Unable to file FBAR

[khaepmu]

I went online and completed my FBAR report, exactly as I have been doing for the last 5/6 years. After completing this years report, for the tax year 2021, I clicked to sign and a little box popped up and said "there are validation errors" and I cannot sign it. But it doesn't say what the validation errors are so I can correct them. I have gone over and over the report and I cannot detect any errors. Has any one had this problem? If there are validation errors why not tell me what they are so I can correct them. I don't want this thing hanging over my head.

[mtls2005]

The top page is a little confusing now. 

 

Which option did you choose? File PDF? Or File online?

 

I think some us made the mistake of choosing the top option (PDF). I made it through but quickly realized I chose the wrong option for me.

 

 

Try the online option, that's the one I used for all previous years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bankruatsteve]

Look for something in red or a blank field that needs input.  Is the phone number a valid US number?

[khaepmu]

I chose the "file  online' which I always use. Never had this problem before. What amazes me is they give you no additional information. Let me know what the errors are and I'll fix the.

[bunnydrops]

Did mine a couple of weeks ago, no problem. I don't know what they look for. One year I left out a digit in one of my bank account numbers. I did discovered it myself the following year, heard nothing from them. I would think it as something to do with your personal info. Have you moved or changed something since last year?

[khaepmu]

I chose the "file  online' which I always use. Never had this problem before. What amazes me is they give you no additional information. Let me know what the errors are and I'll fix the.

[khaepmu]

I have gone over my report at least five times. It is identical to the one I did last year. I checked the account numbers, addresses. No red flags like they sometimes use to show you that you have failed to provide necessary information.

 

[bunnydrops]

Are you using a VPN? If so try turning it off.

[khaepmu]

Lo and behold. I deleted the entire form, (you can't save the online it unless it has been completed and sent), and di another one from scratch. No problem. I just filed it online, save a copy went to my email account and go confirmation. Thanks for your suggestions!

[JimGant]

On 3/15/2022 at 10:41 AM, mtls2005 said:

I think some us made the mistake of choosing the top option (PDF). I made it through but quickly realized I chose the wrong option for me.

The PDF route would seem to be the way to go, particularly if most of your bank account information, except amounts, remains static year to year. Since the form is still version 1.0, from Oct 2013, just pull up last year's PDF submission, unsign it, then change what changes have taken place. Then re-sign it. Sure a lot more efficient than having to type in all that static information that hasn't changed from last year, which you have to do with the online approach. Mo' betta last year's PDF as a template -- why would online be a better approach, especially if Thai power fails three quarters of the way through preparation (even with battery pack, you can't save it and complete at a later date -- must start over)?

[JimGant]

On 3/15/2022 at 10:49 AM, bankruatsteve said:

Look for something in red or a blank field that needs input.  Is the phone number a valid US number?

The only place they ask for a phone number is if you're a third party preparer -- and even that field is not mandatory.

[bankruatsteve]

8 minutes ago, JimGant said:

The only place they ask for a phone number is if you're a third party preparer -- and even that field is not mandatory.

Is that so?   

 

[JimGant]

5 hours ago, bankruatsteve said:

Is that so?   

I stand corrected.  And you're saying it needs to be a US phone number?

[bankruatsteve]

13 hours ago, JimGant said:

I stand corrected.  And you're saying it needs to be a US phone number?

That is my recall.  Seems a strange requirement when filing a report of foreign holdings.

[lopburi3]

13 hours ago, bankruatsteve said:

That is my recall.  Seems a strange requirement when filing a report of foreign holdings.

I filed with no issues using a "662" plus Bangkok number.

[khaepmu]

I couldn't file my first FBAR attempt as I previously posted. Validation errors kept coming up. I kept going over the document and I did find a few mistakes which I corrected but 'validation errors' continued to pop up preventing me from completing the form. So I deleted the form and started all over again and then had no problems the second time around. I recently did my taxes on TurboTax and had a problem with my Thai phone number. It would not accept it. You would think they would ne able to deal with a non-USA phone number. 

[Berkshire]

3 minutes ago, khaepmu said:

I couldn't file my first FBAR attempt as I previously posted. Validation errors kept coming up. I kept going over the document and I did find a few mistakes which I corrected but 'validation errors' continued to pop up preventing me from completing the form. So I deleted the form and started all over again and then had no problems the second time around. I recently did my taxes on TurboTax and had a problem with my Thai phone number. It would not accept it. You would think they would ne able to deal with a non-USA phone number. 

Regarding the TurboTax and the Thai phone number, do what I do.  Don't enter any number at all.  Just "skip."  I just completed my taxes with no prob. 

[tjintx]

I always forget to enter the filing year at the very start of the form (you can't, as I've learned, assume that the past year is entered automatically by default).  That will cause an error and not let you submit.

[EXPATDUCK]

I had the same problem and I think I figured it out. I went to the offline version of the form and began completing it, and when I got to the second page, "1 This report is for calendar year ended 12/31" I put 21, but it gave me an error message. It wanted 2021, not 21. So I went back to the online form and corrected 21 to 2021, and then it let me sign and submit.

 

tl;dr put the four-digit filing year, not the two-digit filing year.

[gk10012001]

On 3/15/2022 at 1:37 AM, khaepmu said:

Lo and behold. I deleted the entire form, (you can't save the online it unless it has been completed and sent), and di another one from scratch. No problem. I just filed it online, save a copy went to my email account and go confirmation. Thanks for your suggestions!

yeah.  cookies and browser stuff often leave data laying around you don't want.  Starting over a good idea.

[taxout]

Although the FBAR form is consistently dated 2013 and labeled Version 1.0, in fact the insides of the form do change from year, and if you don't download and use the latest form from the website it'll be rejected "because the version of the report is outdated." Why they don't properly mark version numbers on the form I don't know.

[JimGant]

On 7/23/2022 at 1:41 PM, taxout said:

if you don't download and use the latest form from the website it'll be rejected

Hmmm. I used the same form I used for CY 2019 in CYs 2020 and 2021. Didn't see any differences, plus, as all my accounts remained the same, all's I had to do was change the reporting year and the dollar figures. I'm sure online reporting is easy, but saved PDF is easier, in my opinion.

[taxout]

Very glad that worked for you, but I did it a few months ago and got rejected with this email:

 

Your submission has been rejected because the version of the report is outdated or the version you are using has become corrupted (i.e. the underlying XML schema structure has been altered and cannot be processed).

[DFPhuket]

On 7/19/2022 at 1:29 AM, EXPATDUCK said:

"1 This report is for calendar year ended 12/31" I put 21, but it gave me an error message. It wanted 2021, not 21. So I went back to the online form and corrected 21 to 2021, and then it let me sign and submit.

This suggested ended my frustration as I was doing my FBAR for 22 (I mean 2022). I got the validation error but couldn't figure it out until I read your comment and changed the year to four digits. Then it worked fine. Thanks.