我在中国有银行账户,需要报FBAR吗?

如果您是美国税务居民(公民、绿卡持有者或达到实质性居住测试的居民),并且您在中国(或任何海外)的金融账户总额在一年中的任何时点超过一万美元,您就必须提交FBAR(FinCEN Form 114)。这包括银行存款、证券账户、以及您有签字权但非本人所有的账户。未申报的处罚可能非常严重,非故意违规每账户每年最高一万美元,故意违规可达账户余额的百分之五十或十万美元,以两者较高者为准。我们每年为数百名有中国资产的客户处理FBAR申报。

San Jose skyline representing the Bay Area's Mandarin-speaking community

San Jose, CA · 中文服务

Mandarin-Speaking Tax Services in San Jose

Last updated: July 24, 2026 · 11 min read

San Jose has one of the largest Mandarin-speaking populations in the country, and a large share of that community is doing their US taxes with a preparer who cannot explain what a K-1 is in a language they are fully comfortable in. That gap causes real problems. Clients leave meetings unsure whether they answered a question correctly. Documents get translated loosely by a family member instead of reviewed by someone who understands both the tax code and the underlying Chinese bank statement or property deed. Filing obligations tied to overseas accounts get missed entirely because nobody explained that owning a bank account in Shanghai has US tax consequences.

Silicon Valley Tax serves a client base that is roughly 70 percent Mandarin-speaking. Our team includes Mandarin-speaking CPAs and Enrolled Agents who handle individual returns, business tax, bookkeeping, IRS and FTB correspondence, and FBAR/FATCA compliance for clients with financial ties to Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Our office is at 2051 Junction Ave, Suite 200, San Jose, CA 95131. Call (408) 383-9870 or book a complimentary consultation.

Who We Serve

Most of our Mandarin-speaking clients fall into a few overlapping groups:

H-1B and L-1 visa holders working at Bay Area tech companies who kept bank accounts, brokerage accounts, or family property interests in China after relocating.
Green card holders and naturalized citizens who maintain financial ties to family in China, including remittances, jointly-held accounts, and inherited property.
First-generation business owners running restaurants, retail, real estate, or import/export businesses who need bookkeeping and entity tax preparation in a language they trust.
Retired parents on long-term visitor status whose US tax residency depends on the substantial presence test and who may have never filed a US return.
Clients who received an IRS or FTB notice and need someone who can read the notice, explain it clearly, and respond on their behalf.

Individual Tax Preparation (1040)

We prepare federal and California individual returns for Mandarin-speaking clients with every level of complexity, from a straightforward W-2 return to a return with RSU vesting, rental property, K-1 income from a family partnership, and foreign account reporting layered on top. We walk through the return in Mandarin when that is what the client prefers, and we take the time to explain each line rather than handing over a finished PDF with no context. For clients who split time between the US and China, we also determine whether the substantial presence test makes them a US tax resident for the year, since that answer changes which forms apply.

Entity Tax Preparation

A large share of our Mandarin-speaking clients own a business: an S corporation running a restaurant group, an LLC holding investment property, a partnership formed with family members to hold a commercial building. We prepare 1120-S, 1065, and 1120 returns, issue K-1s to partners and shareholders, and explain the tax consequences of distributions, guaranteed payments, and basis in a way that makes sense whether the conversation happens in English or Mandarin. For clients setting up a new entity, we also advise on the choice between an LLC, S corporation, and C corporation before the paperwork is filed, not after.

Bookkeeping

Many of our Mandarin-speaking business clients started their bookkeeping with a spreadsheet or a family member handling it part-time, which usually means the books do not tie to the bank statements by the time tax season arrives. We provide monthly bookkeeping on QuickBooks Online, reconcile bank and credit card accounts, and produce financial statements the owner can actually read and use to run the business, not just a file that gets handed to the preparer once a year. Communication with our bookkeeping team is available in Mandarin.

IRS and FTB Representation

An IRS or California Franchise Tax Board notice is stressful under the best circumstances, and far more stressful when the notice itself is written in dense English tax language. We read the notice, translate what it actually means, and represent clients directly with the IRS or FTB, whether that is responding to a CP2000 income mismatch notice, negotiating a payment plan, requesting penalty abatement, or handling a full audit. Clients do not need to speak to the IRS themselves. We handle the correspondence and calls, and we explain each step of the process in Mandarin so there are no surprises.

FBAR and FATCA: The Most Common Gap We See

This is the single most common compliance gap in our Mandarin-speaking client base, and it deserves the most attention on this page. A large number of Bay Area residents with ties to China have a bank account, brokerage account, or family-held property back home and have no idea that the US requires annual reporting of those accounts, separate from the tax return itself.

