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Step 1 of 7Internal Revenue Service · 8821 · 2021-01

IRS Form 8821 Online (Tax Information Authorization)

Use this preparation-only workflow when a tax professional, lender, or other designee needs access to specified IRS records. PostalForm fills the current form and sends the unsigned kit to the customer, not the IRS. The customer reviews it, hand-signs and dates it, adds required attachments, verifies the current destination, and personally submits it.

Let your tax pro or lender see your IRS records — without handing over control

We fill the form and mail an unsigned preparation kit to you. You complete the original signatures, physical enclosures, and final submission.

Current step
Getting started
Whose tax information is being shared? and How many designees are you authorizing?
This step
2 fields · 2 required

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Step 1

Getting started

Form 8821 authorizes someone to VIEW or RECEIVE your confidential tax information — it does not let them represent you before the IRS (that's Form 2848). A separate form is required for each taxpayer; spouses each file their own.

2 required

If you're an officer, trustee, executor, or other fiduciary completing this for a business, estate, or trust, choose the second option.

The form has room for two. For more than two, list the first two here and attach a list of the others.

Need more context?

The form is ready to fill now. If you want supporting instructions, mailing notes, or source links, they are below.

Important details+

Form 8821 lets a designee inspect or receive specified tax information; it does not authorize representation. We fill and print the form and send the unsigned kit to you. After delivery, review every authorization term, hand-sign and date it, add any retained-authorization copies, verify the correct CAF or case-specific destination, and submit it yourself.

What you need+
  • Taxpayer name, mailing address, and SSN, ITIN, or EIN
  • Each designee's name, address, CAF number (or "None"), and PTIN if they have one
  • The type of tax information, tax form numbers, and years or periods covered
  • Taxpayer signature and date (designees do not sign Form 8821)
  • Hand-sign the printed form after the preparation kit is delivered
  • List of additional designees (optional) — Only needed if you're authorizing more than two designees. Include each additional designee's name, address, and CAF/PTIN details.
  • Copies of prior authorizations to keep in effect (optional) — Only needed if you checked line 5. Without attached copies, the IRS revokes prior tax information authorizations for the same matters and periods.
Form summary+

Use this preparation-only workflow when a tax professional, lender, or other designee needs access to specified IRS records. PostalForm fills the current form and sends the unsigned kit to the customer, not the IRS. The customer reviews it, hand-signs and dates it, adds required attachments, verifies the current destination, and personally submits it.

How it works+
  1. Prepare the form online
  2. Review the unsigned preparation kit
  3. Receive the single-sided kit at your address
  4. Add signatures and physical items, then submit it yourself
Where it gets mailed+

PostalForm mails the unsigned preparation kit to you. You complete the signatures, physical enclosures, and final submission yourself.

Packet order+
  • Customer assembly instruction cover (remove and keep before final submission)
  • Prepared unsigned form (signature and reserved third-party fields blank)
  • Printed reference attachments
Common mistakes+
  • Confusing Form 8821 with Form 2848 — Form 8821 does not authorize anyone to represent you before the IRS.
  • Writing "All years" or "All taxes" on line 3 — the IRS requires specific types, forms, and periods.
  • Mailing to the wrong CAF unit — the address depends on the state of the taxpayer's mailing address.
  • Missing the 120-day rule — for non-tax-matter disclosures (like loan applications), the IRS must receive the form within 120 days of the signature date.
  • Signing a blank or incomplete form — the IRS warns against it and returns undated forms.
  • Accidentally revoking a prior authorization you wanted to keep by skipping line 5 and its attachment.
FAQs+
Where do I mail IRS Form 8821?

It depends on the taxpayer's address. Most eastern and southern states use Memphis; western states plus Wisconsin use Ogden; territories, APO/FPO, and foreign addresses use the International CAF Team. Verify the current destination after the kit arrives.

Does Form 8821 let someone represent me before the IRS?

No. Form 8821 only authorizes them to inspect or receive your confidential tax information. To authorize representation — speaking or acting for you — use Form 2848, Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative.

Can I submit Form 8821 online instead of mailing it?

Yes. It can be uploaded at IRS.gov/Submit8821 (processed in the same first-in, first-out queue as mail and fax), and tax professionals can request tax information authorizations for individuals through the IRS Tax Pro Account, which posts in near real time. Mail or fax remains fully accepted.

What is the 120-day rule on Form 8821?

If the authorization is for a purpose other than resolving a tax matter with the IRS — for example, income verification for a loan — the IRS must receive the form within 120 days of the taxpayer's signature date.

Does my designee sign Form 8821?

No. Only the taxpayer signs Form 8821. The IRS returns forms that aren't signed and dated by the taxpayer.

How long does the IRS take to process Form 8821?

Mailed, faxed, and uploaded forms are processed in the order received — typically within one to two weeks, longer during filing season. Tax Pro Account authorizations for individual taxpayers can post almost immediately.

Sources+
Related+
Last verified+

Last Internal Revenue Service verification: July 12, 2026