Why you need the Form 8621 Calculator in addition to your Tax Preparation Software?
What your current Tax Software doesn’t do…
None of the tax preparation software packages have full Form 8621 functionality.
Most are limited to calculating the additional interest and taxes for 1291 funds, and transfer the income to the tax return based on the entries made in the tax software.
You still must do the base calculations to know what to enter into your software, and you still must maintain:
- Separate calculations of basis,
- Unreversed income inclusions,
- Line 15b adjusted annual distributions
- Other pieces of the PFIC regime.
Your Tax Software does not calculate…
- The special OVDP alternate mark to market taxation,
- Apply the becoming a US person rules,
- Allowable foreign tax credits
- Expatriation dispositions.
Form 8621 Calculator does all of this!
Here is why you need to use the Form 8621 Calculator
- We track all the moving pieces that your tax software does not…
- Cost basis per share,
- Unreversed inclusions per share,
- Holding period,
- Adjusted annual distribution amounts,
- Pre & Post PFIC income inclusions
- Character of income
- Calculates and re-allocates the excess distribution amount
- Automatically purges the taint when an election is made
- And more that we haven’t listed
- We also apply currency conversions for 150+ foreign currencies using the daily rate for each transaction.
- We provide calculation details for your files.
- We tell you where all the numbers go on the tax return as a crosscheck
- We provide all statements required by the IRS to support the calculated amounts on Form 8621 which can be attached as a PDF to most tax software programs.
- You can say goodbye to your spreadsheets.
If your software is Prosystem fx, Global fx, or Axcess Tax our calculator also provides you with…
- a completed form 8621 return and statements,
- importable excel sheets where they are allowed,
- the entries needed by your software based on the PFIC’s transaction history.
What can I do on the demo application?
As a demo user you will get to explore the full Form 8621 Calculator software and try out all the features, you can even prepare and print a form. The account will expire after you create a form or 2 weeks from the date you first log in- whichever comes first. Once you see how easy Form 8621 Calculator makes the process you will never want to do another Form 8621 by hand!
If I buy an annual license or a cloud subscription, how many forms can I create?
Whether you purchase an annual server license or cloud subscription our Form 8621 Calculator allows you to create an unlimited number of Form 8621s. You will be amazed how many you can prepare without feeling stressed.
Does the software automatically determine whether actual cost basis or average cost basis provides the better result?
The IRS Regulations do not allow the use of average cost base for PFIC shares – the Calculator converts each transaction to USD using the exchange rate in place on the date of occurrence. Cost basis and unreversed inclusions per share are calculated and tracked by the software automatically.
What elections are available in the program?
Currently the following calculation modules are available through our solution:
- Section 1291 (default taxation)
- Election A: Election To Treat the PFIC as a QEF (beta)
- Election C: Election To Mark-to-Market PFIC Stock
- Election D: Deemed Sale Election
- Section 1296 (Mark-to-Market taxation)
- Pedigreed and Unpedigreed QEF calculations
- Becoming a US person Transitional Rule Application
- Expatriation
- Alternate calculation under the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP) *depreciated
Is the Form 8621 Calculator secure? What about the privacy of my client?
A cloud subscription only allows you to enter the PFIC transactions, no information about your client is accepted. Form 8621 will print with the heading blank and will be assigned a unique alpha-numeric identifying number so you can keep track of which client the form belongs with.
How do I access the software once I purchase a cloud subscription?
The cloud application is accessed by logging in using a compatible internet browser.
What are the minimum hardware requirements to run the program?
Cloud users only need a supported browser to access the Form 8621 Calculator.
What internet browsers are supported?
Form 8621 Calculator will work in:
- Internet Explorer 10+
- Chrome 22+
- Firefox 27+
- Safari 6+
Why don't you support older versions of browsers?
The 8621 Calculator uses the latest advanced web technology and standards. Older versions of browsers do not support many of these new features which could cause the program not to function properly.
How much does the calculator cost?
Our price has three components. The Cloud subscription fee, the user fee, and the form fee. The subscription and user fees are due when the license is executed or a new user is added, while form fees are billed on a monthly basis.
The annual Cloud subscription fee is $995 USD or $1,350 CAD
* The subscription is for a one year term and includes one user account.
User Fees
Each additional user is at $100 USD / 135 CAD each
Form Fees*
Number of Forms |
USD |
CAD |
1 - 100 |
Free |
101 - 200 |
9.95 |
13.50 |
201 - 300 |
8.95 |
12.15 |
301 - 400 |
7.95 |
10.75 |
401 - 500 |
6.95 |
9.45 |
501 + |
4.95 |
6.75 |
* Per form prices
We accept payment in US or Canadian dollars by credit card, wire transfer and e-transfer.
I'm not an accountant but I am preparing my own tax return. Is there a per form pricing?
Yes, we now offer a pay as you go solution for both professionals and individuals. The fee per form is $84.95 CAD / $59.95 USD.
We also offer form preparation service, where you send us your documents and we send you the completed forms with a guide showing where the income ends up on the tax return.
The base fee for the form preparation is $200 CAD / $150 USD per form when the transactions are submitted in an excel format. There is an additional $200 CAD / $150 USD hourly charge for transactions submitted using statements or other documents. Jobs over 10 forms require a 50% retainer.
* Professional discounts available please contact us at b.lougen@form8621.com
Can I import account information from a spreadsheet?
Yes – You may import the transaction history of the investment using a “.csv” export of your excel file.