IRS Tests TDC Secure Messaging Program

The IRS is testing the Taxpayer Digital Communications (TDC) Secure Messaging program to streamline correspondence audits. The TDC program focuses on audits involving Schedule A Itemized Deductions, the Child Care Credit and the Education Credit, which are processed by the IRS Philadelphia Campus. For approximately 19,000 of these audits, taxpayers and their tax professionals with valid powers of attorney (POA) can communicate with the IRS using secure messaging.

This program is by invitation only. If your client is under audit with the Philadelphia Campus and the audit letter says the client can use secure messaging to reply to the IRS, encourage your client to sign up using the website provided in their letter. Once your client registers via IRS Secure Access, you will be able to register under your own SSN and complete the request access verification process.

Before you can participate as a tax professional, your power of attorney must be filed on the IRS Centralized Authorization File (CAF) system. After you authenticate and the IRS verifies your power of attorney, you will have access to your own secure messaging mailbox.

Additional Information regarding secure messaging and other options is available on IRS.gov at Alternatives to Secure Messaging.