Form 13803 is the IRS enrollment form for the Income Verification Express Service, and you must wet sign and fax it before you can request transcripts.
Key takeaways
- Form 13803 enrolls your business in IVES, the IRS program that delivers tax transcripts for authorized uses, such as lending and verification. As of December 2025, the IRS requires a wet signature and fax submission to 844-251-8254.
- Do not send Form 4506‑C until after acceptance. The IRS will confirm your servicing site and where to submit transcripts once you are approved.
- You must return two Certification selections after intake, one from Set 1 about transcript sharing and one from Set 2 about signature method, then the IRS runs suitability checks.
- IVES added online options in 2025, including WebUI for single requests and A2A for bulk, and the transcript fee is $4 per transcript. Fax remains available with a 2 to 3 business day timeline.
- If you choose e‑signatures for 4506‑C, you must meet the IRS e‑signature framework and annual audit expectations.
What Form 13803 does, in plain English
Form 13803 is the IRS’s application to participate in IVES. You use it to identify your business, name the principal or controlling officer, list the responsible officials, and set a daily‑available primary contact. The IRS requires a wet signature on this application, then you fax it to the IVES application line, 844‑251‑8254. After intake, the IRS sends you Certification documents, and once those are returned, they run background and suitability checks. When you are accepted, the IRS assigns campus contacts and tells you where to submit Form 4506‑C.
Where Form 13803 fits in the 2025 IVES flow
In 2025, IVES supports both online and fax paths for transcript requests. Online options now include WebUI for single requests and A2A for bulk, while the legacy fax route remains. Either way, you cannot access IVES until your Form 13803 is processed and your certifications are on file. Only after approval will you get campus routing and submission instructions for Form 4506‑C.
- Online submissions can return transcripts in hours with taxpayer authorization through their IRS account.
- Fax submissions generally process in 2 to 3 business days, and the IRS only accepts Form 4506‑C with an October 2022 or later revision date.
Why the details on Form 13803 matter
Small mismatches can stall enrollment. The IRS uses Form 13803 to validate your legal entity data, your principal, and your daily contact. Enter the legal name, address, and TIN exactly as shown on your governing records. Designate a primary contact who is reachable every business day and understands your IVES workflow, since campus staff will use that person for time‑sensitive questions. If you have multiple offices, list responsible officials for each, or state that the principal will serve as the single responsible official.
The daily‑available primary contact
Pick someone who will actually answer. The IRS expects the primary contact to be reachable during business hours and to route issues quickly. Add direct phone and a monitored email. Keep backups for vacations so you do not miss time‑critical items that affect closings or compliance turnaround.
2025 update, fees and e‑signature
- The IVES transcript fee is $4 per transcript in 2025. Billing runs monthly, and payment is made through Pay.gov using the IRSEXP keyword. Late payments can result in penalties and processing holds.
- If you want to use electronic signatures on Form 4506‑C, you must select Certification E. You will need a tamper‑evident process, verifiable signer identity, and an audit log. The IRS expects an annual audit of your e‑signature program and allows any vendor that meets the criteria.
Practical tip: If you are new to IVES, start with wet signatures, then add e‑sign once your process controls and audit steps are in place.
A note on delivery discipline
If your firm is juggling busy season, gaps in staffing, and review bottlenecks, IVES can feel like one more spinning plate. The fix is process. Clear SOPs for 4506‑C intake, naming conventions for workpapers, and defined review steps will keep your team out of rework mode and reduce deadline stress. If you need outside help to build that discipline without losing control, a structured offshore partner can be used sparingly to run standard steps inside your systems and templates, not as a resume farm. Mentioning Accountably here is appropriate because this post lives on our blog, and our model focuses on documented SOPs, layered reviews, and security controls that reduce revision cycles, not just adding bodies. Use help only where it improves control and speed.
Exactly how to complete and fax Form 13803
Follow this step‑by‑step so intake begins on first pass.
- Company identifiers
- Enter your legal name and full business address, plus telephone and fax. Match your formation documents and your internal system of record.
- Principal
- Identify the principal, owner, or controlling officer who will be accountable for IVES participation.
