Do I Need to Include Accounts I Only Have Signing Authority For?

Yes. If you have a signature or other authority over a foreign financial account—even if it is not in your name—you must include it in your FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) filing.

What Does “Signing Authority” Mean?

You have signing authority if your signature or decision can move funds from the account, even if:

• You don’t personally own the funds
• You never contributed money to the account
• You only access the account as part of your job or volunteer role

Common examples include:

• Company accounts you access as an employee
• Nonprofit or organization accounts you access as a board member or treasurer
• Family accounts where you’re listed as a signatory

Even if you never exercised that authority during the year, it still counts as reportable under FBAR rules. Failing to report signatory authority could result in penalties.

Learn more about FBAR filing requirements

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