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2018 FBAR Currency Conversion Rates | FBAR Tax Lawyer & Attorney

2018 FBAR and 2018 Form 8938 instructions both require that 2018 FBAR Currency Conversion Rates be used to report the required highest balances of foreign financial assets on these forms. In the case of 2018 Form 8938, the 2018 FBAR Currency Conversion Rates is the default choice, not an exclusive one.

The U.S. Department of Treasury  already published the 2018 FBAR Currency Conversion Rates online (they are called “Treasury’s Financial Management Service rates” or the “FMS rates”).

Since the 2018 FBAR Currency Conversion Rates are very important to US taxpayers, international tax lawyers and international tax accountants, Sherayzen Law Office provides the table below listing the official 2018 FBAR Currency Conversion Rates (note that the readers still need to refer to the official website for any updates).

Country – Currency

Foreign Currency to $1.00

AFGHANISTAN – AFGHANI

74.576

ALBANIA – LEK

107.05

ALGERIA – DINAR

117.898

ANGOLA – KWANZA

310.0000

ANTIGUA – BARBUDA – E. CARIBBEAN DOLLAR

2.7000

ARGENTINA – PESO

37.642

ARMENIA – DRAM

485.0000

AUSTRALIA – DOLLAR

1.4160

AUSTRIA – EURO

0.8720

AZERBAIJAN – NEW MANAT

1.7000

BAHAMAS – DOLLAR

1.0000

BAHRAIN – DINAR

0.3770

BANGLADESH – TAKA

84.0000

BARBADOS – DOLLAR

2.0200

BELARUS – NEW RUBLE

2.1600

BELGIUM – EURO

0.8720

BELIZE – DOLLAR

2.0000

BENIN – CFA FRANC

568.6500

BERMUDA – DOLLAR

1.0000

BOLIVIA – BOLIVIANO

6.8500

BOSNIA – MARKA

1.7060

BOTSWANA – PULA

10.6610

BRAZIL – REAL

3.8800

BRUNEI – DOLLAR

1.3610

BULGARIA – LEV

1.7070

BURKINA FASO – CFA FRANC

568.6500

BURUNDI – FRANC

1790.0000

CAMBODIA (KHMER) – RIEL

4103.0000

CAMEROON – CFA FRANC

603.8700

CANADA – DOLLAR

1.3620

CAPE VERDE – ESCUDO

94.8800

CAYMAN ISLANDS – DOLLAR

0.8200

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC – CFA FRANC

603.8700

CHAD – CFA FRANC

603.8700

CHILE – PESO

693.0800

CHINA – RENMINBI

6.8760

COLOMBIA – PESO

3245.8000

COMOROS – FRANC

428.1400

CONGO, DEM. REP – CONGOLESE FRANC

1630.0000

COSTA RICA – COLON

603.5000

COTE D’IVOIRE – CFA FRANC

568.6500

CROATIA – KUNA

6.3100

CUBA – PESO

1.0000

CYPRUS – EURO

0.8720

CZECH REPUBLIC – KORUNA

21.9410

DENMARK – KRONE

6.5170

DJIBOUTI – FRANC

177.0000

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – PESO

49.9400

ECUADOR – DOLARES

1.0000

EGYPT – POUND

17.8900

EL SALVADOR – DOLARES

1.0000

EQUATORIAL GUINEA – CFA FRANC

603.8700

ERITREA – NAKFA

15.0000

ESTONIA – EURO

0.8720

ETHIOPIA – BIRR

28.0400

EURO ZONE – EURO

0.8720

FIJI – DOLLAR

2.1080

FINLAND – EURO

0.8720

FRANCE – EURO

0.8720

GABON – CFA FRANC

603.8700

GAMBIA – DALASI

50.0000

GEORGIA – LARI

2.6700

GERMANY – EURO

0.8720

GHANA – CEDI

4.8250

GREECE – EURO

0.8720

GRENADA – EAST CARIBBEAN DOLLAR

2.7000

GUATEMALA – QUENTZAL

7.7150

GUINEA – FRANC

9076.0000

GUINEA BISSAU – CFA FRANC

568.6500

GUYANA – DOLLAR

215.0000

HAITI – GOURDE

77.1180

HONDURAS – LEMPIRA

25.0000

HONG KONG – DOLLAR

7.8320

HUNGARY – FORINT

280.1700

ICELAND – KRONA

116.1100

INDIA – RUPEE

69.8000

INDONESIA – RUPIAH

14440.0000

