FATCA Reporting Complete Guide

Understanding FATCA Reporting Models

Not all Financial Institutions report directly to the IRS. Your reporting workflow depends on whether your jurisdiction follows Model 1 or Model 2 IGA.

Feature FATCA Model 1 (IGA) FATCA Model 2
Reporting Destination Local Tax Authority
(e.g., CBDT in India, HMRC in UK)
Directly to US IRS
(via IDES Gateway)
Data Transmission The Local Authority exchanges data with the IRS on your behalf. The Financial Institution (FI) sends data directly to the IRS.
Typical Deadline May - September
(Varies by local country rules)
March 31st
(Fixed IRS Deadline)
File Format & Security Local XML Schema
(May require local digital signature/encryption)
IRS FATCA XML v2.0.1
(Requires IDES AES-256 Encryption)
Key Examples India UK Singapore Cayman Switzerland Japan Hong Kong

FATCA Model 1 (IGA)

Under a Model 1 Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA), Foreign Financial Institutions (FFIs) do not file directly with the IRS. Instead, they report to their own local tax authority.

  • Who Uses It? Most jurisdictions, including India, UK, UAE, and Cayman Islands.
  • Process: You upload your XML report to your local government portal (e.g., Insight Portal in India).
  • Novus Support: Novus Compliance generates the specific XML format required by your local authority.

FATCA Model 2

Under a Model 2 IGA, the local government directs FIs to register with the IRS and report directly to them. This is common in countries with strict banking privacy laws.

  • Who Uses It? Countries like Switzerland, Japan, and Hong Kong.
  • Process: You must digitally sign, encrypt (AES-256), and upload the package to the IRS IDES Gateway.
  • Novus Support: Novus automates the complex IDES encryption and packaging process for you.
Note: All field headers in your Excel file must match the "Field Name" column below exactly.
1. Submitting Entity (SE)
Field Name Status Description Resources
SE Name Mandatory Name of entity registered on the reporting portal filing the xml report. Usually this will be the Sponsoring Entity. -
SE ID Mandatory GIIN of entity filing the xml report. -
2. Sponsor (SP)
Field Name Status Description Resources
SP Entity Name Optional Name of entity sponsoring the financial institution. -
SP Entity Sponsor GIIN Optional Sponsor GIIN of the sponsoring entity. -
SP Entity Address Optional Street address of the sponsoring entity. -
SP Address City Optional City of the sponsoring entity. -
SP Address County Optional County/state/province of the sponsoring entity. -
SP Address Post Code Optional Post code of the sponsoring entity. -
SP Address Country Optional Two letter Country Code of the sponsoring entity. ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2
SP Filer Category Optional Drop Down value - Select applicable (e.g. FATCA607). See Reference Data below. See Ref Data
3. "Reporting" Financial Institution (RFI)
Field Name Status Description Resources
RFI Name Mandatory Name of the Reporting Financial Institution (e.g., The ABC Trust, XYZ Limited). -
RFI GIIN Optional GIIN of financial institution. -
RFI Address Mandatory Street address of the financial institution. -
RFI Address City Mandatory City of the financial institution. -
RFI Address County Optional County/state/province of the financial institution. -
RFI Address Post Code Optional Post code of the financial institution. -
RFI Address Country Mandatory Two letter Country Code of the financial institution. ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2
RFI Reporting from Country Mandatory Two letter country code from where the financial institution is filing the xml report (where Resident). ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2
4. Account Holder (AH)
Field Name Status Description Resources
AH Given Name(s) Optional Mandatory if individual - name of individual account holder. -
AH Family Name(s) Optional Mandatory if individual - name of individual account holder. -
AH Entity Name(s) Optional Mandatory if entity - name of entity account holder. -
AH Type Optional Mandatory if entity - FATCA classification (e.g., FATCA102, FATCA104). See Ref Data
AH TIN Mandatory Tax identification number of account holder. Use IRS Relief Codes (e.g., 222222222) if missing. -
AH TIN Country Mandatory Two letter country code that issued the TIN. ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2
AH Foreign TIN Conditional Foreign Tax Identification Number.
Mandatory under IRS Notice 2024-78 if the US TIN is missing and an IRS relief code is used.
-
AH Date of Birth Optional Mandatory if individual - YYYY-MM-DD. -
AH Country of Birth Optional Mandatory if individual - Two letter country code. ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2
AH Address Mandatory Street address of the account holder. -
AH Address City Mandatory City of the account holder. -
AH Address County Optional County/state/province of the account holder. -
AH Address Post Code Optional Post code of the account holder. -
AH Address Country Mandatory Two letter country code of the account holder. ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2
AH Account Type Mandatory Type of account holder (Select from Ref Data list). See Ref Data
5. Financial Account Details (FA)
Field Name Status Description Resources
FA Closed? Mandatory TRUE or FALSE. -
FA Number Mandatory Free text field - Unique account number. -
FA Currency Mandatory Three letter currency code (e.g., USD, EUR). Must be base currency. ISO 4217 Currency
FA Balance Mandatory Account balance as at 31 Dec. Format: 1000.00 (No commas). -
FA Payments (Dividend) Optional Dividend payments made. No commas. -
FA Payments (Interest) Optional Interest payments made. No commas. -
FA Payments (Proceeds/Redemption) Optional Repayments/Proceeds made. No commas. -
FA Payments (Other Income) Optional Other payments made. No commas. -
6. Substantial Owners (SO)
Note: These fields are only Mandatory if the account holder is an Entity (Passive NFFE) with substantial U.S. Owner(s).
Field Name Status Description Resources
SO ID Number Optional Unique ID for the Substantial Owner. -
SO Given Name(s) Optional Given Name of the Substantial Owner. -
SO Family Name(s) Optional Family Name of the Substantial Owner. -
SO TIN Optional US Tax Identification Number. Use IRS Relief Codes (e.g., 222222222) if missing. -
SO TIN Country Optional Country code of the TIN (usually US). ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2
SO Foreign TIN Conditional Foreign Tax Identification Number.
Mandatory under IRS Notice 2024-78 if the US TIN is missing and an IRS relief code is used.
-
SO Date of Birth Optional Format: YYYY-MM-DD. -
SO Country of Birth Optional Two letter country code. ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2
SO Address Optional Street address. -
SO Address City Optional City. -
SO Address Country Optional Two letter country code. ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2
7. Reference Data
SP Filer Category
  • FATCA607: Sponsoring Entity of a Sponsored FFI
  • FATCA609: Trustees of a Trustee Documented Trust (Model 1 IGA only)
AH Type
  • FATCA102: Passive NFFE with substantial US owners (or Controlling Persons under IGA)
  • FATCA104: Specified US Person
AH Account Type

Select one of the following roles:

Beneficiary Creditor Protector Settlor Shareholder Trustee Limited Partner General Partner Other

*Or any other natural person exercising ultimate effective control over a trust.