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Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services (CERTS)

U.S. Department of the Treasury

Self-Service Web Resources

1. System Support - ID.me

1.1 I’m having trouble registering with ID.me.

If you are having difficulty registering on ID.me, please refer to ID.me Contact Support for 

assistance. ID.me’s support website can be found at help.id.me.

1.2 What is ID.me? Why do I need to use ID.me?

ID.me is a technology partner to multiple Government Agencies and Healthcare Providers. It 

provides secure digital identity verification to those Government Agencies and Healthcare 

Providers to make sure that you are you – and not someone pretending to be you – when you

request access to online services.

1.3 ID.me is asking for my personal information, but I’m trying to apply on behalf of my Entity.

Do I really have to provide ID.me with my personal information?

ID.me provides secure digital identity verification to those Government Agencies and Healthcare 

Providers to make sure that you are you – and not someone pretending to be you – when you

request access to online services. Because ID.me verifies your individual identity (and not your 

company or agency identity), you will need to provide some personal information during the 

ID.me verification process. Please refer to help.id.me for more details on that process.

1.4 How long will it take me to register with ID.me?

If you have all the required documents, the process should take only a few minutes.

1.5 What steps do I need to complete in ID.me?

You will need to verify your identity with ID.me. Please refer to help.id.me for more details on 

the Verification process. 

1.6 I’m having issues with my existing ID.me account, can you help?

Please refer to ID.me Contact Support for assistance with your ID.me account. Their support 

website is help.id.me.

2. System Support – Treasury Portal FAQs

2.1 How do I create an account?

To create a Treasury Portal user account, please navigate Portal.Treasury.gov/cares. Once there,

you can click on create an account using ID.me and follow the instructions.

2.2 Why am I unable to log in? / How do I reset my password?

As a reminder, you must login using the single sign-on that you created using ID.me. Have you 

attempted the self-service options available on the ID.me website and you have checked your 
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spam folder? To find the self-service options, please go to ID.me, select My Account, select 

‘Sign In’ then select the ‘Forgot password’ link and follow the instructions.

Also, please make sure you are using a supported browser. The Treasury Portal supports most 

modern browsers including Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome and an updated version of Safari. 

The Treasury Portal does not work well on Internet Explorer.

2.3 My account is locked, how can I unlock it?

Try the self-service options available on the website.

2.4 How do I edit my individual account information?

When logged into the Treasury Portal, click on the Avatar in the top right-hand corner of the

screen. Select the Settings link. That will bring up the Account Update screen. From there, you 

can make any appropriate edits then click Save. 

2.5 Who is my Entity’s Authorized Representative for the Submission process?

The Authorized Representative is the individual with legal authority granted by the Entity’s 

Governor or Chief Executive Officer to bind the Entity. The Authorized Representative is the 

individual who will sign and send the Submission plus sign any related documentation, 

attestations or certifications on behalf of the Recipient. All Authorized Representatives must be 

duly authorized to act and enter into binding agreements on behalf of the Recipient.

The person who completes the online submission does not need to be the Authorized 

Representative. However, the Certification and Agreement must be signed by the Authorized 

Representative.

For more specific guidance, please visit Treasury.gov/CERTS.

2.6 I’m trying to do something in the Treasury Portal and it’s not working. What do I do?

Please check your browser. The best browsers to use are Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or an 

updated version of Safari.

2.7 I’m having some issues with required fields in DocuSign.

While on the DocuSign page and once all required fields have been completed, the Finish button 

will appear. If the Finish button does not appear, it is due to one or more incomplete required

fields. Use the Auto Navigation feature (yellow tab) to help you navigate. When the Finish 

button becomes active, you can complete the signing process.

2.8 I’m having some issues with signature adoption in DocuSign.

The first time you click a SIGN or INITIAL field, you are asked to adopt a signature and initials. 

First, verify that your name and initials are correct. If not, you can change them as needed. If you

would like to change your name or initials, type the changes in the Full Name and Initials fields.

Select if you want to select a preformatted signature style or if you will draw your signature.

2.9 I’m having some email issues in DocuSign.

If you did not receive the email, it could be because it was blocked by either your Email Server, 

Firewall, Email Provider or Email Client. Please check your junk email, confirm your email 
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address with the Sender and select to trust all emails from DocuSign. If the email is still not 

found, Users can trigger the email to be resent from within the Treasury Portal.

For further assistance, reach out to support.docusign.com.

3. Procedure – Submission Process

3.1. When is the last day to complete my Submission? / What is the Submission deadline?

The deadline to submit information for a CERTS grant was July 19th, 2021. The program is no

longer accepting submissions and that the Department of the Treasury has fully allocated all

available funds for the CERTS program.

3.2 Why was our Submission rejected?

The reason for the rejection of your company’s CERTS application has been provided to you via

email. The decision is final and additional documentation can no longer be provided. The

Department of the Treasury has fully allocated all available funds for the CERTS program.

Therefore, we are unable to consider any new information.

3.3 What is our FAIN (Federal Award Identification Number)?

Federal Award Identification Numbers (FAIN) are available on the USASpending.gov website.

Using your organization’s name and the Assistance Listing number of 21.032, you should be able

to find your FAIN using the search function on USASpending.gov. Note that USASpending.gov

refers to the FAIN as ‘Award ID’.

4.

4.1 

4.2

Policy – Compliance Reporting Process

Are CERTS grant/funds taxable?

