IRS is relaxing e-mail and fax rules to receive and send documents. How do I use these new tools?

[rgl4]

How do I email or eFAX documents (like form 8453) now that IRS allows it (https://www.irs.gov/pub/foia/ig/spder/nhq-01-0320-0001.pdf) due to COVID-19 when IRS employees are working from home and paper documents are being stored unopened.

[JotikaT2]

It depends.

Attached is a link with more information as to what departments are available to contact at the moment.

IRS operations

[rgl4]

Usually we mail supporting paper documents (I have already filed federal tax forms online using Turbotax) to Utah or Texas IRS offices.  I am afraid that these will only be stored in trailers (https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/20/politics/irs-mail-trailers-covid/index.html) and not processed - delaying tax returns.  Do we call the IRS (What number to call?) so that we can tell them that we are e-mailing or eFaxing documents?

[macuser_22]

@rgl4 - I believe that you are misinterpreting that.   If the IRS requires additional documents from you in order to process your tax return they will mail you a letter that normal gives you an address to mail those documents to.   This allows the IRS employee to also tell you that you can choose to FAX or email the documents and the letter should explain how.

I do not see anywhere that you can fax an original tax return.   It says it allows "IRS employees" to accept "signatures" and "documents" and then  explains what documents.  IRS employees only request those documents after you file and your tax return has been flagged for human processing.

[rgl4]

After filing using Turbotax Deluxe (Windows), I get an Electronic Filing Instructions page which includes a section "What you need to mail (in my case form 8453 to Austin, Texas) -  Mail form 8453 promptly after your return is accepted with attached forms ....".  These is the form that I wish to send.

[macuser_22]

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@rgl4 wrote:

After filing using Turbotax Deluxe (Windows), I get an Electronic Filing Instructions page which includes a section "What you need to mail (in my case form 8453 to Austin, Texas) -  Mail form 8453 promptly after your return is accepted with attached forms ....".  These is the form that I wish to send.

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Right, so mail it to that address. That is the only way to file a 8453.

[rgl4]

Here is a list of documents that previously  (I believe) needed to be sent by mail but due to COVID-19 can now be electronically transmitted to the IRS (https://www.irs.gov/pub/foia/ig/appeals/ap-08-0420-0003.pdf).  The list is not inclusive according to the memo.  All these memos, do not contain instructions for users but are instructions for IRS employees.  I would like to fill in this info.

[macuser_22]

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@rgl4 wrote:

Here is a list of documents that previously  (I believe) needed to be sent by mail but due to COVID-19 can now be electronically transmitted to the IRS (https://www.irs.gov/pub/foia/ig/appeals/ap-08-0420-0003.pdf).  The list is not inclusive according to the memo.  All these memos, do not contain instructions for users but are instructions for IRS employees.  I would like to fill in this info.

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Yes, that is the list of documents that "Appeals employees" can accept via fax, not what you can just send.  Appeals employees that review tax returns are at several different locations and not that original form must be mailed and they each have their own fax number for that department.  Read the entire memo and it's purpose.   It is a memo to IRS employees, not to you.