IRS 8938 Instructions Form (2015)

Use a Irs 8938 Instructions Form 2015 template to make your document workflow more streamlined.

What the IRS 8938 Instructions Form does

The IRS 8938 Instructions Form (2015) explains how specified individuals report specified foreign financial assets on Form 8938, which is attached to the federal income tax return when the applicable reporting threshold is met. It covers asset identification, account ownership, maximum values during the tax year, income connected with assets, and related forms. The instructions distinguish reportable foreign financial assets from excluded property and explain filing, valuation, and recordkeeping duties. The 2015 instructions apply to that form edition; confirm current IRS instructions before filing a later tax year.

How IRS 8938 reporting works

The form links foreign-asset data, maximum values, ownership, and related income to the taxpayer’s federal return.

Identify requirements: Review the 2015 IRS instructions
Gather records: Collect foreign account statements and values
Enter information: Complete asset, ownership, and income fields
File together: Attach Form 8938 to the return

Complete IRS 8938 with signNow

Use this workflow to prepare the 2015 form while keeping its asset data and signing evidence together.

Upload form:
Upload the 2015 IRS 8938 Instructions Form to signNow.
Check fields:
Let signNow detect fields, then verify each field placement.
Send request:
Add the taxpayer or authorized signer and send securely.
Archive result:
Review, sign, export, and store the completed record.

Authenticate signer:

Records the signer’s email, authentication, and access event.

Timestamp actions:

Captures signing time, access time, and workflow actions.

Seal document:

Preserves the signed document’s integrity through completion evidence.

Create certificate:

Links the completed IRS 8938 PDF with signing history.

Record history:

Maintains a reviewable sequence of signer and sender events.

Retrieve evidence:

Lets authorized users export the audit trail and certificate.

IRS 8938 preparation challenges

Foreign account statements may use currencies or valuation dates that do not align with the IRS 8938 maximum-value reporting requirements.
A filer can overlook indirect ownership, joint ownership, or an asset that produces reportable income during the tax year.
Uploading statements without mapping each document to the correct IRS 8938 asset entry creates review and reconciliation delays.
Using the 2015 instructions for a later tax year can produce outdated thresholds, definitions, or filing directions.

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Setting	Recommendation
Authentication method	Email verification with SMS authentication
Signature type	Electronic signature with demonstrated intent
Audit trail	Export certificate and action history
Document retention	Three years from filing under IRC §6501(a)
Encryption	AES-256 at rest and TLS in transit

IRS 8938 record retention practices

Preserve the completed IRS 8938 record, supporting evidence, and signing history together for the applicable federal tax-record period.

Retain IRS 8938 records under the applicable period

Keep the signed Form 8938, supporting account statements, completion certificate, and transmission evidence together. IRS guidance generally requires tax records for three years from filing under IRC §6501(a), or six years when income understatement exceeds 25%; retain longer where another rule applies.

Export the audit trail with the completed form

Export the signNow audit trail and certificate of completion immediately after signing. Store the export with the exact PDF sent to signers, preserving timestamps, signer identity, authentication events, and document history so the record can be reproduced without relying on an active workspace.

Archive foreign-asset information in a controlled repository

Restrict IRS 8938 files to authorized tax, finance, and compliance personnel. Use role-based access, separate draft and final folders, and encryption at rest. Avoid sending foreign-account numbers or statements through unapproved personal email or unmanaged storage.

Index each signed form by tax year

Record the tax year, filing date, taxpayer identity, and associated return location in your index. Review retention requirements annually because state, industry, or litigation holds can extend the federal period described in IRC §6501(a).

Prepare document

Upload and verify the 2015 IRS 8938 fields and supporting statements.

Deliver to signer

Send the completed workflow to the taxpayer or authorized signer.

Complete signature

Signer reviews asset information and applies the required signature.

Archive record

Export the signed PDF and audit trail for tax records.

