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In early April, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) expanded access to its online business tax account (BTA) portal to include tax-exempt organizations.
You can access the IRS’s news release here: Business Tax Account. We encourage our tax-exempt organization clients to consider establishing a BTA and granting access to appropriate organization officers. Use of the BTA may simplify dealings with the IRS and allow you to avoid mailings to the IRS, as well as long waits on phone lines.
The BTA is a secure, centralized platform that allows eligible users to manage their federal tax responsibilities online. It has been available in the past to certain business entities.
The IRS requires a designated official (DO) to register on behalf of the organization. The IRS website says that the following are eligible DOs of a tax-exempt organization:
- An officer of the organization (president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO))
- A board chairperson
- A trustee of a trust
The DO can authorize other designated users to access certain functions within the BTA platform for additional ease and convenience. Organizations should evaluate internally who should have access and how the platform fits into existing controls and procedures.
Once your organization has BTA access, you can, among other things:
- See the business name and address and other information on file with the IRS
- View tax balances, make payments and see payment history
- View eligible transcripts, such as payroll and income
- Request a tax compliance check
- Download select digital notices
The IRS may add new features to the BTA in the future. Those features may save your organization steps in dealing with the IRS and allow for quicker access to information than can be obtained by phone.
For additional information about BTAs, please visit the IRS’ official website. Remember to keep your log-in information secure, but available to more than one officer or director
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
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