Service Sellers to Foreigners: File BE-125 Quarterly
Published Date: 2/28/2025
Notice
Summary
If your U.S. business sells certain services or intellectual property to foreign folks, you’ll need to fill out the BE-125 survey every quarter. This mandatory survey helps the government track U.S. trade and its impact on the economy. You’ll have 30 days after each quarter (or 45 days after your fiscal year ends) to send in your info—so keep an eye out for the official notice!
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 4 costs, 0 mixed.
Mandatory quarterly BE-125 reporting
If your U.S. business sells or buys selected services or intellectual property with foreign persons and meets the thresholds, you must complete the BE-125 survey every quarter. BEA will contact U.S. persons required to report; if BEA does not contact you, you have no reporting responsibilities.
Who must report: $6M / $4M thresholds
You must report if your combined reportable sales to foreign persons exceeded $6 million in the previous fiscal year or are expected to exceed $6 million in the current fiscal year, or if combined reportable purchases from foreign persons exceeded $4 million in the previous fiscal year or are expected to exceed $4 million in the current fiscal year. The sales and purchases thresholds are applied separately, so you may need to report only sales, only purchases, or both.
Estimated paperwork: 21 hours per response
BEA estimates the public reporting burden at an average of 21 hours per BE-125 response. Reports may be submitted electronically via www.bea.gov/efile, or downloaded and sent by mail or fax; the OMB control number is 0608-0067.
Quarterly filing deadlines: 30 / 45 days
Reports must be filed within 30 days after the end of each fiscal quarter, except for the final quarter of the entity's fiscal year when reports must be filed within 45 days. The survey is collected quarterly.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
Related Federal Register Documents
2026-06040, Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Direct Investment Surveys: BE-605, Quarterly Survey of Foreign Direct Investment in the United States-Transactions of U.S. Affiliate With Foreign Parent
The Department of Commerce is updating a quarterly survey that asks U.S. companies owned by foreign parents about their business deals. About 2,100 companies respond each quarter, spending around an hour each time. This update helps keep important economic data accurate without adding extra hassle, and the public has 30 more days to share their thoughts.
2026-06039, Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Direct Investment Surveys: BE-13, Survey of New Foreign Direct Investment in the United States
The government is asking businesses with new foreign investments in the U.S. to keep filling out the BE-13 survey, which helps track how much foreign money is coming into the country. About 3,400 companies will respond yearly, spending around 36 minutes each. This survey stays mandatory, with no changes, and helps understand the impact of foreign investments on the U.S. economy.
2026-05075, BE-11: Annual Survey of U.S. Direct Investment Abroad
The BE-11 survey asks U.S. companies that own more than half of a foreign business to share info about their investments abroad. This helps the government understand how American money moves around the world and affects the economy. If you’re one of these companies, get ready to report your last fiscal year’s data by May 31—it’s mandatory and important!
2026-05080, BE-29: Annual Survey of Foreign Ocean Carriers' Expenses in the United States
The BE-29 survey asks U.S. agents of foreign ocean carriers to report their expenses in the U.S. if they handled 40+ port calls or spent $250,000+ in a year. This mandatory survey helps the government track trade in shipping services and understand its impact on the economy. Reports are due within 45 days after the calendar year ends, so get ready to share your numbers on time!
2026-05074, BE-577: Quarterly Survey of U.S. Direct Investment Abroad-Transactions of U.S. Reporter With Foreign Affiliate
If your U.S. business owns or controls a foreign company, you’ll need to fill out the BE-577 survey every quarter. This survey helps the government track how much money U.S. companies invest abroad and how it affects the economy. You’ll have 30 days after each quarter to report, or 45 days if it’s the year’s final quarter—so keep an eye on those deadlines!
2026-05076, BE-9: Quarterly Survey of Foreign Airline Operators' Revenues and Expenses in the United States
If you work for a foreign airline with offices in the U.S., you’ll need to fill out a quarterly survey about your money coming in and going out here. This helps the government understand how foreign airlines impact the U.S. economy and trade. You’ll have 30 days after each quarter to send in your report, so get ready to share your numbers on time!
Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2025-03320, BE-45: Quarterly Survey of Insurance Transactions by U.S. Insurance Companies With Foreign Persons
U.S. insurance companies that do more than $8 million in business with foreign folks must fill out a quarterly survey about their insurance deals. This helps the government understand how insurance trade affects the U.S. and world economies. Reports are due 30 days after each quarter, with a 45-day deadline for the year-end report—so keep those calendars marked!
Next: 2025-03322, BE-185: Quarterly Survey of Financial Services Transactions Between U.S. Financial Services Providers and Foreign Persons
If you’re a U.S. financial services provider working with foreign clients, you’ll need to fill out the BE-185 survey every quarter. This survey helps the government track how money moves in and out of the U.S. financial world, shaping smart economic decisions. You’ll have 30 days after each quarter to report, with a bit more time—45 days—after your fiscal year ends.