Due to an agency error, the due date to file a 2019 Report of Foreign Bank & Financial Accounts (FBAR) has been extended to October 31, 2020. This due date has been extended from the original due date of October 15. On October 14, 2020, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a notice advising taxpayers that the FBAR deadline was extended to December 31 for filers who have been affected by natural disasters, including the California and Oregon wildfires, Hurricanes Laura and Sally, and the Iowa Derecho. The agency then posted a message on its Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) E-Filing website which incorrectly stated that the December 31, 2020 deadline was for all filers. This notice was removed from the FinCEN website within 24 hours. However, in recognition of the fact that some FBAR filers may have missed the October 15 deadline in reliance on this message, the agency has now stated that “Filers who file their 2019 calendar year FBAR by October 31, 2020 will be deemed to have timely filed.” The due date for those impacted by natural disasters is still December 31, 2020.
The notice issued on October 16 by FinCEN can be found at: https://www.fincen.gov/fincen-clarifies-fbar-extensions