Authorization forms
The forms, from the source.
Each of these comes straight from the agency that issues it, so what you download is always the current revision. We do not host copies, because a form that has quietly gone out of date is worse than no form at all.
Choose the right one
Three forms, three different jobs.
Which one you need depends on what you are trying to establish and how quickly. Each links to the guide that walks through completing it.
Form 4506-C
IVES Request for Transcript of Tax Return
The standard route for mortgage lending. Authorizes an IVES participant to receive transcripts on the lender’s behalf. Typically 24 to 48 hours once accepted.
- Line 3 is the taxpayer’s current address; line 4 is the prior address only if it differs
- The signature attestation box must be ticked, or the request is rejected
- Signed within 120 days of submission
- Current revision is Rev. 10-2022 — older copies are rejected
Form 8821
Tax Information Authorization
The expedited route. Records an authorization on the CAF, after which transcripts within its scope can be retrieved without a new signature each time. Wet ink typically about three hours; electronically signed under 24 hours.
- Authorizes a designee to receive information, not to act for the taxpayer
- Line 3 governs what can be retrieved — scope it deliberately
- Signed within 120 days of submission
Form SSA-89
Authorization for the Social Security Administration to Release SSN Verification
Consent for SSA to confirm whether a name, date of birth and SSN match its records. Answers an identity question, not an income one. Typically about 15 minutes.
- Returns a Match or No Match — never the taxpayer’s own data
- The consent is the whole basis for the check; SSA will not proceed without it
- Valid for 90 days from the date signed
The IRS and SSA revise these forms, and a submission on a superseded revision is rejected. Linking to the agency means you always get the version in force today.
Before you send it
What causes most rejections.
The address does not match
The single most common cause. The address on the form must match what the IRS holds from the last filing, not necessarily where the borrower lives now.
Missing signature attestation
On the 4506-C the attestation box is separate from the signature. A form can be signed and still rejected without it.
Signer authority not stated
Business returns need the signer’s title. A 1065 needs Partner or Member; an 1120 needs an officer.
Ready when you are
A rejected form restarts the clock.
We validate authorizations before submission, so the conditions that cause rejections are caught while the borrower is still reachable rather than after the file has moved on.