Find and fill out the correct irs 8938 instructions form 2015

airSlate SignNow helps you fill in and sign documents in minutes, error-free. Choose the correct version of the editable PDF form from the list and get started filling it out.

Versions	Form popularity	Fillable & printable
IRS Instruction 8938 2021	4.8 Satisfied (2525 Votes)
IRS Instruction 8938 2020	4.8 Satisfied (1728 Votes)
IRS Instruction 8938 2019	4.8 Satisfied (1915 Votes)
IRS Instruction 8938 2018	4.8 Satisfied (5617 Votes)
IRS Instruction 8938 2017	4.7 Satisfied (309 Votes)
IRS Instruction 8938 2016	4.8 Satisfied (302 Votes)

IRS 8938 record retention schedule

Keep the signed IRS 8938 record and supporting evidence for the applicable federal period, extending retention when the facts or state law require it.

3 years: federal tax records

IRC §6501(a) generally measures the federal assessment period from filing.

6 years: substantial omission

IRC §6501(e) applies a six-year period for specified substantial omissions.

Indefinite: fraudulent return

IRS rules provide no limitation period for fraudulent returns.

Indefinite: no return filed

IRS rules provide no limitation period when no return is filed.

State period: verify separately

State retention periods may exceed federal requirements; verify applicable state law.

IRS 8938 compliance risks

Amended return risk

Incorrect asset values

IRS inquiry risk

Missing reportable assets

Current-year mismatch

Outdated 2015 instructions

Record support gap

Incomplete signing evidence

Connect IRS 8938 workflows to business systems

Named signNow integrations can route IRS 8938 records from finance, tax, storage, and enterprise systems into a controlled signing and archival workflow.

IRS 8938 platform requirements

Use signNow through Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge on Windows or macOS. signNow also provides mobile apps for iOS and Android, allowing authorized users to review and sign IRS 8938 records from supported devices.

Desktop browsers Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
Desktop systems Windows and macOS
Mobile apps iOS and Android

Organizations should manage access through approved devices and accounts, then configure signNow authentication, retention, and audit-trail export policies. Enterprise deployments can evaluate API access, SSO provisioning, and integration with systems such as Microsoft 365, Google Drive, NetSuite, or Box.

Security for IRS 8938 records

Encryption:

Encrypts data in transit and at rest

SOC 2 Type II:

Certified information security controls

ISO 27001:

Independent security management certification

GDPR:

Supports privacy obligations for covered workflows

ESIGN and UETA:

Electronic signature compliance for U.S. transactions

Access controls:

Protects sensitive tax information during signing

Features	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	Dropbox Sign
Starting price	$8/user/mo annually	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified
Free trial	7 days, no card	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified
Bulk send	Business Premium included	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified
Audit trail	Included on Business	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified	Not verified

IRS 8938 form troubleshooting and FAQs

These answers address preparation, signing, audit-trail, plan, and IRS filing questions for the 2015 IRS 8938 Instructions Form.

Upload the 2015 IRS 8938 Instructions Form to signNow, then use field detection or place fields manually. Confirm that asset descriptions, maximum values, ownership details, and signature fields match the form before sending.

The Business plan includes templates and audit trails, while Business Premium adds bulk send. For one IRS 8938 workflow, upload the completed template, assign signer fields, and review every foreign-asset entry before delivery.

signNow supports legally binding electronic signatures under ESIGN and UETA when intent, consent, attribution, and record retention are established. IRS filing instructions and tax-return submission requirements still come from the IRS, not signNow.

Use signNow’s audit trail to preserve signer identity, timestamps, actions, and the completed document. Export the certificate of completion and retain it with the filed tax records under the applicable IRS retention rule.

If a signer cannot open the request, verify the email address, resend the invitation, or create a signing link. SMS authentication can add identity assurance, but the sender must still verify the signer’s role.

IRS Form 8938 is an information statement attached to the filer’s federal income tax return. Use signNow for preparation, review, and signature routing; confirm the applicable filing deadline and reporting thresholds in the IRS instructions for the relevant tax year.

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