FBAR: FinCEN Form 114

If you are a US person (citizen, green card holder, or resident alien who meets the substantial presence test) and the aggregate maximum value of your foreign financial accounts exceeded $10,000 at any point during the year, you must file the FBAR. This is not filed with the IRS; it goes to FinCEN, a bureau of the Treasury Department, through the BSA E-Filing System. The $10,000 threshold is aggregate across every account, not per account, so three accounts in China totaling $4,000 each still triggers the requirement.

Accounts that count toward the FBAR include:

Bank accounts (checking, savings, fixed deposit accounts common at Chinese banks)
Securities and brokerage accounts, including accounts at Chinese brokerages
Accounts you have signature authority over but do not own, including a family business account or a parent's account you can sign on
Alipay and WeChat Pay balances held at a level that functions as a financial account

The FBAR deadline is April 15, with an automatic extension to October 15 (no separate request needed). Penalties for non-willful violations reach $10,000 per account per year; willful violations can reach the greater of $100,000 or 50% of the account balance per year, with potential criminal exposure in sustained cases.

FATCA: Form 8938

Form 8938 is a separate, overlapping requirement filed with your federal tax return rather than with FinCEN. It applies at higher thresholds than the FBAR ($50,000 year-end / $75,000 any-point-in-year for a single filer living in the US, doubled for married filing jointly) but covers a broader set of assets, including foreign real estate held through an entity, foreign partnership interests, and certain family trust interests. Many clients with substantial China-based holdings need to file both the FBAR and Form 8938 in the same year, and the two forms have different definitions of what counts as a reportable asset.

If You Have Never Filed

We regularly work with clients who have held Chinese bank accounts for a decade or more and never knew about the FBAR requirement. The IRS Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures exist for exactly this situation: taxpayers who non-willfully failed to report get a reduced-penalty path back into compliance, generally amended returns for the three most recent years and FBARs for six years, plus a 5% miscellaneous offshore penalty on the highest aggregate balance for US residents (zero penalty for qualifying non-residents). We evaluate whether your facts support the non-willful standard and prepare the full streamlined submission. For the full detail on how FBAR interacts with China-based assets specifically, see our FBAR and China assets page.

Working With Our Team

Our team includes Mandarin-speaking CPAs and Enrolled Agents, including Faye Cai, CPA, who works directly with many of our Mandarin-speaking clients on individual and entity returns. Meetings can be conducted in Mandarin, English, or a mix of both depending on what is easiest for you and the topic at hand. Documents in Chinese, including bank statements, property deeds, and marriage or birth certificates needed for dependent or filing status questions, are reviewed directly by staff who can read them rather than routed through translation software.

Silicon Valley Tax, LLC is a San Jose tax and accounting firm. We are not a firm registered with the California Board of Accountancy as a CPA firm entity; the CPAs and Enrolled Agents on our team hold their own individual licenses and sign returns under their own credentials. We are an American practice built to serve the Bay Area's Mandarin-speaking community well, not a Chinese CPA firm or an offshore operation.

Our Services at a Glance

Individual federal and California tax preparation (Form 1040), in Mandarin or English
Entity tax preparation for S corporations, partnerships, and C corporations (1120-S, 1065, 1120)
Monthly bookkeeping and QuickBooks Online setup and cleanup
IRS and FTB notice response, penalty abatement, payment plans, and audit representation
FBAR (FinCEN 114) and FATCA Form 8938 preparation for China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong accounts
Streamlined filing compliance submissions for clients who have not previously filed FBAR
Entity formation guidance for new businesses (LLC vs. S corp vs. C corp)
Payroll setup and processing for small business owners

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Silicon Valley Tax have Mandarin-speaking staff?

Yes. Our team includes Mandarin-speaking CPAs and Enrolled Agents who prepare returns, review documents, and meet with clients in Mandarin. We also work with clients who prefer English or a mix of both, and can walk through Chinese-language bank statements, K-1s, and property records directly.

Is Silicon Valley Tax a Chinese CPA firm?

No. Silicon Valley Tax, LLC is a San Jose based tax and accounting firm, not a CBA-registered CPA firm entity. Our team includes individually licensed CPAs and Enrolled Agents who hold their own credentials. We serve a client base that is roughly 70 percent Mandarin-speaking and several of our practitioners are fluent in Mandarin, but we are a local American tax practice, not a firm based in or affiliated with China.

What is the FBAR filing threshold and deadline?

A US person must file FinCEN Form 114 (FBAR) if the aggregate maximum value of all foreign financial accounts exceeded $10,000 at any point during the calendar year, aggregated across all accounts, not per account. The FBAR is due April 15 with an automatic extension to October 15, and is filed with FinCEN separately from your tax return.

