Online Form 8821 Generator Let someone see your IRS records

Use Form 8821 to let a person or company inspect or receive your confidential tax information. Watch the official IRS form fill in as you type, then download or print it.

Taxpayer

You, the person or business whose tax information will be shared. Spouses who filed jointly each file their own Form 8821.

Your name, or the business, plan, trust, or estate name. Trusts and estates: see the Line 1 instructions.

This doesn’t change your address with the IRS. Use Form 8822 for that.

Businesses, plans, and trusts enter their EIN.

Employee plans only.

Designees

The person or organization that may inspect or receive your tax information. Use the same full name on every form.

New since the CAF number was issued? Optional
More than two designees? Optional

Tax information

List each type of tax, form, and year or period the designee may see. General entries such as “All years” or “All taxes” get the form returned.

Income, Employment, Payroll, Excise, Estate, Gift, Civil Penalty…

Enter N/A for a civil penalty.

Fiscal years: YYYYMM of the year end.

Leave blank to print “Not applicable” (no limit).

Add more tax matters Optional

Row 2

Row 3

Sign and date

Don’t sign a blank or incomplete form. An officer, partner, trustee, or executor signing for the taxpayer certifies they have the authority to.

How will you sign?

An on-screen signature is an electronic signature: submit the form online at IRS.gov/Submit8821. Faxing or mailing it? Choose Sign on paper.

Signature

Leave blank to use the taxpayer name from step 1.

If you sign for a business, plan, trust, or estate, for example President or Trustee.

0 of 7 required

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Understanding Form 8821

Form 8821, Tax Information Authorization, lets you name a person or organization, called a designee, who may inspect or receive your confidential tax information for the types of tax, forms, and years you list. It shares information; it doesn’t make the designee your representative.

Accountants, bookkeepers, payroll providers, and lenders often ask for one so they can see transcripts, notices, or balances. A designee can’t speak for you, sign agreements, or argue your case with the IRS; for that you need Form 2848, Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative. Most authorizations are recorded on the IRS Centralized Authorization File (CAF), and a new Form 8821 revokes the ones already on file unless you check line 5 and attach copies of those you want to keep.

Filling out Form 8821 step by step

Enter your name, address, and SSN, ITIN, or EIN, then up to two designees with their CAF numbers, or NONE if they don’t have one yet. On line 3, list the type of tax, the form number, and the specific years or periods; general entries such as “All years” get the form returned. Check line 4 only for a specific use the IRS doesn’t record on the CAF, such as a disclosure to a lender.

The official form fills in as you type. Sign on screen and upload the PDF at IRS.gov/Submit8821, or choose Sign on paper, print, and sign in ink if you’ll fax or mail it, since the IRS doesn’t accept electronic signatures on mailed or faxed forms. You’ll find more IRS forms in our tax form generators.

Form 8821 FAQ

What’s the difference between Form 8821 and Form 2848?

Form 8821 only lets your designee inspect or receive your tax information. Form 2848 authorizes someone who is eligible to practice before the IRS, such as an attorney, CPA, or enrolled agent, to represent you, and it also gives them access to your information. If you only need someone to see your records, Form 8821 is enough.

How do I submit Form 8821?

Online at IRS.gov/Submit8821, by fax, or by mail. The fax numbers and addresses depend on where you live and are listed in the instructions. If you checked line 4 for a specific use, mail or fax it to the IRS office handling that matter instead.

Can I sign Form 8821 electronically?

Yes, but an electronically signed Form 8821 can only be submitted online at IRS.gov/Submit8821. Forms you mail or fax need a handwritten signature in ink. That’s why the generator lets you choose Sign on paper, which leaves the signature and date blank for you to fill in by hand.

Is this Form 8821 generator free?

Yes. It costs nothing to fill out, sign, download, or print, and there’s no account to create.

Is my information safe?

Yes. Nothing you type is uploaded to or saved by forms.app; the PDF is put together in your browser, on your device. Nothing is kept after you close the page, so download your form first.

Does a new Form 8821 cancel my old ones?

Usually. Unless you check line 4, the IRS automatically revokes the tax information authorizations already on file. To keep one, check line 5 and attach a copy of each authorization you want to keep.

Is there a deadline after I sign?

If the authorization is for something other than resolving a tax matter with the IRS, such as income verification for a lender, the IRS must receive it within 120 days of your signature date. That limit doesn’t apply when the form is for help with a tax matter.

Can my spouse and I use one Form 8821?

No. Even if you filed a joint return, the designee is authorized only for the taxpayer who signs. Your spouse files a separate Form 8821 to authorize a designee for themselves.