The BE-140 Benchmark Survey of Insurance Transactions by U.S. Insurance Companies with Foreign Persons will be conducted once every five calendar years and covers years ending in 3 and 8. BEA will describe the proposed information collection in a public notice and will solicit comments according to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520). All legal authorities, provisions, definitions, and requirements contained in §§ 801.1 through 801.2 and 801.4 through 801.6 are applicable to this survey. Specific additional rules and regulations for the BE-140 survey are given in this section. More detailed instructions are given on the report form and in instructions accompanying the report form.

(a) Response required. A response is required from U.S. insurance companies subject to the reporting requirements of the BE-140 Benchmark Survey of Insurance Transactions by U.S. Insurance Companies with Foreign Persons, contained in this section, whether or not they are contacted by BEA. Also, a U.S. insurance company, or its agent, that is contacted by BEA about reporting on this survey, either by transmission of a report form or by written inquiry, must respond in writing pursuant to this section. This may be accomplished by:

(1) Completing and returning the BE-140 by the due date of the survey; or

(2) If exempt, by completing the determination of reporting status section of the BE-140 survey and returning it to BEA by the due date of the survey.

(b) Who must report. A BE-140 report is required of each U.S. insurance company that had insurance transactions with foreign persons in the categories covered by the survey during the calendar year covered by the survey.

(c) What must be reported. (1) A U.S. insurance company that had transactions with foreign persons that exceeded $2 million in the insurance categories covered by the survey during its calendar year, on an accrual basis, is required to provide data on the total transactions of each of the covered types of insurance transactions and must disaggregate the totals by country and by relationship to the foreign counterparty (foreign affiliate, foreign parent group, or unaffiliated). The $2 million threshold should be applied to insurance services transactions with foreign persons by all parts of the consolidated domestic U.S. Reporter. The determination of whether a U.S. insurance company is subject to this reporting requirement may be based on the judgment of knowledgeable persons in a company who can identify reportable transactions on a recall basis, with a reasonable degree of certainty, without conducting a detailed manual records search.

(2) A U.S. insurance company that had transactions with foreign persons that were $2 million or less in the insurance categories covered by the survey during its calendar year, on an accrual basis, is required to provide the total for each type of transaction in which they engaged.

(i) Voluntary reporting of insurance transactions. If, during the calendar year covered by the survey, total transactions were $2 million or less in the insurance categories covered by the survey, on an accrual basis, the U.S. insurance company may, in addition to providing the required total for each type of transaction, voluntarily report transactions at a country and affiliation level of detail on the applicable mandatory schedule(s).

(ii) [Reserved]

(3) Exemption claims: Any U.S. person that receives the BE-140 survey form from BEA but is not subject to the reporting requirements must file an exemption claim by completing the determination of reporting status section of the BE-140 survey and returning it to BEA by the due date of the survey. This requirement is necessary to ensure compliance with reporting requirements and efficient administration of the Act by eliminating unnecessary follow-up contact.

(d) Covered types of insurance services. Insurance services covered by the BE-140 survey consist of transactions between U.S. insurance companies and foreign persons for premiums and losses on primary insurance, premiums on reinsurance assumed and ceded, losses on reinsurance assumed and ceded, as well as receipts and payments for auxiliary insurance services.

(e) Types of transactions excluded from the scope of this survey. Premiums paid to, or losses received from, foreign insurance companies on direct insurance.

(f) Due date. A fully completed and certified BE-140 report, or qualifying exemption claim with the determination of reporting status section completed, is due to be filed with BEA by July 31 of the year after the year covered by the survey.