Form 8621-A – Late PFIC Purging Elections and Filing Guide

I still remember the first time a partner asked me to “file 8621-A for a late QEF.” We pulled the IRS instructions, and the room went quiet.

Form 8621-A is not for late QEF or late mark-to-market. It is for certain late purging elections that end PFIC treatment when a company is a former PFIC or a section 1297(e) PFIC. If you came here thinking 8621-A fixes a missed QEF or MTM, you are in the right place to get the distinction clear and avoid a costly do-over.

Key Takeaways

• Form 8621-A is only for late purging elections under section 1298(b)(1), which means a late deemed sale or late deemed dividend when the corporation is a former PFIC or a section 1297(e) PFIC. It is not the form for late QEF or late mark-to-market.
• Late QEF retroactive elections are handled under the regulations for section 1295, typically on Form 8621 with amended returns, not on 8621-A.
• Late mark-to-market elections may be allowed only through 301.9100 relief, not via 8621-A.
• You mail Form 8621-A to the IRS Ogden Specials Desk, you include payment, and if the election year is closed, you execute the closing agreement with original signatures in duplicate.
• As of March 19, 2025, the IRS lists no recent developments, and the current revision and instructions are available on IRS.gov.

What Form 8621-A Actually Does

Form 8621-A lets you make a late purging election so you can stop being treated as a PFIC shareholder going forward, even though you missed the normal window. The core use cases are:

• You own stock of a corporation that used to be a PFIC, a former PFIC, and you need a late purging election to end PFIC status for your shares.
• You are in the section 1297(e) PFIC overlap situation with a CFC and need a late purging election tied to the CFC qualification date.

In both situations, the late purging election is either a deemed sale or a deemed dividend, and it comes with section 1291 tax, plus an interest component because the election is late.

Bottom line, 8621-A ends PFIC treatment by making a late purging election. It does not retroactively turn prior years into QEF or MTM years. Those are different procedures with different forms and standards.

What Form 8621-A Is Not

Not for Late QEF

If you missed a QEF election and want to treat past years under QEF rules, the path is the retroactive election under section 1295 regulations. This can involve a Protective Statement, consent under the Commissioner’s authority, and amended returns with Form 8621. It is not Form 8621-A.

Not for Late Mark-to-Market

If you missed a section 1296 mark-to-market election, the regulations say a late election may be permitted only under 301.9100 relief, which is a separate process. Again, not Form 8621-A.

When You Use 8621-A

Use 8621-A when all of the following are true:

• The corporation is a former PFIC for you, or it is a section 1297(e) PFIC for you, and a purging election is necessary to end PFIC treatment for your shares.
• You are outside the normal time window for a timely purging election, that is more than three years after the due date, including extensions, for the return that includes the termination date or CFC qualification date.
• You will compute section 1291 tax as an excess distribution and pay interest from the return due date for the election year until the date you file Form 8621-A.

Quick Definitions That Matter

• Former PFIC, your foreign corporation is no longer a PFIC now, but it was a PFIC during your holding period, and you did not have a QEF or MTM in place.
• Section 1297(e) PFIC, the CFC overlap rule applies, and special timing definitions, like the CFC qualification date, control when your election year occurs.
• Purging election, either a deemed sale or a deemed dividend that triggers section 1291 treatment, resets basis and holding period for PFIC purposes, and ends PFIC treatment prospectively.

The High-Level Process

• Pick the correct purging election, deemed sale or deemed dividend, based on whether you are dealing with a former PFIC or a section 1297(e) PFIC.
• Complete the relevant lines in Parts II or III, compute tax and interest in Part IV, and prepare any required balance sheet attachment for deemed sale elections.
• If the election year is closed, sign the closing agreement, in duplicate, with original signatures.
• Mail the package with payment to the IRS Ogden Specials Desk, and keep a full copy.

Up next, we go step by step so you can complete the form with confidence and avoid the common traps that slow reviews and trigger rework.

Step-by-Step, Completing Form 8621-A

Step 1, Confirm You Are in a Purging-Election Scenario

• Validate whether your fact pattern is a former PFIC or a section 1297(e) PFIC. This drives the election you check in Part I and whether you complete Part II or Part III.
• Identify your election year, which for a former PFIC is the shareholder’s tax year that includes the termination date, and for a section 1297(e) PFIC is the year that includes the CFC qualification date.

