Deadlines Fast Approaching for U.S. Companies with Foreign Subsidiaries to Report Foreign Investment to Commerce

The U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) is currently conducting a Benchmark Survey of U.S. Direct Investment Abroad (BE-10 Survey) for 2014 and, unlike in prior years, BEA is requiring every U.S. entity with more than a 10 percent ownership interest in a foreign entity, whether direct or indirect, to submit a report on behalf of themselves and their U.S. subsidiaries.

U.S. companies are responsible for submitting a Form BE-10A on behalf of the company's consolidated domestic business enterprise, and Forms BE-10B, BE-10C, or BE-10D, as appropriate, on behalf of each foreign affiliate. Participation in the survey is mandatory and failure to file a required report could result in civil or criminal penalties and an injunction compelling responses. 

The number of foreign affiliates dictates whether the deadline is May 29, 2015 (<50 forms) or June 30, 2015 (>50 forms). 

Because these deadlines are fast approaching, companies might consider seeking an extension, a form for which is available here.

The BE-10 Report forms and instructions are available here.