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Form 8938 (2018)

Use a Form 8938 Fill Online 2018 template to make your document workflow more streamlined.

What Form 8938 (2018) does

Form 8938 (2018) is an IRS information form used by specified individuals to report certain foreign financial assets connected with the applicable tax year. The form organizes ownership, account, institution, and maximum-value information so it can accompany the filer’s federal income tax return when required. A completed form does not replace the underlying account statements or determine filing eligibility by itself. Taxpayers should compare the 2018 IRS instructions with their records, complete required schedules, review the information, and preserve the filed form and supporting evidence.

Who uses Form 8938 and its records

Individual taxpayers

U.S. taxpayers and tax professionals use Form 8938 to organize reportable foreign financial asset information, supporting statements, ownership details, and valuation records for the relevant tax year before coordinating the federal filing package.

Finance teams

Accounting and finance teams use structured Form 8938 workflows to collect records from multiple stakeholders, review asset information, capture signatures, and preserve an auditable package for internal controls and tax documentation.

Who benefits from structured Form 8938 workflows

Form 8938 workflows help tax professionals, finance teams, and multinational organizations coordinate foreign-asset information and preserve filing evidence.

  • A solo tax practitioner can prepare Form 8938 packages for individual clients, organize foreign-account statements, capture client signatures, and preserve an auditable record without exchanging multiple paper versions during tax preparation season.
  • A financial-services accounting team can coordinate Form 8938 information across reviewers, link supporting asset records, and use controlled signing workflows when several specialists must verify ownership, valuation, and filing-year details.
  • A multinational enterprise can route Form 8938 packages through tax, legal, and finance reviewers, use shared templates, and retain completed forms with audit trails for centralized compliance administration across U.S. entities.

These tasks are executed by both individual contributors and centralized administrators depending on organizational policy and required controls.

How Form 8938 moves from records to filing

Form 8938 starts with asset records and ends with a reviewed, signed package ready for the applicable federal filing process.

  • Identify filing scope: Identify the filer, filing year, and foreign financial assets.
  • Collect asset records: Gather account values, ownership details, and supporting statements.
  • Complete the form: Enter Form 8938 information and review attached schedules.
  • Finalize submission: Sign, preserve evidence, and coordinate federal filing.

Complete Form 8938 in signNow

Use this workflow to prepare the 2018 form, collect the required signature, and preserve evidence without treating signNow as a substitute for IRS filing instructions.

  • Upload form:

     Upload the 2018 Form 8938 PDF to signNow.

  • Review fields:

     Let signNow detect fillable fields, then verify placement.

  • Send package:

     Add the taxpayer or authorized signer and send.

  • Check details:

     Review the completed form and attached statements.

  • Store evidence:

     Export the signed PDF and audit trail.
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Choose a signing method for Form 8938

  1. Use the signNow web app when a tax professional prepares Form 8938 on a desktop and needs to place fields, review supporting records, and send the package for signature.
  2. Use the signNow mobile app when an authorized signer needs to review and sign Form 8938 from a supported phone or tablet while retaining the document workflow.
  3. Use kiosk mode when a supervised office process requires sequential signing on one managed device; Business Premium includes kiosk mode for controlled in-person workflows.
  4. Use a shareable signing link when the intended taxpayer must open the prepared Form 8938 without a direct email invitation, while controlling distribution carefully.

Authentication and signing evidence

Signer authentication:

 Email or SMS verification

Two-factor authentication:

 Second-factor verification available

Digital certificates:

 PKI-based certificate signing

Certificate identity:

 X.509 certificate support

Timestamp evidence:

 Captured signing timestamps

Audit trail:

 Recorded document history

Find and fill out the correct irs 8938 instructions form 2018 2019

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.

VersionsForm popularityFillable & printable
IRS Instruction 8938 20214.8 Satisfied (2525 Votes)
IRS Instruction 8938 20204.8 Satisfied (1728 Votes)
IRS Instruction 8938 20194.8 Satisfied (1915 Votes)
IRS Instruction 8938 20184.8 Satisfied (5617 Votes)
IRS Instruction 8938 20174.7 Satisfied (309 Votes)
IRS Instruction 8938 20164.8 Satisfied (302 Votes)

Connect Form 8938 workflows to business systems

Named signNow integrations can move Form 8938 records through tax, finance, document, and enterprise systems while preserving the signing workflow and associated evidence.

Salesforce
Procore
Zapier
Microsoft Teams
Hub spot
Box
Microsoft

Form 8938 retention schedule

Retention depends on the federal assessment rule, the underlying tax facts, and any longer state or industry requirement that applies to the records.