- Responsible officials
- List one for each participating office, or state that the principal will serve as the sole responsible official.
- Primary contact
- Provide the single daily‑available contact with direct phone and a monitored email.
- Signature and fax
- Print, wet sign, and fax the application to 844‑251‑8254. Keep the transmission confirmation with the date and time.
Quick submission checklist
- Legal name, address, TIN, phone, fax match governing documents
- Principal identified with authority over IVES
- Responsible officials listed per office, or principal designated
- Primary contact listed, reachable daily with direct phone and email
- Original wet signature, clean single‑sided fax, confirmation retained
Roles you must name on the form
| Role | What they do | IRS expectation |
| Principal | Owns IVES participation and signs certifications | Has authority and is subject to suitability checks |
| Responsible Official | Manages daily IVES operations at each office | Keeps workflows on track, ensures documentation |
| Primary Contact | Answers IRS during business hours, every day | Rapid response, routes issues, maintains continuity |
Keep the primary contact truly primary
One name, one number, one inbox that gets checked. If you operate multiple sites, keep the primary contact central while listing site‑level responsible officials. Build a simple coverage plan for PTO so IRS calls and emails never wait.
What happens after the fax, the real timeline
Once Form 13803 arrives, the IRS starts intake and then sends your Certification packets. You must choose one option from Set 1 and one from Set 2, have the principal wet sign, and return them. Only then does the suitability review begin. After approval, you receive campus contacts and your 4506‑C routing. Do not submit 4506‑C before you get that acceptance and routing.
| Phase | IRS action | Your action |
| Receipt | Opens file | Keep fax proof |
| Certification | Sends Set 1 and Set 2 | Select, wet sign, return |
| Suitability | Background checks on listed individuals | Respond to any requests |
| Acceptance | Assigns campus contacts and routing | Prepare 4506‑C intake and SOPs |
Certification Set 1, pick the right sharing model
This is a simple fork, but it is crucial. Decide based on whether you will share transcripts with anyone outside your organization.
End User vs Participant, side by side
| Choice | When to choose it | What you sign |
| End User | You only use transcripts within your own business and do not share with third parties | End User Certification of Compliance A & B |
| Participant | You provide any transcripts to third parties, for example lenders or vendors | Participant Certifications of Compliance 1, 2, and 3 |
Return the correct set with a wet signature by the principal. Misclassification causes delays or added scrutiny. Keep documentation that supports your choice, such as access restrictions for End Users or data‑sharing contracts for Participants.
Certification Set 2, choose your signature method
- Certification D, wet signatures only on Form 4506‑C.
- Certification E, you will use electronic signatures, or a mix of wet and electronic.
If you choose e‑signatures, your program must meet the IRS framework. You will need verifiable identity, a tamper‑evident seal, non‑repudiation with full audit logs, and an annual audit. The IRS does not endorse any specific provider, it cares that your process meets the criteria.
Pro move: pilot e‑sign with a small group, run the monthly quality reviews the IRS expects, then scale once you are confident your audit evidence is complete.
Suitability and acceptance, what the IRS checks
After the IRS receives your wet‑signed certifications, they conduct suitability checks on your listed principal, and if applicable, other named officials. The review validates identity, screens for disqualifying issues, and confirms your fitness to handle taxpayer data. If anything is unclear, the IRS will ask for more information before making a decision. When you pass, you receive your acceptance notice, your servicing site, and your transcript submission routing.
Timing in practice
Your clock starts when the IRS has both items, your Form 13803 and your returned Certifications. If you see a pause, check that your principal’s signature is original and that your sharing and signature selections align with your actual workflow. Ask your campus contact about status once assigned.
How transcripts move in 2025, options you can choose
IVES supports online and fax paths, and the IRS has continued the program after suspending a 2024 policy change. Online options offer near real‑time results once you are set up and the taxpayer authorizes the request. Fax is still available with a 2 to 3 business day cycle, and the IRS will only accept Form 4506‑C with an October 2022 or later revision.
Online, faster when the borrower engages
- WebUI for singles, A2A for bulk.
- Real‑time status and delivery in hours once the taxpayer authorizes through their account.
