The Benefits of Faxing to the IRS and How to Get Started: Step-by-Step Guide

The rise of digital telecommunications has pushed fax machines out of the spotlight. Still, statistics show that a considerable chunk of small businesses in the US still enjoy the benefits of faxing.

In fact, 46% of small businesses in the US, mostly from healthcare, finance, and real estate industries, were using fax in 2021. Even individual US taxpayers can benefit from faxing the IRS because they don’t have to file different forms by mail.

The IRS doesn’t allow you to submit all forms and documents via fax, so you can use this filing method when applying for EIN or registering an S corporation.

In this step-by-step guide, we’ll tell you all you need to know about the benefits of faxing to the IRS and what you need to do to get started.

Reasons to Fax a Form to the IRS

Younger generations may consider fax machines obsolete as they increasingly rely on digital documents. Even though most households in the United States have computers and internet access, faxing the IRS might be more convenient in some situations than e-filing documents.

Let’s explore some of the most common reasons to fax forms to the IRS.

1. Quick delivery

Meeting the IRS’ hard deadlines can be challenging. Faxing a form or document you must submit to the IRS will minimize the waiting time and ensure that the agency gets your documents on time.

Faxing systems are incredibly reliable, so you won’t have to worry whether the IRS website is temporarily down or the stability of your WiFi network. In addition, mailing a form to the IRS can take weeks, while faxing a document takes a few minutes.

2. Protection of Sensitive Data

You can never know what might happen to your documents when you send them via mail. So, if the form or a document you want to send to the IRS contains sensitive information, it’s better not to risk sending it via mail.

Although it doesn’t happen frequently, some letters can get lost in transit, so the IRS may never get the documents you send. On the other hand, faxing the IRS ensures no one unauthorized can see your form or document.

3. Low cost

Paying a tax software subscription or postage fees can be an unnecessary expense if you have access to a landline and a faxing machine.

Faxing the IRS with an online faxing service is more affordable than sending a form via mail. That said, sending a fax from a USP, FedEx, or Office Depot is more expensive than the postage fee.

Which IRS Forms Can You Send Via Fax?

The IRS won’t accept your tax return if you fax it to them because the agency only accepts returns filed with tax software like H&R Block or sent in the mail. Even though you cannot file a tax return on an amended return via fax, the fax filing option is available for several IRS forms.

Moreover, you use fax to send Form W2 to the IRS, request a tax return transcript, submit a bank statement, or inform the IRS you intend to dispute their assessment after an audit.

Here’s an overview of forms you can fax to the IRS.

1. Form SS-4

Faxing Form SS-4 to the IRS will speed up your EIN application and eliminate the need to send the form’s paper version to the IRS. The fax number you must use will depend on your legal residence status in the United States.

• Legal residents from all fifty states can fax the form to this number: 855-641-6935
• You should fax the form to 304-707-9471 if you’re not a legal resident and applying for EIN from outside the US.

2. Form 2553

C corporation and LLC owners who want to avoid taxation at the corporate level can file Form 2553 to make an election and be treated as an S corporation for tax purposes.

The fax number you should use depends on your business’ location, so if your company is registered in Michigan or New York, you should fax the form to 855-887-7734. The fax number you should use if your business is in California or Colorado is 855-214-7520.

3. Form 8806

Although most taxpayers don’t use Form 8806, you may still need it if your business’ ownership structure changes. E-filing or mailing this form to the IRS is no longer possible, so your only option is to fax it. You must fax Form 8806 to 844-249-6232

4. Form 8886

Individuals and businesses must inform the IRS whenever they participate in a reportable transaction. Any transaction with tax avoidance potential can be a reportable transaction. Hence, you must check the criteria for filing Form 8886 on the IRS website.

You can fax Form 8886 Reportable Transaction Disclosure Statement to 844-253-2553 regardless of where you live. You may have to fax Form 8918 to 1-844-253-5607 if the IRS sends you a notice requesting additional information about a reportable transaction.

5. Form 8962

Taxpayers eligible for the Premium Tax Credit must file Form 8962 to claim it. In most cases, you’ll have to attach it to Form 1040 or one of its variants, making faxing it to the IRS difficult.

Still, you can fax this form to 1-855-204-5020 and use a different filing method to file your tax return.

Faxing an IRS Form

We didn’t list all forms you can fax to the IRS above, so you must determine if this filing method is available for the particular form you want to send to the IRS.

Once you find the appropriate fax number and correctly fill out the form, you can send it.

The process will be simple if you can access a fax machine since you have to number the pages, arrange them correctly, put them in the machine’s feeder tray, and dial the fax number.

You can go to a local FedEx or Office Depot store if you can’t complete this process at home. Using an online faxing service is also an option. But you’ll have to digitize the form, so filing it through your IRS account might be faster and cheaper.

However, an online faxing service can be a good option if you’re filing Form 8806 or a similar form that can only be faxed to the IRS.

Here’s how to send a fax with an online fax service:

• Log in to your account and find the Send option.
• Upload the form you want to send and insert the appropriate fax number.
• Hit send and wait for the confirmation email.

You don’t have to notify the IRS after you fax them because they will contact you if they need additional information.

Receiving Information from the IRS via Fax

Although the IRS primarily relies on the postal service to deliver notices to taxpayers, the agency can sometimes use its electronic fax system to issue a levy.

You might get an e-levy if the IRS intends to garnish your wages or Social Security benefits. But only if you provide a fax number can they send you Form 668-A or Form 668-W.

Taxpayers required to appear before an IRS officer or deliver their financial records can receive e-summons. However, they cannot use the electronic fax system to respond to Form 2039 or Form 6639 they receive in this way.

Remember, the IRS can only send you e-levies and e-summons if you request to participate in the electronic document transmission program.

Frequently Asked Questions

Reaping the Benefits of Faxing IRS Forms

The IRS doesn’t offer a wide range of filing options. You can either e-file mail or fax different forms to the agency. You should consider faxing the IRS if you want to avoid applying for EIN online or if you’d like to claim the premium tax credit. 

Sending a fax to the IRS can also be beneficial if your account is audited because it allows you to quickly show documents that prove the IRS’s assessment of your account is wrong. 

However, this filing method is only available for some forms and documents you may have to send to the IRS, and you’ll only be able to use it under particular circumstances.