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Introduction

SECTION 11. FFI GROUP

Internal Revenue Bulletin 2014-3 · 2026-10-03 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · United States

.01 FFI Group (A) In General . Each FFI that is a member of an FFI group, other than an exempt beneficial owner, must obtain its chapter 4 status as a participating FFI, registered deemed-compliant FFI, or limited FFI as a condition for any member of such FFI group obtaining chapter 4 status as a participating FFI, registered deemedcompliant FFI, or limited FFI. In addition, the participating FFI and each FFI that is a member of the participating FFI’s FFI group must comply with the requirements of a participating FFI, registered deemedcompliant FFI, or limited FFI as a condition for the participating FFI maintaining its chapter 4 status as a participating FFI. If the participating FFI is a member of an FFI group, the participating FFI will cease to be a participating FFI after the earlier of (1) the beginning of the third calendar quarter following the date that a member of the FFI group that was a limited FFI, ceases to be a limited FFI, unless the member becomes a participating or registered-deemed compliant FFI, or (2) the expiration of the transitional rule for limited FFIs and limited branches under § 1.1471–4(e)(3)(iv), unless each limited FFI in the group becomes a participating or registered deemed-compliant FFI and no member of the FFI group (including the participating FFI) maintains a limited branch. An FFI and its FFI Group may register on the FATCA registration website.

(B) Special Rule for a Reporting Model 2 FFI. A reporting Model 2 FFI that has a limited branch or is a member of an expanded affiliated group that includes a limited FFI or FFI member with a limited branch will not cease to be a reporting Model 2 FFI solely due to the expiration

in this section 10.01. Nothing in this section 10 requires a withholding agent to apply these procedures.

(A) Reimbursement Procedure. A participating FFI may request a withholding agent to repay the participating FFI for any amount overwithheld under chapter 4, and for the withholding agent to reimburse itself under the reimbursement procedures under § 1.1474–2(a)(3), by making a request to the withholding agent prior to the earlier of the due date for filing Form 1042 and Form 1042–S (without regard to extensions), or the actual filing of Form 1042–S, for the calendar year of overwithholding. In such a case, the participating FFI must provide the withholding agent with sufficient information to determine the correct amount of withholding and to correctly report the payment as required under § 1.1474–1(d)(4). See section 4.02 of this agreement for the circumstances in which a withholding agent may withhold on behalf of the participating FFI with respect to its account holders or payees.

(B) Set-off Procedure. A participating FFI may request a withholding agent repay the participating FFI by applying the amount overwithheld under chapter 4 against any amount which otherwise would be required to be withheld under chapter 3 or 4 from income paid by the withholding agent to the participating FFI under the set-off procedures of § 1.1474– 2(a)(4). A participating FFI must make the request before the earlier of the due date for filing Form 1042–S (without regard to extensions), or the actual filing of Form 1042–S, for the calendar year of overwithholding.

.02 Adjustments for Overwithhold- ing by Participating FFI. A participating FFI may make an adjustment for amounts paid to its account holders and payees for which it has overwithheld tax under chapter 4 (as defined in § 1.1474–2(a)) by applying either the reimbursement procedures or the set-off procedures described in § 1.1474–2(a)(3) or (4), respectively.

.03 Repayment of Backup Withhold- ing. If a participating FFI erroneously withholds (as defined in § 31.6413(a)–3) an amount under section 3406 from an account holder or payee, such participating FFI may refund to such person the

amount erroneously withheld as provided in § 31.6413(a)–3.

.04 Collective Credit or Refund Pro- cedures for Overpayments. If there has been an overpayment of tax with respect to an account holder or a payee of a participating FFI resulting from tax withheld under chapter 4 on a payment made to such account holder or payee during a calendar year, and the amount withheld has not been recovered under the reimbursement or set-off procedures described under section 10.01 or 10.02 of this agreement, the participating FFI may request a credit or refund of the amount of tax overwithheld to the extent permitted under § 1.1471–4(h). The participating FFI must follow the procedures set forth under § 1.1471–4(h)(4) to request the credit or refund on behalf of its account holders. No credit or refund will be allowed after the expiration of the statutory period of limitations for refunds under section 6511 with regard to the account holder or payee for whom the refund or credit is sought.

.05 Adjustments for Underwithhold- ing. If a participating FFI knows that an amount should have been withheld under chapter 4 from a previous payment to an account holder or a payee but was not withheld, the participating FFI may either withhold from future payments made pursuant to chapter 3 or chapter 4 to the same account holder or payee or satisfy the tax from property that it holds in custody for such person or property of such person over which it has control. The additional withholding or satisfaction of the tax owed may only be made before the due date of Form 1042 (without regard to extensions) for the calendar year in which the underwithholding occurred. A participating FFI’s responsibilities will be met under this section 10.05 if it informs the withholding agent from whom the participating FFI received the payment of the underwithholding, and the withholding agent satisfies the underwithholding.