Step 2, Choose Deemed Sale or Deemed Dividend

• For a former PFIC, you can choose a deemed sale or deemed dividend purging election. Your choice affects the computation, basis, and holding period that follow.
• For a section 1297(e) PFIC, you again select deemed sale or deemed dividend, with rules tailored to the CFC overlap.

The election ends PFIC treatment going forward. The price you pay is section 1291 tax on the deemed sale or deemed dividend, plus interest because you are filing late.

Step 3, Complete Part II or Part III

• Former PFIC, fill Part II for deemed sale or deemed dividend.
• Section 1297(e) PFIC, fill Part III, and include the required attachment for post-1986 earnings and profits if you choose the deemed dividend.

Step 4, Compute Part IV, Tax and Interest

• Enter the excess distribution amount from your election, then allocate across your holding period and apply section 1291 rules.
• Add interest for the period starting from the due date of the return for the election year, without extensions, through the date you file Form 8621-A.

Step 5, Closing Agreement if the Year Is Closed

• If the election year is closed, sign the closing agreement on page 3, file it in duplicate, and ensure both copies have original signatures. This step is not optional.

Step 6, Balance Sheet for Deemed Sale Elections

• If you make a deemed sale election for a former PFIC or a section 1297(e) PFIC, complete the balance sheet on page 4 as required by the instructions.

Step 7, Where to File and How to Pay

• Mail to: Internal Revenue Service, Deposit Team, M/S 6059, Attn: Specials Desk, Ogden, UT 84201. Include payment, and write your identifying number and “Form 8621-A” on the check. If the package does not include full payment, the IRS will not process it. Keep a complete copy.

The Numbers, What You Will Need on Your Desk

• Share counts, acquisition dates, adjusted basis, and fair market values for each holding period slice.
• All distributions and redemptions through the election year.
• If you choose a deemed dividend for a section 1297(e) PFIC, the post-1986 E&P for the PFIC and support for any amounts previously included by you or another U.S. person.

A Quick Comparison, Getting the Right Path

What you need	Use this form	Governing rules	Typical attachments
End PFIC status for a former PFIC or section 1297(e) PFIC with a late purging election	Form 8621-A	Regs 1.1298-3 or 1.1297-3, section 1298(b)(1)	Part II or III, Part IV, balance sheet if deemed sale, closing agreement if closed year
Retroactive QEF because you missed the original QEF election	Form 8621 with amended returns	Regs 1.1295-3 retroactive election procedures	Amended returns, retroactive election statement, possible closing agreement
Late mark-to-market because you missed election timing	Relief under 301.9100, not 8621-A	Regs 1.1296-1 references late election via 301.9100	Ruling request package per 9100 process

Sources, 8621-A purpose and mechanics, 8621 instructions, 1295, 1296 authorities.

Common Traps We See

• Filing 8621-A to try to “fix” a missed QEF or MTM. That is the wrong form and will waste time.
• Attaching 8621-A to a Form 1040 e-file. You mail 8621-A to Ogden and include payment.
• Forgetting the duplicate, original-signature closing agreement for closed years. The IRS is strict on this point.

Worked Example, Former PFIC Deemed Sale

Let’s say you held a foreign fund that qualified as a PFIC in prior years. The company no longer meets the PFIC tests, so it is a former PFIC for you. You did not have a QEF or MTM in place. You now want to end PFIC treatment for your shares with a late purging election.

• In Part I, you choose the late deemed sale for a former PFIC.
• In Part II, you compute the deemed sale gain at fair market value on the termination date, treat that gain as an excess distribution under section 1291, allocate across your holding period, and then compute the tax and interest.
• In Part IV, you finish the tax and interest calculation and attach your holding period allocation schedule.
• If the election year is closed, you sign the closing agreement in duplicate, with original signatures. You mail everything with payment to the Ogden address.

Worked Example, Section 1297(e) PFIC Deemed Dividend

You are in a CFC overlap situation. Your election year is the year that includes the CFC qualification date. You opt for a deemed dividend.

• In Part I, you choose the late deemed dividend for a section 1297(e) PFIC.
• In Part III, you compute the shareholder’s pro rata share of post-1986 E&P treated as distributed on the CFC qualification date, and you attach the statement with the required details.
• You calculate tax under section 1291 as an excess distribution, then add interest per the late-election rules and complete Part IV.

