IRS Launches Tax Pro Accounts

Tax professionals can now digitally initiate Powers of Attorney (POAs) and Tax Information Authorizations (TIAs) with IRS’s new Tax Pro Account. These digital authorization requests are simpler versions of Forms 2848 and 8821.
 
Once they are completed and submitted by the tax professional, these authorization requests will appear in the taxpayer's Online Account for review, approval or rejection, and electronic signature. Because taxpayers’ identities already are verified at the time of login, they can simply check a box as their signature and submit the authorization request to IRS.
 
Completed digital authorizations go directly to the Centralized Authorization File (CAF) database and don’t require manual processing. Most requests will be immediately recorded and appear on the list of approved authorizations in the taxpayer’s Online Account and the tax professional’s Tax Pro Account. Tax professionals may then go to e-Services Transcript Delivery Service to see the taxpayer’s records.
 
This digital authorization process is currently available only to individual taxpayers, not to businesses or other entities. Read the IRS news release here, and get additional insights from the Journal of Accountancy.

Share these Online Account resources with your clients:

• Publication 5533, Why You Should Create an IRS Online Account
• Publication 5533-A, How to Submit Authorizations Using Tax Pro Account and Online Account