.06 Underwithholding after Form 1042 Filed. If, after Form 1042 has been filed for a calendar year (or the due date for filing Form 1042 if no Form 1042 was filed), a participating FFI or the IRS determines that the participating FFI has underwithheld tax for such year, the participating FFI must file an amended Form 1042 (or original Form 1042 if no Form

January 13, 2014 434 Bulletin No. 2014–3

of the transitional rule for limited branches or limited FFIs under § 1.1471– 4(e)(2) or (3), respectively, provided that the reporting Model 2 FFI continues to comply with the requirements of the applicable Model 2 IGA with respect to such limited branches and limited FFIs.

(C) Limited FFIs. A participating FFI that is a member of an FFI group that includes one or more limited FFIs must treat such FFIs as nonparticipating FFIs for withholding and reporting purposes. See sections 4.03(C), 6.04, and 6.05(E) of this agreement for the participating FFI’s requirements with respect to limited FFIs under this agreement.

.02 Lead FI (A) Designation of the Lead FI. If the participating FFI designates a lead FI to initiate its FATCA registration, the participating FFI must authorize the lead FI to fulfill the responsibilities described in section 11.02(B) of this agreement.

(B) Responsibilities of the Lead FI. A participating FFI that is designated as the lead FI by one or more FFIs that are members of an FFI group agrees to meet the following responsibilities with respect to such FFIs in addition to its other obligations under this agreement:

(1) Identify itself as the lead FI as part of the registration process and to delete its status as lead FI upon termination of such status;

(2) Identify all FFIs that have designated the participating FFI as their lead FI as part of the participating FFI’s registration process;

(3) Monitor the FFI group information by accessing the FATCA registration website every six months to review the information provided and, if needed, update the information provided with respect to any members of the FFI group;

(4) Inform the IRS within 90 days of an acquisition or sale of a member of the FFI group by updating the FFI group information on the FATCA registration website to add or delete such member;

(5) Inform the IRS within 90 days of a change affecting the chapter 4 status of any member of the FFI group, including when any member of the FFI group ceases to comply with (or that does not otherwise comply with) the requirements of either a participating FFI or a registered deemedcompliant FFI by updating the member

FFI’s chapter 4 status on the FATCA registration website; and

(6) Inform the IRS within the time period prescribed under § 1.1471–4(e)(3)(iv) that a member of the FFI group ceases to be a limited FFI and designate on the FATCA registration website the status for which such FFI will register.

SECTION 12. EXPIRATION, MODIFICATION, TERMINATION, DEFAULT, AND RENEWAL OF THIS AGREEMENT

.01 Term of Agreement. This agreement begins on its effective date and expires on December 31, 2016, unless terminated under section 12.03 of this agreement. This agreement may be renewed as provided in section 12.08 of this agreement.

.02 Modification. This agreement may be modified by the IRS before the expiration date indicated in section 12.01 of this agreement. This agreement will only be modified through published guidance. Any such modification will in no event become effective until the later of 120 days after the IRS issues published guidance of such modification or the beginning of the next calendar year following such published guidance. In no event will the IRS modify this agreement for any year before 2017 to expand the class of payments for which withholding or reporting is required under this agreement or to include additional requirements for a participating FFI.

.03 Termination of Agreement. This agreement may be terminated by either the IRS or the participating FFI prior to the end of its term by delivery of a notice of termination to the other party in accordance with section 12.06 of this agreement.

(A) In General. The IRS will not terminate this agreement unless there has been a significant change in circumstances (as defined in section 12.04 of this agreement) or an event of default (as defined in section 12.05 of this agreement), and the IRS determines, in its sole discretion, that the significant change in circumstances or the event of default warrants termination of this agreement. The IRS will not terminate this agreement in the event of default if the participating FFI can establish to the satisfaction of the IRS that all events of

default for which it has received a notice (described in section 12.06 of this agreement) have been cured within the specified time period agreed to with the IRS.

(B) Reporting Model 2 FFI. In the case of a reporting Model 2 FFI, the reporting Model 2 FFI will not be treated as a nonparticipating FFI unless the U.S. Competent Authority has provided the Competent Authority of a Model 2 IGA jurisdiction in which the reporting Model 2 FFI is located notice of significant noncompliance with the terms of this agreement, as modified by the applicable Model 2 IGA, and the matter is not resolved within the 12-month period following the notice of significant non-compliance.

