Can this person talk to the IRS for me?

No. They can look at the returns you list, or receive copies of notices if you check that box. They cannot argue an audit, sign a waiver, or cash a refund. That is Form 2848. A joint return needs a separate Form 8821 from your spouse.

What do I write for the tax years?

Write the actual years, the way the instructions do: Income, 1040, 2023 thru 2025. Or Excise, 720, 2024. Do not write All years, All periods, or All taxes. The IRS sends those back. Future years recorded on the IRS file generally stop three years after December 31 of the year they receive the form.

What if they do not have a CAF number?

Write None. A CAF number is the nine-digit file number the IRS already gave them on an older Form 8821 or 2848. If they do not have one, the IRS assigns it. A paid preparer also enters a PTIN, for example P01234567.

Why is there no signature pad?

A faxed Form 8821 has to be signed by hand. A typed name or a signature-pad image is only accepted if you file online at IRS.gov/Submit8821. We fax the scan you upload, and we never put SingleFax on the designee line.

What if a bank just needs this for a loan?

That is a specific use, not the general IRS file. The instructions say the IRS must get that Form 8821 within 120 days of the date you sign. Those go to the office handling the request, through generic send, not this CAF fax.

SingleFax

File Form 8821 by fax

Name: Form 8821 by fax
Brand: SingleFax
Price: 14.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Let a person or firm look at the tax records you name, or get copies of your IRS notices. They cannot speak for you. That is Form 2848. $14.99.

Example: Income, Form 1040, 2023 thru 2025, so your preparer can see those returns. A one-time request for a lender or a background check is not this fax. Send that on generic send to the office handling it. We leave the software-provider box and the “keep my old authorizations” box unchecked, so this form replaces older Forms 8821 on file. New York State tax matters use Form POA-1, not this federal form. Letting a payroll company sign employment returns is Form 8655.

Step 1 of 4, Your records

Whose tax records?

Your name and address, not the person you are authorizing. A joint return still needs your spouse to file their own Form 8821. This address does not change the address the IRS has on file.

Who is the taxpayer?

You, if these are your personal returns. A business, if these are the company’s returns.

Name on the tax return

The name the IRS already has. Example: Jane Example, or Acme Widgets LLC.

Your mailing address

Street, city, state, and ZIP. Example: 100 Main Street, Albany, NY 12207.

State where you live

This picks the fax number. New York uses Memphis, 855-214-7519. California uses Ogden, 855-214-7522. Use your state, not the other person’s.

I am sending this from outside the United States

Social Security number, ITIN, or EIN

Nine digits. A person uses an SSN or ITIN, for example 123-45-6789. A business uses an EIN, for example 12-3456789.

Daytime phone

A number where you can be reached. Example: 518-555-0100.

Retirement plan number, if this is a plan

Most people leave this blank. A retirement plan uses the three-digit plan number, for example 001.

File Form 8821 by fax

Whose tax records?

FAQ