BEA Survey Questions

This survey is authorized by the International Investment and Trade in Services Survey Act. U.S. entities who receive this survey, or who have transactions covered by the survey with unaffiliated foreign persons are required to complete and return the survey to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Data reported on this survey is confidential and may be used only for analytical or statistical purposes. Without your prior written permission, the information filed on the survey cannot be presented in a manner that allows it to be individually identified.

No. Please report on a gross value basis (less taxes). Sales are reported on Schedule A and payments are reported on Schedule B, except for sales of transaction code 13, which are reportable on Schedule C.

A written request for an extension will be considered if it is received at least 15 days before the due date. BEA will provide a written response to such a request. Requests for extensions may also be sent via email to BE-22extension@bea.gov.


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Report currency amounts in U.S. dollars rounded to thousands (omitting 000). For example $1,455,328 should be reported as 1,455 and $2,328,596 should be reported as 2,329. Amounts less than $500 round to 0 and should, therefore, be omitted.

a. Call (202) 606-5588 to request the survey.
b. Go to http://www.bea.gov/surveys/pdf/be2205.pdf to download a copy of the survey.
c. Send an email to be-22@bea.gov for an .xls version of the BE-22. 


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Data reported on the BE-120 should be consolidated and reported at the top U.S. reporter's level. A consolidated BE-120 will cover all of your domestic U.S. operations' transactions with unaffiliated foreign persons, and it will also cover your U.S. domestic operations' transactions with your foreign affiliates, foreign parents, and members of your foreign parent group for services and intellectual property. The BE-120 DOES NOT cover transactions by your foreign affiliates with other foreign persons.

March 31, 2006


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Completion of a BE-22 survey is required of any U.S. person/company that had transactions (sales and/or purchases) in excess of $1,000,000 with unaffiliated foreign persons in any one of the services listed on the survey in 2005.


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The recording time of charges for the use of intellectual property follows the substance of the license agreement. However, if the rights to use intellectual property are sold or purchased outright for a fixed fee, under a non-cancellable contract, and where the licensor has no remaining obligations to perform, then the whole sum is reported as a sale or purchase in the period of the acquisition or disposal. Otherwise, charges are allocated over the life of the agreement. In practice, it may be feasible to record the payments only when they are made.

• If your company acquired and has voting control of a foreign entity, your survey should not consolidate their transactions under the U.S. Domestic Reporter. Any transactions between that foreign entity and the U.S. Reporter should be reported as transactions with foreign affiliates of the U.S. Reporter on the survey. You should go to www.bea.gov/surveys/diasurv for information on U.S. direct investment abroad survey requirements.
• If your company was acquired by a U.S.