This Form If

Use a This Form If 2017 template to make your document workflow more streamlined.

What This Form If does

This Form If is a business document completed by a named signer and retained as evidence of the information and signature supplied. In signNow, upload the form, review automatically detected fillable fields, assign fields to the signer, and send it by email or signing link. The signer reviews the document, enters the requested information, and signs electronically. signNow records timestamps, signer activity, and the completion certificate in an audit trail. The completed document can then be downloaded and archived with its supporting evidence.

How to complete This Form If

Follow these signNow steps to prepare, route, complete, and preserve This Form If.

Upload:
Upload the original form.
Check fields:
Review detected fields and add missing signer, date, or text fields.
Send:
Assign each field to the correct signer and send the invitation.
Archive:
Review the completed form, export the audit trail, and archive both records.

Setting	Recommendation
Authentication method	Email verification with SMS OTP
Signature type	Typed or drawn electronic signature
Audit trail	Export certificate after completion
Document retention	Three years from filing under IRC §6501(a)
Encryption	TLS 1.2 or 1.3 and AES-256

Platform requirements for This Form If

Complete This Form If in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge on Windows or macOS, or review and sign it through signNow mobile apps on iOS and Android.

Browsers Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
Desktop systems Windows and macOS
Mobile systems iOS and Android

Organizations handling taxpayer information should use managed devices, current browser security updates, and role-based account access. Enterprise deployments can connect signNow with identity, storage, and business systems through supported integrations or API configurations.

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Integrations for This Form If

Connect This Form If to finance, customer, document, and enterprise systems to reduce rekeying and keep signed records associated with the correct workflow.

Record-keeping practices for This Form If

Retain the completed form and its evidence according to the applicable tax, contractual, and records-management requirements.

Apply the correct IRS retention period

Keep the completed form, signer identity details, timestamps, consent evidence, and certificate of completion together. For federal tax records, apply the applicable IRS retention rule, including IRC §6501(a): generally three years from filing, six years when income is understated by 25% or more, and indefinite retention for fraud or an unfiled return.

Export the audit trail with each form

Export the complete audit trail immediately after every completed signing event and store it with the final document. Preserve the signer’s email, authentication method, IP address, timestamps, field actions, and completion certificate so the record can demonstrate attribution and intent under ESIGN and UETA.

Protect taxpayer information during archival

Restrict completed forms and audit exports to authorized finance, tax, and legal personnel. Use role-based access, encrypted storage, and documented retrieval procedures because taxpayer identification information requires stronger handling than an ordinary business document.

Document every archival and deletion decision

Review stored forms annually for duplicate, obsolete, or expired records, but do not delete documents before the applicable IRS or contractual period ends. Record the destruction date, approving administrator, retention rule, and document identifier for defensible records management.

Find and fill out the correct this form if

airSlate SignNow helps you fill in and sign documents in minutes, error-free. Choose the correct version of the editable PDF form from the list and get started filling it out.

Versions	Form popularity	Fillable & printable
MI DC 102a 2019	4.8 Satisfied (1959 Votes)
MI DC 102a 2017	4.8 Satisfied (2209 Votes)
MI DC 102a 2012	4.8 Satisfied (3043 Votes)
MI DC 102a 1997	4.8 Satisfied (289 Votes)

Retention periods for This Form If

Retain the completed form according to the underlying tax record, filing date, and applicable federal or state requirement.

Three years from filing

IRC §6501(a) generally permits assessment for three years from the return filing date.

Six years for 25% understatement

IRC §6501(a) extends the period to six years when income is understated by 25% or more.

Indefinite for fraudulent returns

IRC §6501(a) provides no limitation period for fraud.

Indefinite when no return filed

IRC §6501(a) provides no limitation period when no return is filed.

State-required longer period

State retention requirements may exceed federal periods; verify the applicable state rule.

Risks from incomplete records

Signer identity

Weak attribution

Audit trail

Missing evidence

Record retention

Early deletion

Taxpayer information

Unauthorized disclosure

Challenges when completing This Form If

Missing taxpayer identification details can delay payer processing and create avoidable follow-up before the form is accepted for the intended business purpose.
Sending the form to the wrong signer can expose sensitive taxpayer information and weaken evidence that the identified person supplied the information.
A completed signature without an exported audit trail may make it harder to prove intent, attribution, and document integrity during a later dispute.
Deleting the completed form before the applicable IRS retention period ends can remove records needed to support tax reporting or an examination.

Security for This Form If

Data in transit:

TLS 1.2 and 1.3

Data at rest:

AES-256 encryption

Independent controls:

SOC 2 Type II certified

Information security:

ISO 27001 certified

Electronic signatures:

ESIGN and UETA compliant

Privacy safeguards:

GDPR and CCPA compliant

Troubleshooting This Form If

Resolve field, signer, disclosure, authentication, and retention issues before treating This Form If as complete.

Upload the original This Form If to signNow, then use the editor to review detected fields before sending. If recognition misses a field, place the required text, date, or signature field manually and confirm each signer’s assignment before delivery.

The Business plan is listed at $8 per user per month with annual billing and includes audit trails and templates. If your workflow needs bulk sending, Business Premium is listed at $15 per user per month annually and adds bulk send.

For a consumer-facing This Form If, provide the ESIGN consumer disclosure, explain the right to receive paper records, confirm electronic access, and explain how consent can be withdrawn. These requirements arise under 15 U.S.C. §7001(c), not from the platform itself.

A typed, drawn, or click-to-sign signature can be legally effective when intent, consent, attribution, and record retention are established. ESIGN and UETA provide the framework; preserve signNow’s audit trail and completed record with the form.

If This Form If contains taxpayer identification information, limit access and retain it under the applicable IRS rule. signNow provides encryption in transit with TLS 1.2 or 1.3 and at rest with AES-256; configure organizational access controls separately.

If the signer cannot open the document, confirm the email address, resend the invitation, or provide a signNow signing link. The signer can often complete the form without creating an account, subject to the sender’s authentication settings.

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