Fill and sign Form 8821 for every client

Form 8821, Tax Information Authorization, lets a taxpayer name a designee, such as a CPA, enrolled agent or lender, to inspect and receive their confidential tax information for the tax types and years listed. It doesn't let the designee represent the taxpayer before the IRS; that takes Form 2848. BoltPDF fills the client's part from their record and gets it signed without printing anything.

What’s on Form 8821

The taxpayer: name, address, taxpayer identification number and phone.
The designee or designees: name and address, CAF number, PTIN, phone and fax, and whether they should get copies of notices.
The tax information: the type of tax, the tax form number, the years or periods, and any specific matters.
Specific use: whether it’s for a one-time purpose that isn’t recorded on the IRS’s Centralized Authorization File (CAF).
Earlier authorizations: whether ones already on file stay in place.
The taxpayer’s signature and the date.

Fill the client’s part from their record

Upload Form 8821 once. BoltPDF finds its fields and maps them to standard names, so a client’s name, address and SSN or EIN come straight from their record, the same values that fill their W-9 and Form 2848. Your designee details can be a column in your CSV or saved on each record. To prepare a batch, import a CSV with one row per client and download every 8821 at once.

Get it signed without the printer

Send the filled form as a client request. Your client opens the link, confirms their email with a code, checks the details, corrects anything that’s wrong, and signs. You approve their changes before anything is saved to the record, and BoltPDF keeps the signed PDF with a certificate of who signed, when and from which IP address. Requests can have a due date, with reminders emailed to clients who haven’t answered.

One packet for onboarding

Put Form 8821, Form 2848 and your engagement letter in a packet and they’re filled together from the client’s record as one PDF. Send the packet as one request and your client checks and signs both forms in one sitting.

Questions about Form 8821

What's the difference between Form 8821 and Form 2848?

Form 8821 lets the designee see and receive the taxpayer's information. Form 2848 lets an eligible representative, such as an attorney, CPA or enrolled agent, act for the taxpayer before the IRS. Many firms have clients sign one or both at onboarding.

Can my client sign Form 8821 electronically?

In BoltPDF, yes: send a client request that asks for a signature, and the client confirms their email, agrees to sign electronically and signs. The IRS accepts electronically signed Forms 8821 through its online submission tool; check its current rules for how you submit.

Can I prepare 8821s for my whole client list at once?

Yes. Import a CSV with one row per client, or use the records you already keep, and BoltPDF fills an 8821 for each one. Then send requests to up to 50 clients at a time to check and sign.

Last updated October 11, 2026. BoltPDF fills the form's official PDF. Check the IRS's instructions for the current revision and how to file it.