8938 Instructions Form
Use a 8938 Instructions Form 2016 template to make your document workflow more streamlined.
What 8938 Instructions Form covers
Form 8938 is an IRS information return used by specified individuals and certain domestic entities to report specified foreign financial assets when applicable thresholds are met. The instructions explain which foreign accounts, interests, and maximum values belong on the form, how to identify ownership, and how to attach it to the federal income tax return. Form 8938 is separate from the FBAR, which follows FinCEN rules. In signNow, a preparer uploads the form, reviews detected fields, sends it to the taxpayer, captures the signature, and stores the completed record with its audit trail.
Who uses 8938 Instructions Form
Individual taxpayers
U.S. taxpayers with specified foreign financial assets use Form 8938 to report qualifying accounts, interests, and maximum values with their federal income tax return. The form organizes foreign-asset details for IRS review and may require information from banks, brokers, retirement plans, or foreign entities.
Tax preparation firms
Tax professionals and authorized preparers use Form 8938 workflows to collect taxpayer information, review foreign-asset schedules, obtain signatures, and retain the completed form with the filed return. signNow provides a controlled document workflow, but the preparer remains responsible for tax-law accuracy.
Who works with Form 8938
U.S. individual taxpayers with foreign bank, brokerage, pension, or business interests use Form 8938 to organize specified foreign financial asset information for their federal income tax return and preserve a reviewable signing record when transmitting completed documents to a tax professional or authorized recipient. Tax preparation firms use reusable Form 8938 workflows to collect taxpayer signatures, coordinate supporting schedules, and retain completed return packages. Role-based access helps staff handle sensitive foreign-account information without giving every team member unrestricted access to taxpayer records.
Best ROI. Our customers achieve an average 7x ROI within the first six months.
Scales with your use cases. From SMBs to mid-market, airSlate SignNow delivers results for businesses of all sizes.
Intuitive UI and API. Sign and send documents from your apps in minutes.
Key features for Form 8938 workflows
signNow organizes Form 8938 preparation, taxpayer signing, audit evidence, and document storage without replacing the IRS instructions or tax professional’s review.
Form preparation
Upload the IRS Form 8938 PDF and prepare its taxpayer, preparer, signature, and date fields in one controlled document workflow.
Field detection
Auto-detected fields help identify places requiring review, while the preparer verifies each foreign-asset detail against the current IRS instructions and source statements.
Signer routing
Route Form 8938 to the taxpayer by email, mobile app, or controlled signing link without exposing unrelated return documents.
Audit trail
Capture signer identity, timestamps, IP information, and document actions so the completed Form 8938 has an organized evidentiary history.
Reusable templates
Use templates for recurring tax-preparation workflows while updating the form and instructions whenever the IRS releases a new version or reporting requirement.
Secure storage
Store the signed Form 8938 and completion certificate with supporting records using encrypted transmission, encrypted storage, and role-based access controls.
How to complete Form 8938 online
Follow the IRS instructions for tax accuracy, then use signNow to prepare, route, sign, and preserve the completed Form 8938.
Upload the form:
Upload the IRS Form 8938 PDF to signNow. Check detected fields:
Review auto-detected fields against the current IRS instructions. Assign signers:
Add the taxpayer and preparer signing fields. Send for signature:
Send the prepared form through signNow. Complete signing:
Review and sign the completed Form 8938. Archive the record:
Store the PDF and audit trail with the return.
Ways to send and sign Form 8938
- Use the signNow web app when a preparer is assembling Form 8938 with the taxpayer’s return package and needs a desktop review of foreign-asset details.
- Use the mobile app when a taxpayer must review or sign Form 8938 while away from the preparer’s office, provided the device is controlled and secure.
- Use kiosk mode for supervised, in-office completion when staff must guide a taxpayer through signature placement without granting access to unrelated documents.
- Use a shareable signing link when the preparer needs to distribute the prepared Form 8938 through a controlled channel without sending repeated email invitations.
Find and fill out the correct 2016 8938 instructions form
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) |
Recommended Form 8938 workflow setup
Configure Form 8938 workflows around taxpayer identity, sensitive foreign-account information, audit evidence, and federal tax-record retention.
| Setting | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Authentication method | Email verification with SMS OTP |
| Signature type | Typed or drawn electronic signature |
| Audit trail | Capture timestamps, IP, and signer actions |
| Document retention | Retain with tax records under IRC §6501(a) |
| Encryption | TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit and AES-256 at rest |
Best practices for completing Form 8938
Accurate foreign-asset reporting depends on reconciling source records, thresholds, ownership details, and the final federal return.
Reconcile foreign asset records
Compare Form 8938 requirements
Confirm the filing threshold
Preserve supporting documentation
Security controls for Form 8938
Data in transit:
Data at rest:
Security certification:
Information security:
Electronic signatures:
Protected information:
Platform requirements for Form 8938
Complete Form 8938 in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge over TLS 1.2 or later. signNow also provides iOS and Android apps for reviewing, filling, and signing tax-document workflows on mobile devices.
Desktop browsers Use Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge on Windows 10, Windows 11, or macOS. Mobile apps Access signNow’s iOS app on iOS 15 or later and Android app on Android 9 or later. Document capture Use a camera-enabled iPhone or Android device to capture supporting documents securely.
Tax practices should use managed Windows or macOS devices, current browser versions, and controlled mobile access when handling foreign-account data. Enterprise deployments can connect API access, SSO provisioning, and retention policies to the firm’s identity and records-management controls.
Privacy pitfalls when handling Form 8938
Foreign account numbers, institution names, and maximum values can expose sensitive financial information when Form 8938 is shared through uncontrolled email or personal storage. A preparer may send Form 8938 before confirming taxpayer consent to electronic records, creating a missing-consent problem under the consumer provisions of ESIGN where applicable. Overbroad workspace permissions can let staff view foreign-asset details unrelated to their assigned taxpayer or preparation task. Saving the signed form without its completion certificate or audit trail weakens the record needed to explain who signed and when.
Form 8938 troubleshooting questions
These answers separate signNow workflow questions from the IRS rules governing Form 8938 preparation, attachment, and retention.
Form 8938 is attached to the taxpayer’s federal income tax return when required, not submitted through signNow as an independent IRS filing. signNow can collect signatures and preserve the completed document, while the taxpayer or preparer remains responsible for the authorized IRS filing method.
The Business plan includes legally binding eSignatures, audit trails, templates, and mobile apps at $8 per user per month with annual billing. It does not include bulk send; that capability is listed for Business Premium at $15 per user per month annually.
Form 8938 concerns specified foreign financial assets under IRC §6038D, while FBAR reporting follows separate FinCEN rules. Do not use signNow’s completed Form 8938 workflow as evidence that an FBAR filing obligation has been satisfied.
Use signNow’s audit trail to document signer identity, timestamps, actions, and the completed record. ESIGN and applicable UETA provisions support electronic-signature validity when intent, consent, attribution, and record retention requirements are satisfied.
When a tax professional sends Form 8938 for signature, verify the taxpayer’s identity and confirm that supporting account information belongs to the correct tax year. Advanced signer authentication is available in Enterprise, while SMS or other controls should match the firm’s risk policy.
The 7-day signNow free trial requires no credit card, but trial availability does not change the taxpayer’s federal filing obligation. Confirm the applicable Form 8938 instructions, filing status, threshold, and return deadline before sending the document for signature.
Key performance indicators that demonstrate SignNow's proven track record.
BE READY TO GET MORE
Get this form now!
If you believe that this page should be taken down, please follow our DMCA take-down process.