Form 6-K is the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) form titled Report of foreign private issuer pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16. It is the report that a foreign private issuer makes under those two rules. On this page you can fill out Form 6-K online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF. The SEC publishes the original PDF at sec.gov and lists the form in its forms index.
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What is Form 6-K?
Form 6-K, Report of foreign private issuer pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16, is the form from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on which a foreign private issuer makes the report described by those two rules.
The title ties the form to Rule 13a-16 and Rule 15d-16. The SEC publishes the PDF at https://www.sec.gov/files/form6-k.pdf, and the agency's forms index lists its forms by number, title and category.
Neighboring SEC forms do different jobs, and the forms index shows how they are named:
- Form 10-K is the annual report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d).
- Form 10-Q is the general form for quarterly reports under Section 13 or 15(d).
- Form 15F is the certification of a foreign private issuer's termination of registration of a class of securities under Section 12(g) or its termination of the duty to file reports under Section 13(a) or Section 15(d).
- Form 18-K is the annual report for foreign governments and political subdivisions thereof.
Form 6-K is none of these: it is the report under Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16.
Who needs to file Form 6-K?
The form is titled as a report of a foreign private issuer, so the audience is the foreign private issuers that report under Rule 13a-16 or Rule 15d-16. The title is the only statement of who uses the form that the SEC's forms index gives.
Other SEC forms in the same index cover different situations:
- A foreign private issuer that wants to certify the termination of its registration of a class of securities, or of its duty to file reports under Section 13(a) or Section 15(d), uses Form 15F, not Form 6-K.
- Foreign governments and their political subdivisions have their own annual report, Form 18-K.
- Reports titled as annual reports or quarterly reports under Section 13 or 15(d) are Form 10-K and Form 10-Q.
Check the text of the form and the SEC's rules to confirm that Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 applies to your situation before you complete it.
How to fill out Form 6-K
Confirm Form 6-K is the right form
Check that the form title, Report of foreign private issuer pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16, matches the report you need to make. Forms such as 15F and 18-K serve different purposes.
Open the fillable PDF
Open the form on FillingPDF. The PDF matches the one the SEC publishes at https://www.sec.gov/files/form6-k.pdf.
Read the printed instructions
Read the text printed on the form and the SEC's rules it cites before you enter anything.
Enter the information the form asks for
Work through the form in order and type each answer in the matching field, using the format the form prints.
Review every entry
Compare each entry with your records and with the rules the form cites.
Download or print the completed PDF
Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF, then use the SEC's channels to submit it.
How to submit Form 6-K
The SEC publishes Form 6-K as a PDF at https://www.sec.gov/files/form6-k.pdf and lists it in its forms index at https://www.sec.gov/submit-filings/forms-index. Use those SEC pages to confirm the current form and the agency's filing channels. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the SEC's channels.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using Form 15F to report under Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16; the SEC lists Form 15F as a certification of termination of registration or of the duty to file reports.
- Choosing Form 18-K, which is the annual report for foreign governments and political subdivisions, when the filer is a foreign private issuer reporting under Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16.
- Mixing up Form 6-K with Form 10-K or Form 10-Q, which the SEC lists as annual and quarterly reports under Section 13 or 15(d).
- Treating a downloaded or printed PDF as a filed report; the SEC publishes the form, and the completed PDF still has to reach the SEC through its channels.
Frequently asked questions
What is Form 6-K?
Form 6-K is the SEC form titled Report of foreign private issuer pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16. It is the report a foreign private issuer makes under those two rules. The SEC publishes the PDF at https://www.sec.gov/files/form6-k.pdf.
Who files Form 6-K?
By its title, Form 6-K is a report of a foreign private issuer under Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16, so foreign private issuers are its audience. Foreign governments use Form 18-K, and Form 15F covers termination of registration.
Can I fill out Form 6-K 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 the report with the SEC; you submit it through the SEC's channels.
What is the difference between Form 6-K and Form 10-K?
Form 6-K is a report of a foreign private issuer under Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16. Form 10-K is the SEC's annual report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d), a different form with a different title and purpose.
Is Form 6-K the same as Form 15F?
No. 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 15(d). Form 6-K is a report under Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16.
Where can I find the official Form 6-K PDF?
The SEC publishes it at https://www.sec.gov/files/form6-k.pdf and lists it in its forms index at https://www.sec.gov/submit-filings/forms-index. Use the SEC's PDF to confirm that you have the current form.
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