8879 Form (2017)
Get started with a 8879 Form 2017, complete it in a few clicks, and submit it securely.
What is 8879 Form (2017)?
8879 Form (2017) is an IRS taxpayer authorization form used to approve electronic filing of an individual income tax return. The taxpayer reviews the return information, confirms the electronic filing authorization details, and signs the designated fields before the return is transmitted by the tax preparer. The form is not the tax return itself and does not replace the preparer’s filing responsibilities. For an electronic workflow, upload the 2017 PDF, map the taxpayer and preparer fields, capture the signature and consent evidence, and retain the completed form with the related tax records.
Who benefits from Form 8879 workflows
Form 8879 is most useful where taxpayers, preparers, reviewers, and records teams must coordinate electronic filing authorization.
Solo tax practitioners can upload the 2017 IRS form, send taxpayer authorization requests, and retain the completed PDF without coordinating multiple preparer accounts. Accounting firms can use shared templates and role-based permissions to separate preparer review, taxpayer signing, audit evidence, and records administration. Enterprise tax departments can route high-volume authorization workflows through controlled workspaces, signNow integrations, and centralized retention policies for related return records.
These tasks are executed by both individual contributors and centralized administrators depending on organizational policy and required controls.
User roles for tax authorization workflows
Tax preparers can maintain shared 8879 Form (2017) templates, assign role-based permissions, and delegate sending to authorized staff. Admins retain control over template edits, signer routing, and completed-record access. Accounting firms can separate preparer, reviewer, and taxpayer responsibilities through workspaces, shared templates, and delegated sending. signNow audit trails preserve the sequence of invitations, authentication events, signatures, and document completion for each return.
How to complete 8879 Form (2017)
Use the original 2017 form, verify each tax-return value, and route the authorization to the correct taxpayer before filing.
Upload form:
Upload the 2017 IRS PDF to signNow. Check fields:
Review detected fields and add missing signature fields. Assign roles:
Assign the taxpayer and preparer roles. Send request:
Send the authorization request securely. Store records:
Download the completed record and audit trail.
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How Form 8879 works electronically
Form 8879 authorizes electronic filing after the taxpayer reviews the return information and signs the designated IRS authorization fields.
Prepare form: Place the IRS authorization fields on the uploaded PDF. Route signer: Connect the taxpayer to the return authorization request. Capture approval: Capture consent, signature, timestamp, and activity evidence. Archive record: Preserve the completed PDF with its audit trail.
Recommended setup for 8879 Form (2017)
Configure the workflow around taxpayer authorization, preparer review, audit evidence, and secure retention of the completed IRS form.
| Setting | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Authentication method | Email link with SMS OTP for sensitive tax records |
| Signature type | Electronic signature with documented signing intent |
| Audit trail | Retain signer identity, timestamps, IP address, and actions |
| Document retention | Follow the applicable IRS recordkeeping period |
| Encryption | TLS 1.2 or 1.3 in transit; AES-256 at rest |
Find and fill out the correct 8879 2017 2019 form
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 |
|---|---|---|
| PA PA-8879 2022 | 4.8 Satisfied (1142 Votes) | |
| PA PA-8879 2021 | 4.6 Satisfied (83 Votes) | |
| PA PA-8879 2020 | 4.8 Satisfied (2898 Votes) | |
| PA PA-8879 2018 | 4.8 Satisfied (2105 Votes) | |
| PA PA-8879 2017 | 4.7 Satisfied (441 Votes) | |
| PA PA-8879 2015 | 4.7 Satisfied (503 Votes) |
Security controls for Form 8879
Data in transit:
Data at rest:
Independent controls:
Information security:
Electronic signature law:
Signer verification:
Form 8879 completion challenges
The 2017 edition can be confused with later IRS versions, creating mismatched instructions or outdated fields during tax-return authorization. A preparer may send Form 8879 before confirming that the taxpayer reviewed the return and the electronic filing information. Incorrect taxpayer identification details, return totals, or filing selections can undermine the authorization record and delay the filing workflow. Separating the signed form from its audit trail makes it harder to demonstrate who approved the return and when.
Risks of mishandling Form 8879
Invalid authorization
IRS processing issue
Evidentiary weakness
Attribution dispute
Retention periods for Form 8879 records
Form 8879 retention should track the associated federal tax return, applicable IRS assessment periods, and any longer state or professional-recordkeeping requirement.
3 years from filing — tax records
6 years from filing — understatement
Indefinite — fraud or no return
Applicable period — electronic record
Longer period — state policy
Recordkeeping practices for Form 8879
A defensible Form 8879 file links the signed authorization, related return, audit trail, and retention decision in one controlled record.
Keep Form 8879 with the associated return
Export audit evidence after completion
Restrict access to taxpayer information
Review deletion before destroying records
Form 8879 troubleshooting questions
Resolve edition, signer, consent, plan, and retention issues by checking the IRS form against the return and preserving signNow evidence.
Upload the exact 2017 PDF rather than a later revision, then compare its fields with the associated return. signNow templates can standardize the approved file, while the Business plan provides templates and audit trails for controlled preparation workflows.
Check that the taxpayer received the signing request at the intended email address and that the assigned fields belong to that signer. signNow supports SMS-based authentication options where configured, helping document signer attribution for the authorization record.
The taxpayer should review the return information before signing Form 8879. Preserve the signed PDF and signNow audit trail together; ESIGN and UETA support electronic records when intent, consent, attribution, and reproducibility are established.
Verify that the workflow assigns the taxpayer’s signature field to the taxpayer, not the preparer. Role-based routing and a signNow audit trail help show which person received, accessed, and completed each authorization step.
The Business plan is listed at $8 per user per month with annual billing and includes legally binding eSignatures, audit trails, and templates. The listed subscription allowance is 100 signature invites per user per year; overage fees may apply.
Keep the signed Form 8879 and its audit evidence in an access-controlled repository. For federal tax records, IRC §6501(a) generally provides a 3-year assessment period, while IRC §6501(e) provides 6 years for substantial understatement.
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