IRS Form 2848 fax number: how to fax a power of attorney

Find the IRS CAF Unit fax number for your state or location. Sign Form 2848 by hand, scan it with ClearFax and send it to that number. If it doesn't go through, another try is included.

What is the IRS fax number for Form 2848?

The IRS fax number for Form 2848 depends on where you live. The Where To File Chart in the IRS's Form 2848 instructions lists 3 numbers:

Memphis: 855-214-7519

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia or West Virginia.

Ogden: 855-214-7522

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin or Wyoming.

Philadelphia, International CAF Team: 855-772-3156

All APO and FPO addresses, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, a foreign country, or otherwise outside the United States. The IRS lists 304-707-9785 for faxing from outside the United States.

Form 8821 uses the same 3 numbers. The IRS warns they may change without notice, so check irs.gov/Form2848 before sending either form.

Before you send

Sign by hand. The IRS requires a handwritten signature on a Form 2848 sent by fax or mail. Digital, electronic and typed signatures aren't valid on a faxed or mailed form.
Line 4. If you checked the box on line 4, don't use these 3 CAF Unit numbers. Send Form 2848 to the IRS office handling that matter.
Lines 5a and 5b. The IRS says some entries there mark the form as modified, which limits what your representative can do online for those tax matters. Check the IRS note first.
Send it once. The IRS says if you already faxed or mailed a form, don't submit it online too.

Fax Form 2848 with ClearFax

Open ClearFax and scan the signed form with the camera, or import the PDF from Files.
Check the page order. Remove any page you don't want to send.
Enter the CAF Unit fax number listed for your state or location above. ClearFax checks the number before you pay.
Check the pages and the price, then send.
Follow the fax network's status as it sends.
When the fax network reports a successful transmission, ClearFax saves a receipt PDF in your history.

What the IRS says about faxing

From the IRS's own pages. Check them before you send, because they can change.

You can submit Form 2848 or 8821 online, by fax or by mail.
A form with an electronic signature can only be submitted online.
The IRS processes forms in the order it gets them, whichever way they arrive.
All forms mailed or faxed to the IRS must have a handwritten, wet-ink signature.

Sources: Instructions for Form 2848, Instructions for Form 8821 and Submit Forms 2848 and 8821 online on irs.gov. Applying for an EIN instead? See how to fax Form SS-4.

What you get

A receipt PDF for every fax that goes through.
It shows the destination, page count, when the fax was sent and completed, the fax network's result, and a support code.
Share it, print it, or file it with your records.

A successful send means the fax network reported the transmission complete, not that a person read or accepted it.

If the fax fails

If the fax network reports a failed or partial send, your purchase isn't used up.
One purchase covers one successful fax, and another try with the same pages is included. The app shows the exact number of attempts before you pay.
You can fix the fax number and resend at no extra charge, with the same pages.
If every attempt fails, the purchase ends and the app shows your job ID.

Questions

What is the IRS fax number for Form 2848?

It depends on where you live. Memphis, 855-214-7519, covers the eastern states and D.C. Ogden, 855-214-7522, covers the western states. Philadelphia, 855-772-3156, covers APO and FPO addresses, U.S. territories and addresses outside the United States. The full list of states is in the IRS Instructions for Form 2848, which say the numbers may change without notice.

Does Form 8821 go to the same fax numbers?

Yes. The IRS Instructions for Form 8821 list the same three fax numbers, split by the same states.

Can I sign Form 2848 electronically and fax it?

No. The IRS says you must handwrite your signature on Form 2848 if you file it by mail or by fax. A form with an electronic, digitized or typed signature can only be submitted online at IRS.gov/Submit2848.

Does a successful send mean the IRS has recorded the authorization?

A successful send means the fax network reported the transmission complete, not that a person read or accepted it. ClearFax cannot tell you when the IRS records the form.