According to the FBAR official instructions
https://www.fincen.gov/sites/default/files/shared/FBAR%20Line%20Item%20Filing%20Instructions.pdf
they say:
Monetary amounts: When recording the maximum value of accounts, record all amounts as
U.S. Dollar amounts rounded up to the next whole dollar. The amount $15,265.25 would be
recorded as $15,266. The maximum value of the account can be determined using the following
steps. NOTE: After determining the value of the account, as described below, if the value results in a negative (minus) value, enter zero (0) in item 15, “Maximum account value.”
Observations:
1) When I occasionally use the FinCEN PDF file and upload directly, I have NO trouble putting zero for maximum balance and it goes through fine
2) Even the instructions clearly contemplate (e.g., in the case of a negative value of the account) that a zero (0) would be entered. So it must be possible to enter a zero for this case. What are we supposed to do if "the value results in a negative (minus) value", still put $1, even though the instructions clearly say to enter zero??!!
3) I do not know whether the Proseries/Intuit problem with a zero balance is a Intuit problem, or a FinCEN problem, but the ultimate XML file uploaded to FinCEN is the same, whether submitted online via the FinCEN PDF file or from Intuit's servers (which are programmed to create the requisite XML file for discrete or batch filing). So I do not believe the zero issue is a FinCEN issue, but rather an Intuit issue, i.e., that they have programmed our user interface to reject zeros. And why is that? Well, probably because someone REALLY clever at Intuit interprets the language "record all amounts as
U.S. Dollar amounts rounded up to the next whole dollar" as requiring zero to be rounded up to $1. Last time I had a math course, zero did not round up to 1. Maybe 1 cent rounds up to $1, but not zero. Zero is zero, already very round. Not to mention a negative balance account is required by the instructions to be marked at zero.
The question is, would someone at Intuit/Proseries actually address this issue, i.e., an answer by "professionals" for us professionals? Would that be too much to ask, considering we together are paying millions in fees to Intuit? I tend to doubt anyone will say anything, we send our data into a black box, and we complain to an unattended altar.