IRAN – RIAL

42000.0000

IRAQ – DINAR

1138.0000

IRELAND – EURO

0.8720

ISRAEL – SHEKEL

3.7490

ITALY – EURO

0.8720

JAMAICA – DOLLAR

126.0000

JAPAN – YEN

109.8500

JERUSALEM – SHEKEL

3.7490

JORDAN – DINAR

0.7080

KAZAKHSTAN – TENGE

375.1500

KENYA – SHILLING

101.8000

KOREA – WON

1114.4900

KOSOVO – EURO

0.8720

KUWAIT – DINAR

0.3030

KYRGYZSTAN – SOM

69.8000

LAOS – KIP

8535.0000

LATVIA – EURO

0.8720

LEBANON – POUND

1500.0000

LESOTHO – SOUTH AFRICAN RAND

14.3500

LIBERIA – DOLLAR

156.7100

LIBYA – DINAR

1.3860

LITHUANIA – EURO

0.8720

LUXEMBOURG – EURO

0.8720

MACAO – MOP

no listing

MACEDONIA FYROM – DENAR

53.5000

MADAGASCAR – ARIARY

3470.2000

MALAWI – KWACHA

733.0000

MALAYSIA – RINGGIT

4.1300

MALI – CFA FRANC

568.6500

MALTA – EURO

0.8720

MARSHALL ISLANDS – DOLLAR

1.0000

MARTINIQUE – EURO

0.8720

MAURITANIA – OUGUIYA

36.0000

MAURITIUS – RUPEE

34.1500

MEXICO – PESO

19.6540

MICRONESIA – DOLLAR

1.0000

MOLDOVA – LEU

16.9930

MONGOLIA – TUGRIK

2642.9200

MONTENEGRO – EURO

0.8720

MOROCCO – DIRHAM

9.5300

MOZAMBIQUE – METICAL

61.5300

MYANMAR – KYAT

1535.0000

NAMIBIA – DOLLAR

14.3500

NEPAL – RUPEE

111.6000

NETHERLANDS – EURO

0.8720

NETHERLANDS ANTILLES – GUILDER

1.7800

NEW ZEALAND – DOLLAR

1.4900

NICARAGUA – CORDOBA

32.3000

NIGER – CFA FRANC

568.6500

NIGERIA – NAIRA

361.0000

NORWAY – KRONE

8.6800

OMAN – RIAL

0.3850

PAKISTAN – RUPEE

138.6000

PALAU – DOLLAR

1.0000

PANAMA – BALBOA

1.0000

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – KINA

3.2840

PARAGUAY – GUARANI

5956.0000

PERU – NUEVO SOL

3.3750

PHILIPPINES – PESO

52.4900

POLAND – ZLOTY

3.7530

PORTUGAL – EURO

0.8720

QATAR – RIYAL

3.6400

ROMANIA – NEW LEU

4.0690

RUSSIA – RUBLE

69.6800

RWANDA – FRANC

890.0000

SAO TOME & PRINCIPE – NEW DOBRAS

21.5350

SAO TOME & PRINCIPE – DOBRAS

20941.0080

SAUDI ARABIA – RIYAL

3.7500

SENEGAL – CFA FRANC

568.6500

SERBIA – DINAR

103.3900

SEYCHELLES – RUPEE

13.5500

SIERRA LEONE – LEONE

8620.0000

SINGAPORE – DOLLAR

1.3610

SLOVAK REPUBLIC – EURO

0.8720

SLOVENIA – EURO

0.8720

SOLOMON ISLANDS – DOLLAR

7.7520

SOMALI – SHILLING

575.0000

SOUTH AFRICA – RAND

14.3500

SOUTH SUDANESE – POUND

153.7000

SPAIN – EURO

0.8720

SRI LANKA – RUPEE

182.6000

ST LUCIA – EC DOLLAR

2.7000

SUDAN – SUDANESE POUND

47.0000

SURINAME – GUILDER

7.5200

SWAZILAND – LILANGENI

14.3500

SWEDEN – KRONA

8.9380

SWITZERLAND – FRANC

0.9840

SYRIA – POUND

515.0000

TAIWAN – DOLLAR

30.5880

TAJIKISTAN – SOMONI

9.3500

TANZANIA – SHILLING

2295.0000

THAILAND – BAHT

32.3500

TIMOR – LESTE DILI

1.0000

TOGO – CFA FRANC

568.6500

TONGA – PA’ANGA

2.1730

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO – DOLLAR

6.7700

TUNISIA – DINAR

3.0090

TURKEY – LIRA

5.2830

TURKMENISTAN – NEW MANAT

3.4910

UGANDA – SHILLING

3705.0000

UKRAINE – HRYVNIA

27.7000

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – DIRHAM

3.6730

UNITED KINGDOM – POUND STERLING

0.7810

URUGUAY – PESO

32.3200

UZBEKISTAN – SOM

8310.0000

VANUATU – VATU

111.6900

VENEZUELA – BOLIVAR – SOBERANO

563.9800

VENEZUELA – BOLIVAR – FUERTE

248832.0000

VIETNAM – DONG

23190.0000

WESTERN SAMOA – TALA

2.5350

YEMEN – RIAL

