If you’re tired of waiting for your Power of Attorney (POA) to arrive through the mail and want to expedite the process, there is a solution. The IRS has set up a way to review and sign your POAs online through their platform. There are two main steps to this process.
Step 1: Creating an Online IRS Account
Go to the IRS.gov website linked here. Click the sign in or create an account button, which will take you to a secure platform used by the IRS called ID.me. There, if you don’t already have an ID.me account, you will need to set one up and verify your identity. This will require using either a self-service process that requires a photo of a government ID (Passport, Driver’s license, or state ID) and a selfie, or a live call with an ID.me video chat agent. If you need assistance, there is a help site both on the ID.me page and linked here. After verification, or if you already have an ID.me account, you just need to wait for your accountant to submit a POA request.
Step 2: Review and Approve a POA
After the request is submitted, you should see a notification on the ID.me account home page with an option to review your POA request. If it is not showing up, you can also click authorizations at the top of the page and check the power of attorney and tax information authorizations. Find the request, then click approve/reject under the action’s column. Review the POA details, then check the required boxes for selecting the approve request button. Clicking the button will electronically sign and submit the POA. The request will be reflected in the IRS database without requiring manual processing, which leads to most requests being approved immediately, though it may require up to 48 hours.
After creating an ID.me account, step 2 can be repeated as needed when a POA is requested in the future, making it even easier to authorize them. If a paper POA is preferred, they can still be mailed or faxed to the IRS even if you have an account and have used the electronic process before. However, paper POAs come with additional delays for transit and processing by the IRS, so if you prefer expedience, electronic versions will be the faster method. If you have questions about this process, our Tax Department Team Members are able to help. Contact us for more information.