The US Internal Revenue (IRS) in a release (FS-2024-31) has announced the expansion of its Business Tax Account (BTA), a convenient online self-service tool, to include C corporations on 12 December 2024.

This expansion allows designated officials (DOs), who are authorised to bind the corporation, to utilise the platform legally. It also includes new features such as tax returns, tax accounts, and entity transcripts for the current tax year and some previous tax years, with some transcripts now available in Spanish. The new features allow DOs to view and pay their corporation’s tax balances and make federal tax deposits (FTDs).

BTA is a key part of the agency’s wide-ranging transformation initiative, transforming service at the IRS by offering taxpayers a seamless and convenient digital experience and helping them easily meet their tax obligations.

A person who is legally authorised to bind the corporation and a current employee who received a W-2 form from the corporation for the most recent tax-filing year. By registering as a DO, this person will have full access to the corporation’s tax information and can act on behalf of the corporation within BTA. Although a corporation can have more than one DO, every DO must be one of these officials.

The Designated official titles include President, Vice President, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), Secretary, Treasurer, and Limited Liability Company (LLC) Managing Member.

With the latest expansion, Designated Officials can view and pay their corporation’s tax balances and make Federal Tax Deposits (FTDs). In addition, DOs and sole proprietors can now use BTA to approve or reject a tax transcript authorization request from a lender through the IRS Income Verification Express Service (IVES).

How to register as a DO

First, gather all required tax records. Some of the same records needed to activate the BTA are also needed for DO registration. This includes the corporation’s EIN, federal tax return–either Form 1120 or Form 1120-S—and mailing address from the most recent IRS records.

Next, sign into the corporation’s existing Business Tax Account.

Finally, register as a DO by requesting a PIN. The PIN is unique to the requesting user and cannot be transferred to another user and is sent to the most recent business mailing address. The DO will receive the PIN within five to ten business days.

All DOs must revalidate annually using BTA. Though not required, a corporation can help ensure continued business access to BTA by having multiple DOs.