480.0000

ZAMBIA – NEW KWACHA

11.9000

ZIMBABWE – DOLLAR

1.0000

Usefulness of FBARs for the IRS and DOJ | International Tax Law Firm

The usefulness of FBARs for the U.S. tax enforcement agencies may seem to be an odd issue, but, in reality, it concerns every taxpayer with foreign bank and financial accounts. Why the FBAR is important and how the IRS and the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) utilize it in their prosecution tactics is the subject of this essay.

Two Periods of the Usefulness of FBARs

In describing the usefulness of FBARs, one can distinguish two distinct periods of time. The first period lasted from the time FBAR came into existence in the 1970s through most of the year 2001. It is definitely a simplification to place this entire period of time into one category, but this simplification is intentional in order to contrast this first period of usefulness of FBARs with the second one.

The second period commenced right after the FBAR enforcement function was turned over to the IRS in 2001 and it continues through the present time. In this period of time, the usefulness of FBARs was expanded to a completely different level. It is important to point out, however, that it has not lost its original usefulness that dominated the first period of time of its existence.

Usefulness of FBARs Prior to 2001

Prior to 2001, the main purpose of FBAR had been the enforcement leverage in prosecution of financial crimes. This leverage came from the draconian FBAR penalties which often would offer a worse outcome than the statute associated with a criminal activity (especially after a plea deal). Moreover, it was much easier for prosecutors to establish an FBAR violation (any failure to report a foreign account on the FBAR would do) than to prove specific criminal activity.

The usage of FBAR prosecutions was particularly useful in money laundering cases where it was difficult to prove specified unlawful activities and certain criminal tax cases where it was difficult to establish the receipt of illicit income. In such criminal cases, instead of charging criminals solely with tax evasion or money laundering activities, the prosecutors would opt for charging the criminals with a (willful and/or criminal) failure to file an FBAR that occurred while the defendants engaged in a criminal activity. It was easier to get a plea deal this way, because, obviously, criminals would not report the foreign accounts used in a criminal activity on FBARs.

Why was the usefulness of FBARs limited to being an enforcement leverage; in other words, why were FBARs not used for collection of data? After all, FBAR was born out of the Bank Secrecy Act and its stated purpose was to collect data with respect to foreign bank and financial accounts owed by US persons.

The answer is fairly simple – there was no third-party verification mechanism for the data submitted on FBARs. In other words, the FBAR reporting was completely dependent on honest self-reporting (in fact, this is one of the reasons for the creation of FATCA) and, unless, an investigation was conducted with respect to a specific individual, there was no direct way for FinCEN to corroborate the information submitted on FBARs.

