How To File Form 3115 Change Of Accounting Method

IRS offers coronavirus-friendly procedure for changing accounting method

By Michael Cohn July 29, 2020, 12:54 p.1000. EDT one Min Read

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Internal Revenue Service is implementing a new temporary procedure for faxing the indistinguishable copy of Form 3115, "Application for Change in Accounting Method," for companies applying for an automatic change in accounting method.

Since the kickoff of the pandemic, the IRS has loosened some of its rules for sending forms and other documents, allowing more forms to exist faxed and securely emailed as the agency was unable to open the millions of documents sent in the mail and needed to store them in trailers. Now that many IRS employees have returned to piece of work, they have been going through the mail service that has piled up, but outbreaks around the country have nevertheless made it difficult for all employees to render to the agency and catch up with the backlog.

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Previously, taxpayers mailed a newspaper duplicate re-create of Form 3115 to the IRS and filed the original Form 3115 with their tax return. Under the new temporary procedure, starting Friday, July 31, the IRS will take the duplicate copy of Form 3115 via fax to (844) 249-8134. The change will apply only to taxpayers who are asking for consent to make a modify in bookkeeping method under the automatic modify procedure. This temporary process will be in effect until further notice.

"Taxpayers will still need to submit two copies of the Form 3115 to the IRS," the IRS said on its website Wednesday. "Taxpayers must continue to file Course 3115 with their revenue enhancement return (including extensions). However, instead of mailing the duplicate paper re-create of Form 3115 to the IRS in Ogden, Utah, taxpayers tin can now fax it to (844) 249-8134."

The embrace sheet of the fax should include the following information:

Bailiwick: Course 3115
Sender'south name, championship, phone number, accost
Taxpayer's name
Date
Number of pages faxed (including cover sheet)

The IRS cautioned that taxpayers should non include sensitive data on the cover sheet, such equally an Employer Identification Number or Social Security number. The IRS won't provide a confirmation or receipt of the fax. It advised taxpayers to check their fax manual log to verify that all the Form 3115 pages take been sent.

The IRS has provided a set of questions and answers on matters such every bit who is affected by the modify on its website.