FBAR & Form 8938 filing, by who should actually do it.

Best for: CPA/EA firms running cross-border determinations across a client book

Everything else on this list files one person's FBAR. deciqAI is for the firm on the other side of that filing: it computes the FBAR and Form 8938 determinations per client — year-high aggregation across accounts, the residency- and filing-status-adjusted 8938 thresholds, and the penalty exposure if a filing is missed — into a workpaper where every figure carries its statute citation, so a reviewer can trace each number back to source in seconds. Figures are exposure, never a projected saving, and anything the records cannot support is flagged rather than filled in. Cross-border workpapers (FBAR, 8938, 5471) are priced per workpaper and quoted with the practice plan, which prices by active client engagement rather than by seat. Disclosure: this is our product — we're not neutral, weigh accordingly.

Main limitation: Firm-side only. It prepares the determination and the workpaper; it does not transmit the filing — the FBAR itself still goes through FinCEN's BSA E-Filing System, where firms filing for clients register as institutional filers. A self-filer with one bank account does not need it.

Best for: Self-filers who already know their accounts and year-high balances

The channel every paid option on this list ultimately files through. FinCEN's own page states that individuals may electronically file their FBAR through the BSA E-Filing System without registering for an account — you fill in FinCEN Form 114 and submit it directly to Treasury. The deadline is April 15 with an automatic extension to October 15, no request needed. If you hold a checking and a savings account, know each account's highest balance, and have filed every prior year, this is the correct answer and it costs nothing.

Main limitation: It accepts the form; it does not do the determination. Valuing each account at its year-high, converting at Treasury's year-end rate, and knowing whether you also cross a Form 8938 threshold is entirely on you — and the penalties attach to the determination, not the typing.

Best for: Expats who want guided software, with or without a return

The one vendor here with a published standalone FBAR software price: $69 per FBAR, no tax return purchase required. And if you do file your return with MyExpatTaxes, the pricing model is unusual in the right way — FBAR and FATCA (Form 8938) reporting are included starting from the $175 Base plan rather than sold as add-ons, which makes the sticker price closer to the real price for anyone with foreign accounts.

Main limitation: Software-guided self-filing, not a preparer doing it for you. The account-by-account inputs — maximum balances, institutions, ownership — are still yours to get right.

Best for: Itemized flat fees with a human preparer

The lowest preparer-filed prices on this list, published as flat itemized fees: $85 for the FBAR, $100 for Form 8938 covering up to 5 accounts, on top of a $450 federal return. The fee schedule is public and specific enough that you can price your whole situation before signing an engagement letter — rarer than it should be in this market.

Main limitation: The FBAR and 8938 fees are add-ons to a return engagement rather than a standalone product, so this is the pick when you need the return done too, not for the FBAR alone.

Best for: A dedicated accountant filing the FBAR — standalone if needed

Greenback will prepare and electronically file the FBAR as a standalone service for a flat $125 covering up to 5 accounts — no return purchase required — with each additional block of 5 accounts at $60. FATCA (Form 8938) reporting starts at $120. You're matched with a dedicated accountant and the flat fee is agreed before work begins, which suits people who want a professional on the filing without an ongoing engagement.

Main limitation: The per-5-account block pricing compounds for many-account filers: at 20 accounts the FBAR alone reaches $305, which is where Bright!Tax's unlimited-accounts model starts to win.

Best for: Many foreign accounts, filed together with the return

Bright!Tax folds the FBAR into its expat return engagements — starting at $800, with the FBAR included and no limit on the number of accounts. Form 8938 is $170 covering up to 5 accounts. Every engagement is quoted as a fixed fee before work begins, prepared by a US CPA or IRS Enrolled Agent working only in expat tax. For someone with a dozen accounts across banks and brokerages, the unlimited-accounts FBAR is the detail that changes the arithmetic.

Main limitation: No standalone FBAR service and no published FBAR-only price — the FBAR comes with the return engagement. If you only need the FBAR filed, Greenback or MyExpatFBAR fit better.

Best for: DIY expat software with FBAR e-filing

Self-service expat tax software that also e-files FBARs, positioned for confident DIY filers who want the return and the FBAR handled in one product. It belongs on this list on shape alone: software-priced, self-directed, and built for the expat filing stack.

Main limitation: Its site blocked automated retrieval when we checked in August 2026, so we link to it rather than quote a price we could not read at the source. Confirm current FBAR and return pricing there directly.

Is there free software for filing an FBAR?

You don't need software at all. The FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) is filed directly and free at FinCEN's BSA E-Filing System, and FinCEN states individuals may e-file without registering for an account. Paid software and services add guided input and a preparer's judgment — not access.

Does my tax software file the FBAR with my return?

No — they are separate filings to separate agencies. The FBAR goes to FinCEN through the BSA E-Filing System and is never attached to your tax return. Form 8938 is the one that ships with your Form 1040. Some expat software (MyExpatTaxes, Expatfile) handles both in one workflow, but they remain two submissions.

How much does it cost to have someone file my FBAR?

Preparer-filed FBARs on this list run $85 (TaxesForExpats, as an add-on to a $450 return) to $125 standalone (Greenback, covering 5 accounts, +$60 per additional 5). Standalone software is $69 per FBAR at MyExpatFBAR. Bright!Tax includes it — unlimited accounts — in return engagements from $800. All figures read off vendor pricing pages in August 2026.

Can my CPA file the FBAR for me?

Yes, with two mechanics worth knowing. FinCEN requires attorneys, CPAs and enrolled agents filing on behalf of clients to register as institutional BSA E-Filers — the no-registration path is for individuals only. And you authorize the filing on FinCEN Form 114a, which your preparer keeps on file rather than submitting.

What happens if I haven't filed FBARs for years?

Don't start by quietly filing this year's. Non-willful missed FBARs carry penalties up to $16,536 per unfiled report as currently inflation-adjusted (31 U.S.C. §5321), and the IRS's delinquent-filing and Streamlined procedures exist to bring non-willful cases to zero — but they are elective procedures with eligibility requirements. Preparer packages for the Streamlined route run $875 to $1,860 across the vendors on this list. Educational content, not tax advice — prior years are exactly where a professional earns their fee.

Do I need to file both the FBAR and Form 8938?

If you cross both thresholds, yes — filing one does not satisfy the other. The FBAR triggers when all foreign financial accounts together exceed $10,000 at any point in the year; Form 8938 triggers at $50,000 to $600,000 depending on residency and filing status. The tests are independent and the penalties are separate. Our FBAR vs Form 8938 guide walks both tests with every figure cited to statute.