It is important to emphasize that, in this first period of its existence, the usefulness of FBARs was primarily non-tax in nature. It was not until after September 11, 2001, that FBAR commenced to acquire a new level of usefulness with which we are familiar today.

Usefulness of FBARs After 2001

The usefulness of FBARs underwent a tremendous change after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States. Soon after the 9/11 attacks, the enforcement of FBARs was taken away from FinCEN and given to the IRS.

The IRS decided to shift the scope of the usefulness of FBARs from financial crimes to tax evasion. The Congress wholeheartedly agreed and further expanded the already-severe FBAR penalties in the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 to their current draconian state. From that point on, FBAR became the top international tax compliance enforcement mechanism for the IRS.

The potential FBAR penalties were so extreme that even non-willful taxpayers preferred to enter the IRS Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (and, later, Streamlined Compliance Procedures) and pay the appropriate Offshore Penalties rather than to directly confront the potential consequences of FBAR noncompliance. In other words, the usefulness of FBARs expanded further to indirect tax enforcement.

Furthermore, the UBS case victory in 2008 and the enaction of FATCA in 2010 meant that the IRS could now obtain FBAR-required information from third parties (foreign financial institutions) and verify a taxpayer’s compliance with the FBAR requirements. This further reinforced the FBARs already dominant position in US international tax compliance.

This FBARs dominance in the tax enforcement with respect to foreign accounts continues even today despite the appearance of a rival – Form 8938 (born out of FATCA). While Form 8938 has a broader scope of reportable assets, its penalty structure is highly inferior to the terrifying FBAR penalties.

Contact Sherayzen Law Office for Help with FBAR Compliance

If you have foreign bank and financial accounts that were not disclosed on FBARs as required, you should contact Sherayzen Law Office, Ltd. as soon as possible. Sherayzen Law Office is an experienced international tax law firm that has helped hundreds of US taxpayers with their delinquent FBARs, and we can help you!

Contact Us Today to Schedule Your Confidential Consultation!

Treasury 2014 FBAR Currency Conversion Rates of December 31, 2014

According to the June 2014 FBAR currency conversion rates instructions published by FinCEN, in order to determine the maximum value of a foreign bank account, the Treasury’s Financial Management Service (still called so even though Financial Management Service was consolidated into the Bureau of the Fiscal Service within the Treasury Department) rates must be used. In particular, the 2014 FBAR currency conversion rates instructions state:

In the case of non-United States currency, convert the maximum account value for each account into United States dollars. Convert foreign currency by using the Treasury’s Financial Management Service rate (this rate may be found at www.fms.treas.gov) from the last day of the calendar year. If no Treasury Financial Management Service rate is available, use another verifiable exchange rate and provide the source of that rate. In valuing currency of a country that uses multiple exchange rates, use the rate that would apply if the currency in the account were converted into United States dollars on the last day of the calendar year.

The 2014 FBAR Currency Conversion rates are highly important for any international tax attorney who deals with FBARs.  For your convenience, Sherayzen Law Office provides a table of the official Treasury FBAR currency conversion rates below (keep in mind, you still need to refer to the official website for any updates):