01

Three years after filing

IRC §6501(a) generally measures the federal assessment period from filing; preserve Form 8938 with the related return.
02

Six years after filing

IRC §6501(a) allows six years when gross income is understated by 25% or more; retain supporting Form 8938 records.
03

Indefinite for fraud

IRC §6501(a) provides no limitation period for fraudulent returns; preserve records while the exposure remains relevant.
04

Indefinite without a return

IRC §6501(a) provides no limitation period when no return is filed; retain Form 8938 evidence indefinitely.
05

Longer state period applies

State retention rules can exceed federal periods; verify the applicable state and industry requirements before deletion.

Retain Form 8938 records with evidence

Use a documented retention process that preserves the form, supporting records, and signNow evidence together.

Apply the correct tax-record retention period

Keep the completed Form 8938, attached statements, foreign-account valuations, and filing evidence together. Federal tax records generally follow the IRS three-year assessment period under IRC §6501(a), six years when income is understated by 25% or more, and indefinite retention for fraud or no return.

Export the audit trail immediately

Export the signNow audit trail after every completed Form 8938 workflow. Preserve signer identity evidence, timestamps, IP information, document history, and the completion certificate with the filed form so your records show who acted, when, and which version was signed.

Archive original files securely

Store Form 8938 records in encrypted, access-controlled archival storage with a documented naming convention. Restrict access to tax personnel, record the export date, and retain the original PDF, supporting schedules, and audit trail without overwriting earlier versions.

Document reconciliation and review

Reconcile the signed Form 8938 against the filed federal return and supporting asset records before closing the tax year. Record reviewer approval, identify missing statements, and preserve the final submission evidence so later amendments or IRS inquiries can be answered consistently.

Privacy and disclosure pitfalls

  • Form 8938 can contain account identifiers and foreign financial information; sending the completed file to unintended recipients can expose sensitive tax data.
  • A signer may complete the form without reviewing attached statements, leaving ownership, valuation, or filing-year information inconsistent with the federal return.
  • Broad workspace permissions can allow unauthorized users to view or download Form 8938 records and their attached foreign-account documentation.
  • An exported PDF without its audit trail may not preserve enough evidence to reconstruct signer identity, timestamps, and document history.

Risks of incomplete Form 8938 records

Late or incomplete filing

 IRS compliance action

Understated foreign assets

 Incorrect asset reporting

Missing supporting statements

 Review delays

Unpreserved signing records

 Evidence gaps

Compare Form 8938 signing workflow options

signNow pricing and capabilities are listed from verified product information; competitor values remain unverified where the available source does not provide them.

FeaturessignNowDocuSignAdobe SignPandaDocDropbox Sign
Starting annual price$8/user/month, Business planNot verifiedNot verifiedNot verifiedNot verified
Free trial availability7 days, no credit card requiredNot verifiedNot verifiedNot verifiedNot verified
Bulk send availabilityBusiness Premium includes bulk sendNot verifiedNot verifiedNot verifiedNot verified
Audit trail availabilityIncluded with Business planNot verifiedNot verifiedNot verifiedNot verified
HIPAA complianceCompliant with BAA requiredNot verifiedNot verifiedNot verifiedNot verified

Form 8938 troubleshooting questions

Resolve workflow questions by separating signNow’s signing evidence from the IRS rules governing Form 8938 completion, retention, and filing.

signNow’s Business plan includes templates, audit trails, mobile apps, and legally binding eSignatures at $8 per user per month with annual billing. It can support Form 8938 preparation and signature collection, but it does not determine whether assets are reportable or replace IRS filing instructions.

Use signNow’s audit trail and completion certificate to document signer activity, timestamps, and document history. ESIGN and UETA support electronic-signature validity when intent, consent, attribution, and record retention requirements are satisfied; tax reporting accuracy remains the filer’s responsibility.

Business Premium costs $15 per user per month with annual billing and includes bulk send. That feature can distribute substantially similar Form 8938 packages, but each taxpayer’s foreign-asset information must still be reviewed individually before sending.

For stronger identity controls, signNow Enterprise includes advanced signer authentication and costs $30 per user per month with annual billing. Choose authentication based on taxpayer identity risk, organizational policy, and the sensitivity of attached foreign-account information.

signNow supports mobile apps and offline work according to its product capabilities, while the IRS filing process remains separate. Complete and review Form 8938 information carefully, then follow the applicable IRS instructions for attaching or submitting it with the federal return.

HIPAA compliance applies when protected health information is processed and requires a business associate agreement. It does not establish Form 8938 filing rules. For tax records, apply the relevant IRS retention standard and restrict access to authorized tax personnel.

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