Can you help if I have not filed FBAR for several years?

Yes. The IRS Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures allow taxpayers who non-willfully failed to report foreign accounts to come into compliance with reduced penalties, typically 5% of the highest aggregate balance over a six-year lookback for US residents. We evaluate whether your situation qualifies and prepare the amended returns, FBARs, and non-willfulness certification.

中文报税服务

San Jose拥有全美最大的华人社区之一。我们的团队中有会讲中文的注册会计师(CPA)和注册代理人(EA),为个人报税、企业报税、簿记服务、国税局(IRS)和加州税务局(FTB)代理,以及涉及中国资产的FBAR/FATCA合规申报提供服务。我们理解语言障碍不仅仅是翻译问题——它关系到您是否真正理解自己签署的文件。

个人报税(Form 1040)

无论您是持H-1B签证的科技公司员工、绿卡持有者,还是刚移民美国的家庭成员,我们都为您准备联邦和加州个人所得税申报表。我们可以用中文向您逐行解释申报表内容,而不是直接把一份看不懂的PDF交给您。对于每年往返中美两地的客户,我们会先判断您是否根据"实质性居住测试"构成美国税务居民,这个判断直接影响需要申报的表格。

企业报税与簿记

我们为S公司、合伙企业和C公司准备报税表(1120-S、1065、1120),并为合伙人和股东出具K-1表格。我们也提供每月簿记服务,使用QuickBooks Online对账,确保您的账目在报税季到来之前就已经理清,而不是靠一份手工表格或家人临时整理的记录。

国税局(IRS)与加州税务局(FTB)代理

收到国税局或加州税务局的通知信件时,很多客户因为看不懂英文税务术语而感到焦虑。我们会为您解读信件的实际含义,并直接代表您与国税局或FTB沟通,包括回复CP2000收入不符通知、申请分期付款计划、申请罚款减免,以及处理税务审计。您不需要亲自与国税局通话,我们会用中文向您解释每一个步骤。

FBAR与FATCA:中国资产的合规申报

这是我们华人客户中最常见的合规盲区。如果您是美国税务居民,并且您在中国(或任何海外)的银行账户、证券账户总额在一年中的任何时点超过一万美元,您必须提交FBAR(FinCEN Form 114)。这个门槛是所有海外账户的总和,不是单个账户的金额。即使是您有签字权但并非本人所有的账户(例如家庭生意账户或父母的账户),也可能需要申报。

FBAR的申报截止日期是4月15日,自动延期至10月15日,无需单独申请延期。未申报的处罚十分严重:非故意违规每账户每年最高罚款一万美元;故意违规的罚款可达账户最高余额的百分之五十或十万美元(以较高者为准),甚至可能面临刑事责任。

除FBAR外,资产总值达到一定门槛的客户还需要在联邦税表中一并提交Form 8938(FATCA申报),该表格涵盖的资产范围比FBAR更广,包括通过实体持有的海外房产和海外合伙权益。

如果您多年来一直持有中国的银行账户却从未申报FBAR,我们可以评估您是否符合国税局的"简化申报合规程序"(Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures),该程序为非故意未申报的纳税人提供大幅降低罚款的合规途径。详见我们的FBAR与中国资产专页。

我们的团队

我们的团队中有会讲中文的注册会计师和注册代理人,包括Faye Cai, CPA,她与许多华人客户直接对接个人和企业报税事务。会议可以用中文、英文或两者结合的方式进行,具体取决于您的偏好。中文文件,包括银行对账单、房产证明、结婚证或出生证明,均由能够直接阅读中文的员工审核,而非依赖翻译软件。

Silicon Valley Tax, LLC 是一家位于San Jose的税务与会计事务所。我们并非经加州会计委员会(CBA)注册的会计师事务所实体;我们团队中的注册会计师和注册代理人均持有个人执照并以个人名义签署报税表。我们是一家致力于服务湾区华人社区的美国本土事务所,而非中国的会计师事务所。

如需预约免费30分钟咨询,请拨打 (408) 383-9870 或访问在线预约。

Why Mandarin-Speaking Clients Choose Silicon Valley Tax

Roughly 70 percent of our client base is Mandarin-speaking, which means our staff handle these situations every day rather than occasionally. We understand the specific document types that come up (Chinese bank statements, hukou-linked property records, remittance receipts), the specific compliance gaps that catch people off guard (FBAR being the most common by far), and how to explain US tax rules clearly in Mandarin rather than translating tax jargon literally and losing the meaning. If you want a tax team that can serve you fully in Mandarin and understands the specific issues that come with financial ties to China, call (408) 383-9870 or book a complimentary consultation.