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Federal · Form 5471

Information return on a foreign company the company owns (corporations)

File Form 5471 with the income tax return for each foreign corporation in which the company holds 10% or more, with the schedules its category of filer requires. The extension of the return extends it.

When
By the 15th day of the 4th month after the fiscal year ends (April 15 for a calendar year).
Agency
IRS
Form
Form 5471
Applies to
C corporations, sole proprietorships and single member LLCs in the United States, owning 10% or more of a company outside the US.
If missed
$10,000 per form per year, plus $10,000 for each month after an IRS notice, up to $50,000 more, and a reduction of foreign tax credits
Source
www.irs.gov, read October 22, 2026
J
Jay explains

A US company that owns 10% or more of a company organized outside the United States, a subsidiary in Ghana or a joint venture in Kenya for instance, reports it every year on Form 5471, attached to its own income tax return. The form asks for the foreign company's balance sheet, income statement and transactions with the US owner. It is long, the categories of filer are confusing, and the penalty is $10,000 per form whether or not any tax is due, so it belongs on the calendar beside the return it travels with.

Next dates

For a calendar year company. Weekend and holiday dates are moved to the next business day, as the IRS does.

Also in the federal calendar

Federal corporate income tax returnFederal S corporation returnFederal partnership returnBusiness income on the owner's personal returnNonresident owner's US return, if one is owedAnnual electronic notice for small exempt organizationsShort annual return of an exempt organizationAnnual return of an exempt organizationAnnual return of a private foundationExempt organization business income tax returnWritten acknowledgments to donorsCorporate estimated tax payment

See it on your company's calendar

Your company's compliance calendar

Three answers to start. Refine it after.

An LLC's tax treatment decides which federal return it files. Choose the line that matches yours. Nonprofits are covered too.
Count everyone on payroll. An S corporation's working owners are employees: they are paid a salary.
A company based outside its state of formation is registered in both and files in both.
More about the company: other states, payroll, dates, abroad
Other states where you have employees or an office
Other states where you have employees or an office
Each one adds that state's registration, employer and tax filings. A state where you only keep inventory or make sales belongs under sales tax states below, not here.
Date registered in each other state
Optional. Some states key their report to the day you registered there rather than your date of formation; without it, the formation date stands in and the calendar says so.
States where you collect sales tax
States where you collect sales tax
Needed for states that key filings to the anniversary of formation.
Some taxes start at a revenue threshold.
Outside the United States
Each adds the FinCEN or IRS form that comes with it: the FBAR, Form 5472, Form 5471, Forms 1042 and 1042-S.

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