Disclosure Authorization and E.A.R Purge

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE – D.A. and E.A.R. Retirement Delayed by Three Weeks. The planned retirement of Disclosure Authorization and Electronic Account Resolution on August 11, 2013 has been delayed until September 2 while IRS completes the transition to our new web portal. DA and EAR users have an additional three weeks to use both electronic products. Once the portal transition work is complete, DA and EAR would then be retired as previously planned and will be unavailable for use.

The planned retirement of Disclosure Authorization and Electronic Account Resolution on August 11, 2013 has been delayed until September 2 while IRS completes the transition to our new web portal. DA and EAR users have an additional three weeks to use both electronic products. Once the portal transition work is complete, DA and EAR would then be retired as previously planned and will be unavailable for use.

Due largely to low usage of e-Service’s Disclosure Authorization (DA) and Electronic Account Resolution, the IRS decided earlier this year to retire and remove the two applications effective Aug. 11.

Last year, users submitted less than 10 percent of all disclosure authorizations through the DA application. Similarly, only three percent of all account-related issues came in through the EAR application.

In anticipation of this change, the IRS increased the number of employees who process authorizations and has improved internal work processes to decrease the average processing time significantly from the current 10-day processing period.

The IRS will continue to explore better ways to reduce processing time and improve overall service to the users.  However, current budget cuts will impact their dedicated resources to this program and they are working to determine the impact on processing time.

Once IRS removes the two applications, former DA users will need to complete Form 2848, Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative, or Form 8821, Tax Information Authorizations, and mail or fax it to the appropriate IRS location listed on the form’s instructions. Please allow at least 4 days for the authorization to post to the IRS database before requesting a transcript through the Transcript Delivery System. Former EAR users should call the Practitioner Priority Service at 1-866-860-4259 for help resolving account-related issues.

See: IRS Selects New Commissioner and Leadership Team