Are the FBAR filing thresholds different for married couples versus single filers?
The $10,000 FBAR threshold is not doubled for married couples; it applies to the aggregate of all foreign accounts a given person owns or controls. A married couple can file a single combined FBAR only if all reportable accounts are jointly owned and one spouse files a signed authorization (FinCEN Form 114a) for the other. If either spouse holds a separate foreign account, that spouse generally must file their own FBAR. This differs from Form 8938, whose FATCA thresholds genuinely are higher for married-filing-jointly taxpayers. Do not confuse the two. Because the FBAR rules are unforgiving on aggregation, add up every account each spouse touches, including ones where you only have signature authority, before deciding nobody needs to file.
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