Documentation Checklist

• Identity details and EIN or SSN, plus a reliable contact for IRS questions.
• PFIC identification, acquisition dates, and detailed holding period records.
• Basis, fair market values by year, and distribution history.
• For section 1297(e) deemed dividend, post-1986 E&P computations and any prior inclusions by you or another U.S. person.
• Balance sheet if you made a deemed sale election.
• If the election year is closed, the closing agreement, signed in duplicate with original signatures.

Recordkeeping

Keep books and records as long as they may become material to the administration of any federal tax law. That is the IRS standard that applies to forms and instructions, and it fits PFIC cases well because PFIC computations often affect multiple years.

FAQs

Can I e-file Form 8621-A?

No. You mail it to the IRS Ogden Specials Desk and include payment. If the election year is closed, you also include the closing agreement in duplicate with original signatures. The instructions provide the full address and processing requirements.

Do I file one Form 8621-A per PFIC?

Yes. You file a separate 8621-A for each PFIC involved in the late purging election. If there is a chain of PFICs, the instructions require a separate form for each one in the chain for which a late purging election is made, and you file them together.

What if my fact pattern is actually a late QEF, not a purging election?

Then follow the retroactive QEF procedures under the section 1295 regulations. That process happens on Form 8621 with amended returns, not on 8621-A. The regulations explain when a Protective Statement preserves your ability to go retroactive and when Commissioner consent is needed.

What if I missed a mark-to-market election?

A late section 1296 election may be allowed only under 301.9100 relief. This is a different path than 8621-A, and it requires a ruling request that meets the 9100 standards.

Do I attach foreign-language statements?

Provide an English translation or a clear English summary that supports the figures you report so the IRS can verify the amounts you include on 8621-A and in your schedules. This is a practical necessity for processing, even though the 8621-A instructions focus on the election mechanics rather than language. Use certified translations when facts are complex.

How 8621-A Interacts With Other Filings

• With Form 8621, if you are pursuing a retroactive QEF or making a current-year PFIC election, those actions happen on Form 8621. 8621-A is not a substitute. It is specifically for late purging elections.
• With amended returns, for 8621-A you pay tax and interest with the late purging election package. If the election year is closed, you execute the closing agreement because you cannot amend the closed year. Follow the instructions on tax and interest timing.

Quality Tips That Speed Review

• Build a one-page index listing each PFIC, the election chosen, and the location of attachments and computations.
• Keep terminology consistent with the instructions, for example, election year, termination date, CFC qualification date, excess distribution, holding period allocation.
• Reconcile every figure to a source document and note that link in the margin of your workpaper.

Compliance Updates to Watch

As of March 19, 2025, the IRS shows no recent developments for Form 8621-A, and the December 2024 instructions are current. Always verify the “About” page and the instructions before you file, then follow the address and payment rules exactly.

For Firm Owners, Getting the Work Out On Time

If you run a CPA or EA firm, you know the real bottleneck is delivery, not demand. PFIC work can stall in reviews, require meticulous documentation, and spike during deadlines. When workload pressure is high, firms that build a controlled delivery system finish on time and protect margins. If you ever need a disciplined offshore team that works in your systems, with standardized workpapers and layered reviews, this is where Accountably can help without taking away your control of quality or process. Keep it simple, keep it standard, and keep turnaround predictable.

Resources

• IRS, About Form 8621-A, current revision, related links, last reviewed March 19, 2025.
• IRS, Instructions for Form 8621-A, revised December 2024, with address, closing agreement, elections, and computations.
• IRS, About Form 8621 and Instructions for Form 8621, for QEF and mark-to-market mechanics and annual filing triggers.
• Regulations, 1.1295-3 for retroactive QEF election rules, including Protective Statements and Commissioner consent.
• Regulations, 1.1296-1 for mark-to-market election timing and 301.9100 late-election relief reference.

Final Checklist Before You Mail

• Choose the correct late purging election and complete the right part of the form.
• Attach the holding period allocation schedule and any required balance sheet.
• If the election year is closed, sign the closing agreement twice with original signatures.
• Include payment in full. The IRS will not process the form without it.
• Mail to the Ogden address and keep a complete copy for your files.

Conclusion

If you came here unsure whether 8621-A fixes a missed QEF or MTM, you now have the clean answer. Use 8621-A only for late purging elections that end PFIC treatment in former PFIC and section 1297(e) PFIC cases. If you need a retroactive QEF or a late mark-to-market, follow the regulations for those paths and keep 8621-A off your desk. When you prepare the package, slow down, label everything, and follow the instructions word for word. That is how you protect the filing, your client, and your time.