FS Form 4000, Request To Reissue United States Savings Bonds, is the Bureau of the Fiscal Service (TreasuryDirect) form for reissuing paper Series EE and Series I savings bonds, Retirement Plan Bonds and Individual Retirement Bonds in a new registration. Owners, coowners, surviving registrants, guardians, legal representatives and successor trustees use it, with the evidence the form's table lists for each case. On FillingPDF you can fill out the form online and download or print the completed PDF; the signatures must then be made in the presence of a notary or certifying officer, and the form goes to Treasury Retail Securities Services by mail.
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What is FS Form 4000?
FS Form 4000, Request To Reissue United States Savings Bonds, is the Bureau of the Fiscal Service form used to reissue paper (definitive) Series EE and Series I savings bonds, Retirement Plan Bonds and Individual Retirement Bonds in a new registration.
The form has three parts. Part A covers Series EE and Series I bonds. Part B covers Retirement Plan Bonds and Individual Retirement Bonds. Part C holds the signatures and the notary or certifying officer's certification. The form carries OMB No. 1530-0025.
When Series EE or Series I bonds are reissued, no paper bonds are provided. The reissued bonds are held in electronic form in a TreasuryDirect account, and Part A asks for that account's number, name and Social Security Number or Employer Identification Number. A bond reissued to an individual is in one name alone; the owner can add a secondary owner or beneficiary afterward inside TreasuryDirect. A bond reissued to an entity such as a trust is always solely in the entity's name.
The form is not for every bond transaction. To request payment of a bond, use FS Form 1522 instead. To reissue bonds to a personal trust, use FS Form 1851. For some changes to paper EE and I bonds, the SmartExchange program, which converts paper bonds to electronic form, can be used instead of this form.
Who needs to file FS Form 4000?
Use FS Form 4000 if you hold paper Series EE or Series I bonds, Retirement Plan Bonds or Individual Retirement Bonds and need them reissued in a different registration. The table on the form lists who may request each change and what evidence is needed:
- The owner named on the bonds, to change a name, add a secondary owner or add, change or remove a beneficiary.
- Both coowners, to remove a living coowner.
- The surviving registrant, to remove a deceased registrant.
- The purchaser, to correct the registration of bonds.
- An entitled person, after a divorce, legal separation or annulment, or through an estate or trust.
- A legal guardian, to show legal guardianship.
- The legal representative of an estate, or a successor legal representative.
- A successor trustee, to show the new successor trustee.
Do not use this form to request payment (use FS Form 1522) or to reissue to a personal trust (use FS Form 1851). For Series EE and Series I bonds, a minor may not sign a request, a minor under legal guardianship may not request reissue, and an incompetent owner, coowner or beneficiary may not request reissue; reissue is then in the name of the minor or incompetent alone. Persons named on the bonds, and the TreasuryDirect account owner or Account Manager if a different person, must sign.
When to file FS Form 4000
Submit FS Form 4000 when the registration of your paper bonds needs to change, such as a new owner, a removed or added beneficiary, a deceased registrant or a correction of an error. The form prints no filing deadline. It does set one limit: Series EE and Series I bonds may not be reissued within one month of final maturity, and Part B says the same for savings bonds generally. Do not sign until you are with the notary or certifying officer, because the form must be signed in their presence. The form estimates about 30 minutes to complete. For the change-of-ownership cases in the table, gather the listed evidence first, since the Fiscal Service may require additional evidence in any particular case.
Documents you need
- The savings bonds to be reissued, if any: the instructions say to send the securities, if any, with the form.
- FS Form 3500 or a plain sheet of paper, if you need more room than the bond table provides on Part A or Part B, line 1.
- Court order, for an owner's name change that was not due to marriage, divorce or adoption.
- Certified copy of the death certificate for the decedent, when a surviving registrant removes a deceased registrant.
- Certified copy of the divorce decree, when an entitled person reissues after a divorce, legal separation or annulment.
- Certified copy of the letters of appointment, when a legal guardian requests reissue.
- Certified copy of the letters of appointment and death certificate(s) for the decedent(s) named on the bonds, when the legal representative of an estate requests reissue.
- Current letters of appointment, when a successor legal representative of an estate requests reissue.
- Resignation letter, death certificate or court order showing why the original trustee is no longer acting, when a successor trustee requests reissue.
- Certification of Trust or the complete trust agreement including any amendments, also required for a successor trustee.
- A complete statement following the signature showing how a name change was authorized, for any name change other than by marriage.
How to fill out FS Form 4000
Confirm this is the right form
Use FS Form 4000 for paper Series EE, Series I, Retirement Plan or Individual Retirement bonds. Use FS Form 1522 to request payment and FS Form 1851 for reissue to a personal trust.
Find your row in the table
On page 1-3, find who you are and the change you want. The table shows which parts to complete, who must sign and what evidence to send.
Describe the bonds in Part A, line 1
For each bond enter the bond number, issue date (month and year), face amount and inscription, with Social Security Number, full names and addresses as on the bond. Enter the total face amount and attach FS Form 3500 or a plain sheet if you need more space.
Enter the TreasuryDirect account in line 2
Give the TreasuryDirect account number, the account name and the Social Security Number or Employer Identification Number. The reissued Series EE or I bonds go into that electronic account.
