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Form 940 (2017 2026)

Use a Fillable 940 Orm 2017 template to make your document workflow more streamlined.

What Form 940 is and how it works

Form 940 is the federal employer’s annual Federal Unemployment Tax Act return used to report FUTA tax information to the IRS. Employers prepare the form from payroll and unemployment-tax records, review the applicable entries, authorize the return, and retain supporting evidence. signNow can digitize the preparation workflow by accepting an uploaded PDF, detecting fillable fields, routing the document for signature, and preserving an audit trail. The completed electronic record supports internal documentation, but signNow signing does not itself establish IRS filing or acceptance.

Who works with Form 940

Employers

Employers use Form 940 to report annual federal unemployment tax information and retain supporting payroll records for tax administration.

Payroll teams

Payroll and tax teams prepare, review, sign, archive, and control access to Form 940 records.

How the Form 940 workflow works

Prepare the exact Form 940 document, verify its tax information, route it to authorized signers, and preserve the signed record with evidence of completion.

  • Upload form: Upload the Form 940 PDF to signNow.
  • Check fields: Review detected fields and add missing fields.
  • Send securely: Send the prepared form to authorized signers.
  • Archive record: Store the completed form with its audit trail.

Steps to prepare Form 940

Use signNow to prepare the document, route it for authorized signature, and preserve evidence without confusing electronic signing with IRS submission.

  • Upload:

    Upload the official PDF to signNow.
  • Prepare:

    Review detected fields and add required fields.
  • Send:

    Send it to the authorized signer.
  • Archive:

    Review the signed PDF and audit trail.
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What the Form 940 audit trail records

The signNow audit trail separates signer activity from the Form 940 tax data and preserves evidence of how the electronic record was completed.

01

Authenticate signer:

Records signer identity and authentication activity.
02

Capture timestamps:

Captures signing timestamps and actions.
03

Record document hash:

Associates document activity with its record.
04

Seal evidence:

Preserves an auditable activity history.
05

Complete document:

Stores the completed Form 940 record.
06

Export trail:

Allows audit-trail retrieval and export.

Best practices for Form 940

Accurate field review, controlled access, preserved audit evidence, and separate IRS filing verification reduce avoidable Form 940 recordkeeping errors.

Verify every Form 940 field before sending

Upload the correct Form 940 edition and compare every populated field with payroll and unemployment-tax records. Do not rely solely on automatic field detection; confirm employer identity, reported wages, adjustments, and signature details before sending.

Restrict access to authorized Form 940 personnel

Limit document access to payroll, tax, and authorized management personnel. Use signNow roles and permissions to separate preparation, review, and signing responsibilities, reducing accidental disclosure of employer information and supporting controlled internal approval.

Export the Form 940 audit trail with the signed record

Use signNow’s audit trail to preserve signing activity with the completed Form 940. Export both artifacts together and store them in a protected repository governed by the employer’s tax-record policy and IRS requirements.

Separate signing evidence from IRS filing evidence

Confirm whether the signed Form 940 is only an internal record or part of an IRS filing workflow. Electronic signing under ESIGN and UETA does not, by itself, prove that an IRS submission occurred.

Find and fill out the correct fillable 2019 940 orm

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.

VersionsForm popularityFillable & printable
IRS 940 - Schedule R 20174.8 Satisfied (5749 Votes)
IRS 940 - Schedule R 20144.7 Satisfied (337 Votes)
IRS 940 - Schedule R 20114.8 Satisfied (177 Votes)

Security for Form 940 records

Encryption at rest:

AES-256 encryption at rest

Transport security:

TLS 1.2/1.3 protects data in transit

SOC 2 Type II:

SOC 2 Type II certification available

ISO 27001:

ISO 27001 certification

Electronic signatures:

ESIGN and UETA compliance

Audit trails:

Detailed audit trails preserve activity

Platform requirements for Form 940

Form 940 workflows can be accessed through signNow in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge on Windows and macOS. signNow also provides mobile apps for iOS and Android. Use an encrypted connection and keep the operating system and browser updated before uploading tax records.

  • Browsers Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge
  • Desktop systems Windows and macOS desktop access
  • Mobile access iOS and Android mobile apps

For organizational deployments, administrators should verify managed Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android devices, browser security policies, and access permissions. API, SSO, certificate, and long-term-validation requirements depend on the selected signNow plan and the organization’s technical controls.

Pricing for Form 940 workflows

signNow pricing is verified; competitor prices and feature details are marked Not verified when the available vendor data does not confirm them.

FeaturessignNowDocuSignAdobe SignPandaDocDropbox Sign
Starting price annually$8/user/month Business planNot verifiedNot verifiedNot verifiedNot verified
Free trial availability7-day trial, no card requiredNot verifiedNot verifiedNot verifiedNot verified
Bulk send availabilityBusiness Premium includes bulk sendNot verifiedNot verifiedNot verifiedNot verified
Audit trail availabilityIncluded with Business planNot verifiedNot verifiedNot verifiedNot verified

Integrations for Form 940 workflows

Named signNow integrations can connect Form 940 preparation, review, storage, and business-system workflows across payroll, finance, document management, and enterprise platforms.

Salesforce
Procore
Zapier
Microsoft Teams
Hub spot
Box
Microsoft

Form 940 troubleshooting questions

These answers address field detection, signer authentication, retention, audit evidence, plan selection, and the difference between signing Form 940 and filing it with the IRS.

Upload the official Form 940 PDF again, then check whether signNow detects fillable fields. If detection does not match the printed form, place fields manually and compare every employer entry with payroll records before sending.

The Business plan includes legally binding eSignatures, templates, and audit trails at $8/user/month when billed annually. Business Premium is $15/user/month annually and adds bulk send for repeated document distribution.

Use signNow’s signer authentication options, including two-factor authentication or SMS OTP, when stronger attribution is needed. ESIGN and UETA focus on intent, consent, attribution, and record retention; authentication should match the organization’s risk assessment.

A completed Form 940 record should remain reproducible, with the signed document and audit trail retained under the employer’s tax-record policy. Federal retention depends on the underlying tax record and IRS rules; confirm the applicable period with a tax professional.

signNow records signing actions in an audit trail, including timestamps and activity history. Export the completed document and audit evidence together, then restrict access to authorized payroll, tax, or compliance personnel.

Electronic-signature validity under ESIGN and applicable state law depends on signer intent, consent, attribution, and reliable record reproduction. Form 940 filing requirements remain separate from signing; confirm IRS submission instructions before treating a signed copy as filed.

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