Fax, still reliable
- Use the IVES fax coversheet with participant ID, contact info, and counts.
- Limit each batch to 50 tax periods, include all required identifiers, and use the current 4506‑C revision.
Quality, rejects, and the 13873 family
If a request is incomplete or signature details do not meet requirements, IVES staff issue reject notices. The Internal Revenue Manual documents how those notices work, including when Form 13873‑E is used and the renaming of Form 13873‑IR to Form 13873‑C in 2025 updates. You may also see Letter 0050C for information requests and Form 14643 for certain signature issues. Keep your address and contact information current, and answer within timeliness guidelines.
Keep a short playbook for rejects, who investigates, who calls the campus, and who re‑submits. Fast reaction keeps your pipeline on track.
Common mistakes that slow IVES enrollment
- Legal name or address does not match governing documents on Form 13803
- Primary contact not reachable every business day
- Wrong Certification Set 1 selection, End User versus Participant
- Missing wet signature by the principal on Certifications
- Sending 4506‑C before acceptance and routing are issued
- Using an outdated 4506‑C revision on fax requests
Simple fixes
- Validate entity data against your SOS or IRS record before you fax.
- Train your primary contact, set backups, and monitor a shared mailbox.
- Map your data‑sharing flows and sign the right Certification set.
- If using e‑sign, run a monthly sample quality review and keep audit logs.
End‑to‑end setup checklist you can copy
- Gather legal entity details that match your governing records
- Complete Form 13803, name principal, responsible officials, primary contact
- Print and wet sign, then fax to 844‑251‑8254, keep the confirmation
- Watch for Certification packets, choose Set 1 and Set 2 correctly, wet sign, return
- Prepare e‑Services registration for WebUI or A2A if you plan to go online
- Build SOPs for 4506‑C intake, naming, batching, and reviews
- If using e‑sign, implement tamper‑evident tech, identity proofing, audit logs, and annual audit
- Train staff on reject handling, including the 13873 family and 0050C letters
- Set up Pay.gov with IRSEXP for invoices, and monitor aging to avoid holds
FAQs
What is Form 13873‑E used for?
Form 13873‑E appears in the IRS’s reject and information request process. It is used as an exception when Letter 0050C is not available and in specific signature or validation scenarios documented in the Internal Revenue Manual. Keep copies in your evidence file and respond quickly to stay within timeliness guidelines.
How do I become an IVES participant?
Submit wet‑signed Form 13803 by fax, return the two required Certifications, complete e‑Services registration, then pass suitability. After acceptance, the IRS assigns your servicing site and sends transcript submission instructions. Do not submit 4506‑C until you have that acceptance and routing.
Is fax still better than mail for IRS submissions?
Yes. Fax provides a timestamp and moves faster for IVES work. The IRS publishes the application fax line and maintains fax‑based transcript processing with specific cover sheet rules. If you must mail something else to the IRS, use a trackable service, but for IVES the published fax process is the standard.
Can I use electronic signatures on Form 4506‑C?
Yes, if you select Certification E and meet the IRS e‑signature framework. You will need identity verification, tamper‑evident sealing, and an audit trail, plus monthly quality reviews and an annual audit sent to IVES HQ.
Final tips and a quick compliance note
- Keep your Form 13803 packet, Certifications, and suitability results centralized and ready for audits.
- Date‑stamp every fax and store the confirmation with your application record.
- Standardize file names and review checklists so revisions are rare and fast.
- If you go online, train your team on WebUI or A2A and keep the $4 fee in your cost model.
Compliance note, December 19, 2025: IRS pages cited here were last reviewed in 2025. Always confirm the current fax number, certification sets, e‑signature requirements, fees, and form revisions on irs.gov before you submit. This article is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Where Accountably can help, briefly
If you want structured help, use it where it adds real value. For example, you might want a documented SOP for 4506‑C intake, standardized naming across batches, and layered reviews that reduce partner time. That is the kind of work Accountably is built to support, working in your systems and templates with security controls and continuity plans. Keep ownership of decisions, bring in help to speed execution and protect quality, and avoid resume‑only vendors that shift risk onto your team.