IRS Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures
If you have unreported foreign bank accounts, missed FBARs, or unfiled international tax forms, the IRS Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures offer a structured path back into compliance with significantly reduced penalties or no penalty at all.
Two programs. One goal: resolve your international tax obligations before enforcement action begins.
Free 15-minute call. No commitment. Completely confidential.
The IRS created two Streamlined Filing Compliance programs for U.S. taxpayers who fell behind on foreign account reporting through non-willful conduct. If you failed to file FBARs, report foreign income, or include required international information returns, these programs let you catch up without facing the full weight of standard IRS penalties.
There are two tracks depending on where you live:
Both programs require filing 3 years of amended or delinquent tax returns and 6 years of delinquent FBARs, along with a signed certification that your conduct was non-willful. The difference comes down to your residency status and the penalty you pay.
Designed for U.S. residents who non-willfully failed to report foreign financial assets or pay tax on foreign income. You file 3 years of amended returns and 6 years of delinquent FBARs with a signed certification of non-willfulness.
Flat fee: $6,000 - $15,000
For U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have been living outside the United States and meet the physical presence requirement. Same filing obligations as SDOP, but qualifying filers abroad pay no miscellaneous offshore penalty at all.
Flat fee: $4,500 - $9,000
You have bank accounts, investment accounts, or signatory authority on accounts outside the U.S. that were never reported on FBAR or Form 8938.
You inherited a foreign bank account, property, or trust from a family member and are unsure what U.S. reporting is required.
You moved abroad and stopped filing U.S. tax returns, not realizing that U.S. citizens must file regardless of where they live.
You have a pension, provident fund, or retirement account in another country and are unsure how it affects your U.S. tax obligations.
We discuss your situation in confidence to determine whether you are a candidate for streamlined filing and which program applies.
A detailed written assessment of your exposure, the filing requirements, estimated penalty (if any), and a clear engagement scope. This fee is credited in full if you proceed.
I gather your foreign account statements, prior returns, and income documentation. I then prepare 3 years of amended returns, 6 years of FBARs, and the certification of non-willfulness.
The complete submission package is filed with the IRS. For SDOP, the 5% penalty is calculated and paid. For SFOP, no offshore penalty is due. Once accepted, your compliance gap is closed.
Confidential. No obligation. Same-day response.
The streamlined procedures are only available to taxpayers who come forward before the IRS contacts them. Once the IRS opens an examination or identifies your unreported accounts through information-sharing agreements with foreign governments, the streamlined option is off the table.
Standard penalties for unreported foreign accounts can be severe: FBAR penalties alone can reach $100,000 per violation or 50% of the account balance, whichever is greater. The streamlined procedures cap your total offshore penalty at 5% (SDOP) or eliminate it entirely (SFOP).
Foreign governments are actively sharing financial account data with the IRS under the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) and FATCA intergovernmental agreements. The window for voluntary disclosure narrows as these information exchanges expand.
Every streamlined engagement is personally handled by Tajma Qorri, an international tax specialist and AICPA member with deep experience in FBAR, FATCA, Form 5471, and cross-border compliance. No handoffs. No junior associates. One advisor from triage call through final filing.
The Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures are an IRS program that allows U.S. taxpayers who non-willfully failed to report foreign financial assets and pay taxes on those assets to come into compliance. There are two tracks: SDOP for U.S. residents (5% miscellaneous offshore penalty) and SFOP for taxpayers living abroad (zero offshore penalty).
SDOP (Streamlined Domestic Offshore Procedures) is for U.S. residents who non-willfully failed to report foreign accounts or income. It requires a 5% miscellaneous offshore penalty on the highest aggregate balance of unreported foreign financial assets. SFOP (Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedures) is for qualifying U.S. taxpayers who have lived outside the United States and carries zero offshore penalty.
The key requirement is that your failure to report foreign financial assets and pay all tax due was non-willful. You must also not be under IRS examination or criminal investigation. SFOP additionally requires meeting physical presence requirements outside the U.S. Take our qualifying quiz to find out which program fits your situation.
Both programs require filing 3 years of amended or delinquent tax returns and 6 years of delinquent FBARs, along with a signed certification of non-willfulness. SDOP also requires payment of the 5% miscellaneous offshore penalty. The engagement begins with a free triage call and a $750 written analysis, which is credited in full toward your engagement fee if you proceed.
If the IRS identifies unreported foreign accounts before you voluntarily disclose, you lose access to the streamlined procedures. Standard penalties can include FBAR penalties up to $100,000 or 50% of the account balance per violation, plus accuracy-related penalties, failure-to-file penalties, and interest. Coming forward proactively through the streamlined procedures substantially reduces your total exposure.
Qorri Tax offers flat-fee pricing for streamlined filings. SDOP engagements typically range from $6,000 to $15,000 and SFOP engagements from $4,500 to $9,000, depending on the complexity of your situation. All engagements begin with a free 15-minute triage call followed by a $750 written analysis that is credited in full toward the engagement fee if you proceed.
The streamlined procedures are a voluntary disclosure mechanism. The IRS processes these submissions as compliance corrections, not enforcement actions. Once accepted, the matter is resolved and your account is brought current. There is no ongoing investigation or audit triggered by the submission itself.
Start with a free, confidential 15-minute triage call. No commitment required.
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