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Form 20-F, Registration statement / Annual report / Transition report (foreign private issuers)

FillingPDF is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Get the official form from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) website.

Form 20-F, Registration statement / Annual report / Transition report (foreign private issuers)

Form 20-F is the SEC form for foreign private issuers, used as a registration statement, annual report or transition report. Fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the SEC publishes the original.
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Form 20-F is a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) form for foreign private issuers. According to its official title, it serves as a registration statement, an annual report or a transition report. It is listed among the forms the SEC publishes for securities filers. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the original PDF is published by the SEC at sec.gov.

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What is 20-F?

Form 20-F is the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) form titled "Registration statement / Annual report / Transition report (foreign private issuers)": one document that a foreign private issuer uses as a registration statement, an annual report or a transition report.

The title names three uses, and the page you complete depends on which one applies to your filing. The SEC is the federal agency that publishes the form, and it appears in the SEC's index of forms alongside many other filings for securities issuers and market participants.

Form 20-F is not the only SEC form that touches foreign issuers, so it helps to tell the neighbours apart. The SEC's forms index lists these separately:

  • Form 15F, 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 18-K, the annual report for foreign governments and political subdivisions thereof.
  • Form 18, the application for registration pursuant to Section 12(b) and (c) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
  • Form 10-K, the annual report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d).

Form 20-F is the form whose title is addressed to foreign private issuers and that combines registration, annual and transition reporting in a single document.

Who needs to file 20-F?

Foreign private issuers use Form 20-F. The form's official title names this group directly and lists three uses: as a registration statement, as an annual report and as a transition report.

Use the form according to the purpose that applies to your filing:

  • Registration statement: when the filing you are making is a registration of securities by a foreign private issuer.
  • Annual report: when you are making the annual report of a foreign private issuer.
  • Transition report: when the filing is a transition report of a foreign private issuer.

Other issuers have their own forms in the SEC's index. Foreign governments and their political subdivisions have the annual report on Form 18-K. A foreign private issuer that wants to end its registration of a class of securities, or its duty to file reports, uses Form 15F instead, as the SEC's index describes it. The annual report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) is listed separately as Form 10-K. Check the SEC's own form and instructions to confirm which one applies to you before you file.

How to fill out 20-F

  1. Open the SEC's Form 20-F PDF

    Start from the PDF the SEC publishes at https://www.sec.gov/files/form20-f.pdf so that you work with the agency's own text.

  2. Confirm you are a foreign private issuer

    The form's title is addressed to foreign private issuers. If you are a foreign government or political subdivision, the SEC's index lists Form 18-K instead.

  3. Decide which use applies

    Identify whether your filing is a registration statement, an annual report or a transition report, the three uses named in the title, and follow the parts of the form that apply to it.

  4. Complete each item the form requires

    Answer each heading and item printed in the PDF with the information the form asks for, following the instructions printed on the form itself.

  5. Check companion and alternative forms

    If you intend to terminate registration or the duty to file reports, the SEC lists Form 15F for that purpose; do not use Form 20-F for it.

  6. Review and download the completed PDF

    Read every entry for accuracy and completeness, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and submit it through the SEC's channels.

How to submit 20-F

Form 20-F is published by the SEC as a PDF at https://www.sec.gov/files/form20-f.pdf and is listed in the SEC's forms index at https://www.sec.gov/submit-filings/forms-index. The page you are reading does not set out filing channels, so confirm the current filing method, addresses and requirements for foreign private issuers with the SEC before you submit.

Complete the form fully and keep a copy of the finished PDF. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the agency's channels.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Using Form 20-F when the filer is a foreign government or political subdivision; the SEC's index lists the annual report for those filers as Form 18-K.
  • Using Form 20-F to end a foreign private issuer's registration or reporting duty; the SEC lists Form 15F for that certification.
  • Treating Form 20-F as the same filing as Form 10-K; the SEC's index lists Form 10-K separately as the annual report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d).
  • Not deciding first whether the filing is a registration statement, an annual report or a transition report, the three uses in the form's title.
  • Completing an outdated copy instead of the PDF the SEC publishes at https://www.sec.gov/files/form20-f.pdf.

Frequently asked questions

What is Form 20-F used for?

Form 20-F is the SEC form titled "Registration statement / Annual report / Transition report (foreign private issuers)." A foreign private issuer uses it as a registration statement, an annual report or a transition report, depending on the purpose of the filing.

Who has to use Form 20-F?

Foreign private issuers, the group named in the form's official title. The SEC's index lists other forms for other filers, such as Form 18-K for foreign governments and political subdivisions, so confirm in the SEC's materials that Form 20-F applies to you.

Can I fill out Form 20-F online?

Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not file anything with the SEC; you submit the completed form through the SEC's channels.

Is Form 20-F the same as Form 10-K?

No. The SEC's forms index lists Form 10-K separately as the annual report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d), while Form 20-F is titled for foreign private issuers and covers registration, annual and transition reports. Check with the SEC which applies to you.

Which form do foreign governments use instead of Form 20-F?

The SEC's index lists Form 18-K, the annual report for foreign governments and political subdivisions thereof. Form 20-F is titled for foreign private issuers.

How does a foreign private issuer end its registration?

Not with Form 20-F. The SEC's index lists Form 15F, 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).

Where can I find the official Form 20-F PDF?

The SEC publishes it at https://www.sec.gov/files/form20-f.pdf and lists it in its forms index at https://www.sec.gov/submit-filings/forms-index. Use the SEC's current version when you prepare your filing.

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