Form 18-K, Annual report for foreign governments and political subdivisions thereof, is a form of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), searched for by many people simply as 18k. The SEC lists it under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and in its International category, with the reference number SEC1797. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the official PDF is published by the SEC at sec.gov.
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What is 18-K?
Form 18-K, Annual report for foreign governments and political subdivisions thereof, is the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) form for the annual report of foreign governments and their political subdivisions, listed in the SEC forms index under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
The SEC forms index identifies the form with the reference number SEC1797 and files it in the International category, alongside Form 18 and Form 15F. It is a different document from each of them:
- Form 18 is the Application for registration pursuant to Section 12(b) & (c) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. It is an application, while Form 18-K is an annual report.
- Form 15F is the certification of a foreign private issuer's termination of registration of a class of securities under Section 12(g) or of its duty to file reports under Section 13(a) or Section 15(d).
- Form 10-K is the Annual report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d), which the index lists among Public Companies forms. Form 18-K is the annual report whose title names foreign governments and political subdivisions.
The form is published by the SEC as a PDF. The line-by-line instructions and filing requirements are in the form itself and on the SEC's website.
Who needs to file 18-K?
The SEC places Form 18-K with the International forms and titles it the annual report for foreign governments and political subdivisions thereof. Its audience is therefore foreign governments and their political subdivisions, and the people who prepare reports on their behalf.
The SEC forms index does not state who is required to file the form or under what conditions, so check the form itself and the SEC's website before relying on it for a specific situation. Companies and other entities that are not foreign governments or political subdivisions should look at the other annual report forms in the index, such as Form 10-K for Public Companies.
How to fill out 18-K
Confirm Form 18-K is the right form
Check that the form's title, Annual report for foreign governments and political subdivisions thereof, matches your situation, and that you do not need Form 18 or Form 15F instead.
Open the fillable PDF
Open the form on this page. The SEC publishes the original PDF at https://www.sec.gov/files/form18-k.pdf, so compare it with the SEC copy if anything looks different.
Read the form's own instructions
Read the instructions printed on the form before you enter anything, and check the SEC's website for any filing requirements that apply to you.
Enter the information each item asks for
Work through the form in the order it is printed and complete each item as the form words it. Leave nothing out that the form asks for.
Check names and details against your records
Compare the names and details you entered with the records of the foreign government or political subdivision that is reporting.
Review and download the completed PDF
Review every entry, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and send it only through the channels the SEC specifies.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Confusing Form 18-K with Form 18; Form 18 is an application for registration pursuant to Section 12(b) & (c), while Form 18-K is an annual report.
- Treating Form 18-K as the same form as Form 10-K; the SEC lists them separately, with 18-K for foreign governments and political subdivisions thereof.
- Using Form 18-K for an entity that is not a foreign government or a political subdivision of one, since the form's title names only those filers.
- Mixing up Form 18-K with Form 15F, which certifies a foreign private issuer's termination of registration or of its duty to file reports.
- Working from an unofficial copy instead of the current PDF the SEC publishes at https://www.sec.gov/files/form18-k.pdf.
Frequently asked questions
What is Form 18-K?
Form 18-K is the SEC form titled Annual report for foreign governments and political subdivisions thereof. The SEC forms index lists it under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, in the International category, with the reference number SEC1797.
Who is Form 18-K for?
Its title places it with foreign governments and their political subdivisions. The SEC forms index does not say who must file it or when, so check the form and the SEC's website for the filing requirements that apply to your situation.
What is the difference between Form 18 and Form 18-K?
Form 18 is the Application for registration pursuant to Section 12(b) & (c) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Form 18-K is an annual report for foreign governments and political subdivisions. Both appear in the SEC's International category.
What is the difference between Form 18-K and Form 10-K?
Both are annual reports, but the SEC lists them differently. Form 10-K is the annual report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) and sits under Public Companies. Form 18-K is the annual report for foreign governments and political subdivisions thereof, under International.
What does SEC1797 mean?
SEC1797 is the reference number the SEC forms index prints next to Form 18-K. It identifies this form in the SEC's list; it is not a separate form or a filing number you enter yourself.
Where can I get the official Form 18-K PDF?
The SEC publishes the PDF at https://www.sec.gov/files/form18-k.pdf. The SEC also lists it in its forms index at https://www.sec.gov/submit-filings/forms-index, alongside the other Securities Exchange Act of 1934 forms.
Can I fill out Form 18-K online?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service, not the SEC, and it does not file or submit the form; the SEC's own channels govern how it is filed.
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