FBAR (Foreign Bank Account Report) is a U.S. Treasury filing (FinCEN Form 114) that any "U.S. person" — including U.S. citizens, green-card holders and resident aliens — must file annually if the aggregate value of their non-U.S. financial accounts exceeds USD 10,000 at any point in the calendar year. It is separate from the IRS income-tax return.
Plain-English example
An Indian-origin U.S. green-card holder maintains an NRE savings account in Mumbai (peak balance ₹12 lakh ≈ USD 14,400), a mutual-fund folio (₹5 lakh) and a Demat account (nil balance). Because the aggregate peak crossed USD 10,000, they must e-file FBAR by 15 April (auto-extended to 15 October) on the BSA e-filing portal — even if all income was already reported on Form 1040.
When it applies
- NRE / NRO / FCNR savings + fixed deposits
- Indian mutual-fund folios, PMS, AIF
- Demat / broking accounts (even zero-balance, if signatory)
- PPF, NPS Tier 1 / 2, EPF held in India
SEBI / regulatory caveat
FBAR is a U.S. compliance obligation — SEBI does not regulate it. Penalties for wilful non-filing can reach USD 100,000 or 50% of account value per year. This is a general explainer, not tax advice — consult an enrolled agent or CPA familiar with India-U.S. cross-border filings.
Related
See also FATCA, PFIC, NRE Account.