State the reason in line 3
Describe the reason for the reissue. If it is to correct an error, complete 3a: who purchased the bonds, whose funds were used, how the error occurred and how the bonds should have been registered. For gifts held in the purchaser's account, complete 3b with the recipient's name and Social Security Number.
Complete Part B for retirement bonds
Skip this part for Series EE and I. For Retirement Plan or Individual Retirement Bonds, describe the bonds in line 1, give the Taxpayer Identification Number, new registration and mailing address in lines 2a to 2c, and mark coowner or beneficiary (POD) with a name in line 2d.
Explain the Part B reason
Enter the reason for the reissue in Part B, line 3. For an error in registration, answer who purchased the bonds, whose funds were used and how the error occurred.
Read the tax liability notice
If a living owner or principal coowner's name is removed, the interest earned and previously unreported must be reported on that person's federal income tax return for the reissue year. This obligation cannot be transferred through a reissue.
Prepare the Part C signature blocks
Each person named on the bonds, and the TreasuryDirect account owner or Account Manager if different, needs a block with name, Social Security Number, address, daytime phone and email. Leave the signature blank until you are with the notary or certifying officer.
Review, download and sign before the notary
Check every entry, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF. Sign in ink in the presence of a notary or certifying officer, who completes the certification, and assemble the package described under How to submit.
How to submit FS Form 4000
FS Form 4000 goes to the Bureau of the Fiscal Service by mail; the form names no other channel. Unless accompanying correspondence tells you otherwise, send the signed form (without the instruction pages), the securities, if any, and any additional information to:
Treasury Retail Securities Services, P.O. Box 9150, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150
Legal evidence or documentation you submit cannot be returned. Sign in ink in the presence of a notary or authorized certifying officer before mailing; certifying officers are available at financial institutions, including credit unions, in the United States. Do not send the form to the Forms Management Officer in Parkersburg, WV, which is for comments only.
For bond-related inquiries, contact the Fiscal Service by email at [email protected], by phone at 844-284-2676 (toll free) or by fax at 612-629-4285. For some changes to paper EE and I bonds, SmartExchange at https://www.treasurydirect.gov/savings-bonds/manage-bonds/convert-paper-to-electronic/ is an alternative to this form. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Signing before you are with the notary or certifying officer; the form must be signed in ink in their presence, and their certification must list the names and date of appearance.
- Using FS Form 4000 to get paid for bonds or to reissue to a personal trust; the instructions send you to FS Form 1522 for payment and FS Form 1851 for a personal trust.
- Requesting reissue of Series EE or Series I bonds within one month of final maturity, which the form does not allow.
- Having a minor, a minor under legal guardianship or an incompetent owner, coowner or beneficiary sign the request for Series EE or Series I bonds.
- Putting bonds with different new registrations on one form; a separate form is needed for each new registration, and Part B needs a separate copy for each new form of registration.
- Naming a coowner or beneficiary on Part B, line 2d without marking a box; if a name is shown and neither box is marked, coownership is assumed.
- Signing under a changed name without writing it as the present legal name, changed by the manner of change from the name on the bonds.
- Mailing the instruction pages with the form, or sending it to the Parkersburg, WV address meant only for comments instead of the Minneapolis P.O. box.
- Expecting legal evidence such as a death certificate or letters of appointment to be returned; the Fiscal Service does not return it.
Frequently asked questions
What is FS Form 4000 used for?
FS Form 4000 is the Bureau of the Fiscal Service form for requesting reissue of paper Series EE and Series I savings bonds, Retirement Plan Bonds and Individual Retirement Bonds in a new registration, such as a new owner, a changed beneficiary or a corrected registration.
Do I need a notary to sign FS Form 4000?
Yes. The form must be signed in ink in the presence of a notary or authorized certifying officer, who completes the certification in Part C. Authorized certifying officers are available at financial institutions, including credit unions, in the United States.
Will I get a paper bond after reissue?
Not for Series EE or Series I. The form says the Fiscal Service no longer provides paper bonds when it reissues them; they are reissued in electronic form in a TreasuryDirect account, whose details you give in Part A, line 2.
Can I fill out FS Form 4000 online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. The form still has to be signed in front of a notary or certifying officer and mailed to the Fiscal Service; FillingPDF does not file or send it.
Where do I mail FS Form 4000?
Mail it to Treasury Retail Securities Services, P.O. Box 9150, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150, unless accompanying correspondence says otherwise. Send the form without the instruction pages, with any bonds and supporting evidence.
Is FS Form 4000 the form to cash in a savings bond?
No. To request payment, the instructions say to submit FS Form 1522 instead of this form. FS Form 4000 only changes how bonds are registered through a reissue.
What evidence do I send with FS Form 4000?
It depends on the change. Examples from the form's table are a certified copy of the death certificate to remove a deceased registrant, a certified copy of a divorce decree, letters of appointment for guardians and representatives, and trust documents for a successor trustee. Evidence is not returned.
Can a minor or incompetent owner request reissue?
No, for Series EE and Series I bonds. A minor may not sign a request, a minor under legal guardianship may not request reissue, and an incompetent owner, coowner or beneficiary may not request it. Reissue is in the name of the minor or incompetent alone.
What is the difference between FS Form 4000 and SmartExchange?
SmartExchange converts paper Series EE and I bonds to electronic form and allows some registration changes, such as a name change or adding, changing or removing a beneficiary, with the right evidence. FS Form 4000 is the written request by mail, and the table offers either route for those cases.
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