Country – Currency Foreign Currency to $1.00
AFGHANISTAN – AFGHANI 57.9000
ALBANIA – LEK 115.1000
ALGERIA – DINAR 87.8100
ANGOLA – KWANZA 104.0000
ANTIGUA – BARBUDA – E. CARIBBEAN DOLLAR 2.7000
ARGENTINA-PESO 8.3730
ARMENIA – DRAM 470.0000
AUSTRALIA – DOLLAR 1.2190
AUSTRIA – EURO 0.8220
AZERBAIJAN – NEW MANAT 0.8000
BAHAMAS – DOLLAR 1.0000
BAHRAIN – DINAR 0.3770
BANGLADESH – TAKA 79.0000
BARBADOS – DOLLAR 2.0200
BELARUS – RUBLE 13779.0000
BELGIUM-EURO 0.8220
BELIZE – DOLLAR 2.0000
BENIN – CFA FRANC 538.7000
BERMUDA – DOLLAR 1.0000
BOLIVIA – BOLIVIANO 6.8600
BOSNIA-HERCEGOVINA MARKA 1.6080
BOTSWANA – PULA 9.4970
BRAZIL – REAL 2.6570
BRUNEI – DOLLAR 1.2540
BULGARIA – LEV 1.6090
BURKINA FASO – CFA FRANC 538.7000
BURMA – KYAT 1028.0000
BURUNDI – FRANC 1550.0000
CAMBODIA (KHMER) – RIEL 4103.0000
CAMEROON – CFA FRANC 538.8200
CANADA – DOLLAR 1.1580
CAPE VERDE – ESCUDO 87.8710
CAYMAN ISLANDS – DOLLAR 0.8200
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC – CFA FRANC 538.8200
CHAD – CFA FRANC 538.8200
CHILE – PESO 607.1600
CHINA – RENMINBI 6.2050
COLOMBIA – PESO 2372.6000
COMOROS – FRANC 361.3500
CONGO – CFA FRANC 538.8200
CONGO, DEM. REP – CONGOLESE FRANC 920.0000
COSTA RICA – COLON 533.2500
COTE D’IVOIRE – CFA FRANC 538.7000
CROATIA – KUNA 6.1500
CUBA-PESO 1.0000
CYPRUS-EURO 0.8220
CZECH – KORUNA 22.3260
DENMARK – KRONE 6.1240
DJIBOUTI – FRANC 177.0000
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – PESO 44.1300
ECAUDOR-DOLARES 1.0000
EGYPT – POUND 7.1500
EL SALVADOR-DOLARES 1.0000
EQUATORIAL GUINEA – CFA FRANC 538.8200
ERITREA – NAKFA 15.0000
ESTONIA-EURO 0.8220
ETHIOPIA – BIRR 20.0900
EURO ZONE – EURO 0.82200
FIJI – DOLLAR 1.9580
FINLAND-EURO 0.8220
FRANCE-EURO 0.8220
GABON – CFA FRANC 538.8200
GAMBIA – DALASI 45.0000
GEORGIA-LARI 1.8700
GERMANY FRG-EURO 0.8220
GHANA – CEDI 3.2100
GREECE-EURO 0.8220
GRENADA – EAST CARIBBEAN DOLLAR 2.7000
GUATEMALA – QUENTZAL 7.5970
GUINEA – FRANC 7136.0000
GUINEA BISSAU – CFA FRANC 538.7000
GUYANA – DOLLAR 202.0000
HAITI – GOURDE 46.7500
HONDURAS – LEMPIRA 21.2700
HONG KONG – DOLLAR 7.7560
HUNGARY – FORINT 259.4400
ICELAND – KRONA 126.7500
INDIA – RUPEE 63.2000
INDONESIA – RUPIAH 12350.0000
IRAN – RIAL 8229.0000
IRAQ – DINAR 1166.0000
IRELAND-EURO 0.8220
ISRAEL-SHEKEL 3.8810
ITALY-EURO 0.8220
JAMAICA – DOLLAR 113.9000
JAPAN – YEN 119.4500
JERUSALEM-SHEKEL 3.8810
JORDAN – DINAR 0.7080
KAZAKHSTAN – TENGE 182.4000
KENYA – SHILLING 90.6500
KOREA – WON 1086.8700
KUWAIT – DINAR 0.2930
KYRGYZSTAN – SOM 58.7000
LAOS – KIP 8078.0000
LATVIA – LATS 0.8220
LEBANON – POUND 1500.0000
LESOTHO – SOUTH AFRICAN RAND 11.5660
LIBERIA – U.S. DOLLAR 82.0000
LIBYA-DINAR 1.1950
LITHUANIA – LITAS 2.8390
LUXEMBOURG-EURO 0.8220
MACAO – MOP 8.0000
MACEDONIA FYROM – DENAR 49.2000
MADAGASCAR-ARIA 2596.7300
MALAWI – KWACHA 505.0000
