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may ever be paid to or accumulated for the benefit of a

on line 1b(2). If applicable, enter the reference ID number

U.S. person.

(defined below) you have assigned to the foreign trust.

A “reference ID number ” for Form 3520-A purposes is

U.S. Person

a number established with respect to the foreign trust by

A U.S. person is:

or on behalf of the U.S. owner of the foreign trust for which

A citizen or resident alien of the United States (see Pub.

Form 3520-A reporting is required. This number is used to

519, U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens, for guidance on

uniquely identify the foreign trust treated as owned by a

determining resident alien status),

U.S. person in order to keep track of the trust from tax

A domestic partnership,

year to tax year. The reference ID number must meet the

A domestic corporation,

requirements set forth below.

Any estate (other than a foreign estate, within the

Note. Because reference ID numbers are established by

meaning of section 7701(a)(31)(A)), and

or on behalf of the U.S. owner of the foreign trust filing

Any domestic trust (defined earlier).

Form 3520-A, there is no need to apply to the IRS to

request a reference ID number or for permission to use

Specific Instructions

these numbers.

Period Covered

Note. When a reference ID number is established with

respect to a foreign trust on a Form 3520-A, then the U.S.

File the 2015 return for calendar year 2015 and fiscal

owner(s) of the foreign trust should also use that same

years that begin in 2015 and end in 2016. For a fiscal

reference ID number with respect to such foreign trust on

year, fill in the tax year in the space at the top of the form.

Form 3520. In general, the reference ID number assigned

Initial Return, Final Return, Amended

to a foreign trust on Form 3520-A has relevance only on

Return

Form 3520-A and Form 3520 (and on any other form that

is attached to or associated with Form 3520-A) and

Initial return. If this is the foreign trust's first return,

should not be used with respect to the foreign trust on

check the “Initial return” box.

other IRS forms.

Final return. If the foreign trust ceases to exist, check

Requirements. The reference ID number must be

the “Final return” box.

alphanumeric (defined below) and no special characters

or spaces are permitted. The length of a given reference

Amended return. If this Form 3520-A is filed to amend a

ID number is limited to 50 characters.

Form 3520-A that you previously filed, check the

For these purposes, the term “alphanumeric” means

“Amended return” box.

the entry can be alphabetical, numeric, or any

Excepted Specified Foreign Financial

combination of the two.

Assets Reported

The same reference ID number must be used

consistently from tax year to tax year with respect to the

Check this checkbox only if a U.S. person treated as the

foreign trust. If for any reason a reference ID number falls

owner of any portion of the trust also files Form 8938,

out of use (for example, the foreign trust is terminated and

Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets, for the

no longer exists), the reference ID number used for that

tax year and includes this form in the total number of

foreign trust cannot be used again for another foreign trust

Forms 3520-A reported on Line 2 of Part IV, Excepted

for purposes of Form 3520-A reporting.

Specified Foreign Financial Assets, of Form 8938.

There are some situations that warrant correlation of a

Part I—General Information

new reference ID number with a previous reference ID

number when assigning a new reference ID number to a

Identification numbers. Use social security numbers or

foreign trust. For example:

individual taxpayer identification numbers to identify

In the case of a trust that has received assets from

individuals. Use employer identification numbers to

another trust, a Form 3520-A filer must use a reference ID

identify estates, trusts, partnerships, and corporations.

number for the receiving trust which correlates the

Do not enter a preparer tax identification number

previous reference ID number for the distributed trust with

(PTIN) in any entry space on Form 3520-A other

the new reference ID number assigned to the receiving

than the entry space for “PTIN” at the bottom of

foreign trust.

CAUTION

page 1 of the form.

You must correlate the reference ID numbers as

follows: New reference ID number, Old reference ID

Address. Include the room, suite, or other unit number

number. If there is more than one old reference ID

after the street address. If the post office does not deliver

number, you must enter a space between each number.

mail to the street address and the U.S. person has a P.O.

As indicated above, the length of a given reference ID

box, show the box number instead.

number is limited to 50 characters and each number must

be alphanumeric and no special characters are permitted.

Foreign address. Do not abbreviate the country name.

Line 1b(2). A reference ID number is required on

Note. This correlation requirement applies only to the first

line 1b(2) only in cases where no EIN was entered for the

year the new reference ID number is used.

foreign trust on line 1b(1). However, filers are permitted to

enter both an EIN on line 1b(1) and a reference ID number

-4-

Instructions For Form 3520-A - Annual Information Return Of Foreign Trust With A U.s. Owner - 2015 Page 4

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