.

22 One important thing nobody has mentioned yet: make sure you're using the correct exchange rates when reporting your foreign account balances on the FBAR. The IRS expects you to use the Treasury's Financial Management Service rate for the end of the calendar year (December 31). Using incorrect exchange rates is a common mistake that can cause problems, especially if it makes the difference between being over or under the $10,000 threshold. You can find the official rates on the Treasury's website. Also, remember the FBAR is filed separately from your tax return through FinCEN's BSA E-Filing System. The deadline technically aligns with Tax Day, but there's an automatic extension to October for FBARs.

5 I experienced almost the exact same situation after moving from Australia. I didn't file FBARs for 3 years because I had no idea they existed. When I learned about them, I used the Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedures. The key thing that helped me was writing a really clear statement explaining why my failure to file was non-willful. I explained how tax preparation in Australia works differently, how I had always been compliant in my home country, and that I used consumer tax software that didn't prominently ask about foreign accounts. If you've been reporting all income from these accounts on your US tax returns and just missed the FBAR filing, that helps demonstrate good faith too. The IRS seems much more concerned about hidden income than about missing informational forms when the income was properly reported.

I'm in a very similar situation - been in the US for 4 years and just discovered FBAR requirements. Like you, I've been diligent about my regular tax filings but had no idea about these foreign account reporting obligations. From reading through all these responses, it sounds like the Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures are definitely the way to go rather than just starting to file FBARs now. The fact that multiple people have mentioned that simply filing current FBARs without addressing past years could create bigger problems is really concerning. I'm particularly worried because my foreign accounts have fluctuated above and below the $10,000 threshold over the years, so I'm not even sure which years I should have filed. Has anyone dealt with a situation where you're not entirely certain which years triggered the filing requirement? I kept good records of my account balances, but I'm realizing I need to go back and calculate the maximum balances for each year using the correct Treasury exchange rates. The suggestions about getting professional help are making a lot of sense to me now. This seems too complex and high-stakes to risk getting wrong on my own.