MALAYSIA – RINGGIT 3.4950
MALI – CFA FRANC 538.7000
MALTA-EURO 0.8220
MARSHALLS ISLANDS – DOLLAR 1.0000
MARTINIQUE-EURO 0.82200
MAURITANIA – OUGUIYA 305.0000
MAURITIUS – RUPEE 31.7000
MEXICO – NEW PESO 14.7020
MICRONESIA – DOLLAR 1.0000
MOLDOVA – LEU 15.5520
MONGOLIA – TUGRIK 1885.6000
MONTENEGRO-EURO 0.8220
MOROCCO – DIRHAM 9.0240
MOZAMBIQUE – METICAL 33.0500
NAMIBIA-DOLLAR 11.5660
NEPAL – RUPEE 101.4000
NETHERLANDS-EURO 0.8220
NETHERLANDS ANTILLES – GUILDER 1.7800
NEW ZEALAND – DOLLAR 1.2750
NICARAGUA – CORDOBA 26.6000
NIGER – CFA FRANC 538.7000
NIGERIA – NAIRA 182.9000
NORWAY – KRONE 7.3900
OMAN – RIAL 0.3850
PAKISTAN – RUPEE 100.9000
PALAU-DOLLAR 1.0000
PANAMA – BALBOA 1.0000
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – KINA 2.5440
PARAGUAY – GUARANI 4629.3000
PERU – NUEVO SOL 2.9000
PHILIPPINES – PESO 44.77500
POLAND – ZLOTY 3.5130
PORTUGAL-EURO 0.8220
QATAR – RIYAL 3.6420
ROMANIA – LEU 3.6850
RUSSIA – RUBLE 58.6760
RWANDA – FRANC 689.1900
SAO TOME & PRINCIPE – DOBRAS 20087.7110
SAUDI ARABIA – RIYAL 3.7500
SENEGAL – CFA FRANC 538.7000
SERBIA-DINAR 99.4600
SEYCHELLES – RUPEE 12.9800
SIERRA LEONE – LEONE 4990.0000
SINGAPORE – DOLLAR 1.3210
SLOVAK REPUBLIC – EURO 0.8220
SLOVENIA – EURO 0.8220
SOLOMON ISLANDS – DOLLAR 7.3100
SOUTH AFRICA – RAND 11.5660
SOUTH SUDANESE – POUND 3.0000
SPAIN – EURO 0.8220
SRI LANKA – RUPEE 131.1500
ST LUCIA – EC DOLLAR 2.7000
SUDAN – SUDANESE POUND 6.4000
SURINAME – GUILDER 3.3500
SWAZILAND – LILANGENI 11.5660
SWEDEN – KRONA 7.7130
SWITZERLAND – FRANC 0.9890
SYRIA – POUND 179.2000
TAIWAN – DOLLAR 31.6400
TAJIKISTAN – SOMONI 5.3000
TANZANIA – SHILLING 1730.0000
THAILAND – BAHT 32.9200
TIMOR – LESTE DILI 1.0000
TOGO – CFA FRANC 538.7000
TONGA – PA’ANGA 1.8700
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO – DOLLAR 6.3560
TUNISIA – DINAR 1.8590
TURKEY – LIRA 2.3270
TURKMENISTAN – MANAT 2.8400
UGANDA – SHILLING 2770.0000
UKRAINE – HRYVNIA 15.7680
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – DIRHAM 3.6700
UNITED KINGDOM – POUND STERLING 0.6420
URUGUAY – PESO 23.9600
UZBEKISTAN – SOM 2461.0000
VANUATU – VATU 99.9300
VENEZUELA – BOLIVAR 6.3000
VIETNAM – DONG 21400.0000
WESTERN SAMOA – TALA 2.3530
YEMEN – RIAL 214.5000
ZAMBIA – KWACHA (NEW) 6.3750
ZAMBIA – KWACHA (OLD) 5455.0000
ZIMBABWE – DOLLAR 1.0000

1. Lesotho’s loti is pegged to South African Rand 1:1 basis
2. Macao is also spelled Macau: currency is Macanese pataka
3. Macedonia: due to the conflict over name with Greece, the official name if FYROM – former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
4. Latvia’s Lats converted to the Euro on January 1, 2014. This means that the Euro 2014 FBAR Currency Conversion rate may also need to used for the determination of the highest balance of accounts in Latvia. Contact Sherayzen Law Office for more details.