.04 Significant Change in Circum- stances. For purposes of this agreement, a significant change in circumstances includes—

(A) An acquisition of all, or substantially all, of a participating FFI’s assets in any transaction in which the participating FFI is not the surviving legal entity;

(B) A change in U.S. federal law or policy, or applicable foreign law or policy, that affects the validity of any provision of this agreement, materially affects the provisions contained in this agreement, or materially affects the participating FFI’s ability to perform its obligations under this agreement;

(C) A ruling of any court that materially affects the validity of any provision of this agreement;

(D) A case in which a participating FFI (other than a reporting Model 2 FFI) maintains a limited branch that cannot fulfill the requirements for participating FFI or deemed-compliant FFI status after the expiration of the transitional rule for limited FFIs and limited branches under § 1.1471–4(e)(2)(v) or a participating FFI (other than a reporting Model 2 FFI) is a member of an expanded affiliated group that includes a limited FFI after the expiration of the transitional rule for limited FFIs and limited branches under § 1.1471– 4(e)(3)(iv); and (E) A significant change in a participating FFI’s business practices that materially affects the participating FFI’s ability to meet its obligations under this agreement.

.05 Event of Default. For purposes of this agreement, an event of default occurs

Bulletin No. 2014–3 435 January 13, 2014

if a participating FFI fails to perform any material duty or obligation required under this agreement or if the IRS determines that a participating FFI has failed to substantially comply with the requirements of this agreement. In addition to the occurrences enumerated in § 1.1471–4(g)(1), an event of default also includes the occurrence of the following:

(A) The participating FFI fails to inform the IRS within 90 days of any significant change in circumstances; or

(B) If the participating FFI is designated by one or more FFIs that are members of an FFI group as a lead FI, the FFI fails, without reasonable cause, to inform the IRS within 90 days of an acquisition, sale, or change affecting the chapter 4 status of an FFI in the FFI group for which it is acting as lead FI, including that such FFI ceases to comply with (or does not otherwise comply with) the requirements to maintain its status as a participating or registered deemed-compliant FFI.

.06 Notice of Event of Default. Following an event of default known by, or disclosed to, the IRS, the IRS will deliver to the participating FFI a notice of default specifying the event of default and requesting that the participating FFI remediate the event of default as described in § 1.1471–4(g)(2). See § 1.1471–4(g)(3) for the remediation process for an event of default.

.07 Termination Procedures (A) Procedure to Appeal Notice of Termination. If a participating FFI receives a notice of termination of this agreement from the IRS, the participating FFI may appeal the determination within 90 days by sending to the address specified in section 13.05 of this agreement a written notice explaining why this agreement should not be terminated. If a participating FFI appeals the notice of termination, this agreement will not terminate until the appeal is decided. If a participating FFI does not provide a notice of appeal within 90 days, this agreement will terminate on the date specified in the notice of termination.

(B) Termination of Agreement. If the participating FFI seeks to terminate this agreement, it is required to provide notice to the IRS through the FATCA registration website. If the FFI’s status as a participating FFI is terminated, the FFI must

send notice of the termination within 30 days after the date of termination to all withholding agents and FFIs to which it has provided a withholding certificate pursuant to section 9.01 of this agreement. Shortly after receipt of the notice of termination, the IRS will remove the FFI from the IRS FFI List.

(C) Termination of Status as Com- pliance FI or Lead FI

(1) If a participating FFI seeks to terminate its status as either a compliance FI or lead FI, it is required to provide notice of termination on the FATCA registration website in accordance with its instructions or as provided in later published guidance. A lead FFI’s notice of termination of its lead FI status will require designation of a new lead FI on the FATCA registration website in accordance with its instructions or as provided in later published guidance.

(2) A compliance FI that terminates its status as a compliance FI will still be required to serve as the point of contact for the IRS with respect to the certification periods (as defined in § 1.1471–4(f)(3)(i)) during which the FFI acted as a compliance FI unless the FFI designates another FI that will act as the compliance FI for such periods and that has full access to the information that relates to such periods.

.08 Renewal. If a participating FFI intends to renew this agreement, it may do so via the FATCA registration website available at www.irs.gov/fatca in accordance with its instructions or as otherwise provided in later published guidance. This agreement will be renewed only upon the agreement of both the participating FFI and the IRS and is subject to modifications to this agreement as the IRS prescribes pursuant to procedures described in section 12.02 of this agreement.

.09 Treatment of Reporting Model 2 FFIs. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this agreement, a reporting Model 2 FFI is not entering into a binding agreement by agreeing to comply with the terms of this agreement, except to the extent that such an FFI is entering into an agreement on behalf of one or more of its branches in order for each such branch to be treated as a participating FFI. For the avoidance of doubt, compliance with the terms of this agreement requires compliance with the requirement to recertify on

the FATCA registration website that the reporting Model 2 FFI shall comply with the terms of any renewed agreement, including any modified terms pursuant to section 12.02 of this agreement.

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