Yes. The receipt of a CERTS Act grant is not excluded from the Recipient's Gross Income under

the Internal Revenue Code and therefore is taxable. For more information, please access the ‘IRS

information on the tax treatment of CERTS grants’ IRS website link available on the CERTS

homepage at Treasury.gov/CERTS. Please scroll down the web page to find the link in the

Program Information section.

What is Form 1099-G? Will my company receive a Form 1099-G?

Form 1099-G is issued by a government agency, such as the Treasury Department, to inform

Grantees of funds that need to be reported on their federal income tax return.

All CERTS Grantees that received their funds in 2021 received a Form 1099-G for tax year

2021 in the mail.

Furthermore, it is possible for a Grantee to determine the amount listed in Box 6 of Form 1099-

G. The Taxable Grant Amount listed in Box 6 is equal to the Total Payment Amount received by

the CERTS Grantee in 2021.
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4.3 What is my Total Payment Amount? / What will box 6 of the Form 1099-G show?

The Total Payment Amount is the sum of all payments made to your company by the CERTS

program. If you received your CERTS Grant in two installments, the total payment is the sum of

the two installments. Box 6 of Form 1099-G will match your Total Payment Amount. You can

find this Total Payment Amount by logging into the CERTS Reporting Portal. The link to the

CERTS Reporting Portal is posted at Treasury.gov/CERTS.

4.4 Where can I find my Form 1099-G?

Form 1099-G will be mailed to the address listed on your CERTS grant application. While the

actual form is not available for download through the CERTS Reporting Portal, you can find the

Total Payment Amount by logging into the CERTS Reporting Portal. The link to the CERTS

Reporting Portal is posted at Treasury.gov/CERTS.

4.5 What if I receive my Form 1099-G after I file my tax return?

If you don't receive Form 1099-G in sufficient time to file your tax return, you may use the total

sum of all payments made to your company by the CERTS program in the relevant tax year. If 

you received your CERTS Grant in two installments, the total payment is the sum of the two 

installments. Box 6 of Form 1099-G will match your total payment amount. If you receive Form 

1099-G after you file your tax year 2021 return and the information differs from Box 6 on Form 

1099-G, you may need to file an amended Income Tax Return. For additional information on 

filing an Amended Return, visit IRS.gov.

5. Policy – Eligibility and Eligible Use of Funds

5.1. What are the eligible uses for these funds?

For more information on eligible and ineligible uses, access our Treasury website at

Treasury.gov/CERTS and review the CERTS Program Guidelines and your company’s CERTS 

Grant Agreement.

5.2 Are Entities required to submit proposed expenditures to Treasury for approval?

No. Entities are not required to submit proposed expenditures to the Treasury. However, Grantees 

will be required to maintain records on how they used funds and to submit a certain number of 

compliance reports to Treasury. All CERTS Grants and Grantees may be subject to audit by the 

Treasury’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and the Government Accountability Office 

(GAO).

5.3 How do I know if a specific use is eligible?

There is guidance on eligible and ineligible uses on the Treasury website. You can find that by 

going to Treasury.gov/CERTS and reviewing the CERTS Program Guidelines and the Standard 

CERTS Grant Agreement.

6. Policy – Disbursement/Payment.

6.1 How long do I have to spend my CERTS funds? Is there a deadline?
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Grantees must return any grant funds to Treasury that are not used within one (1) year after the

first date of Receipt of the funds.

7. Policy – Quarterly Compliance Reporting

7.1 When does Quarterly Compliance Reporting open/begin?

CERTS quarterly reports are available in the CERTS portal. Generally, quarterly reporting for the 

specific quarter will be available after the quarter ends. The Compliance Report due dates and 

reporting periods for each quarterly report are as follows:

Due Date Reporting Period

February 15, 2022 4

th Quarter 2021 – Agreement Effective Date thru December 31, 2021

April 15, 2022 1

st Quarter 2022 – January 1, 2022 thru March 31, 2022

July 15, 2022 2

nd Quarter 2022 – April 1, 2022 thru June 30, 2022

October 17, 2022 3

rd Quarter 2022 – July 1, 2022 thru September 30, 2022

7.2 What will I need to report?

Grantees will be required to maintain records on how they used funds, and to submit a certain

number of compliance reports to Treasury. All CERTS Grants and Grantees may be subject to

audit by the Treasury’s Office of the Inspector General and the Government Accountability

Office.

Treasury has published Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) as well as a User Guide for CERTS 

Reporting which can be accessed on CERTS homepage at Treasury.gov/CERTS. Scroll down a on 

the CERTS page to find the link to the CERTS Reporting User Guide under the Program 

Information heading.

7.3 What forms will I need to submit?

The CERTS quarterly report is available in the CERTS Portal. All quarterly reports must be 

submitted online through the CERTS Portal.

7.4 When is reporting due?

Quarterly Report deadlines are15 days after the end of each calendar year quarter, unless that day 

is not a business day, in which case the due date will fall on the next business day. The

Compliance Report due dates and reporting periods are as follows:

Due Dates Reporting Period

February 15, 2022 4

th Quarter 2021 – Agreement Effective Date thru December 31, 2021

April 15, 2022 1

st Quarter 2022 – January 1, 2022 thru March 31, 2022

July 15, 2022 2

nd Quarter 2022 – April 1, 2022 thru June 30, 2022
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October 17, 2022 3

rd Quarter 2022 – July 1, 2022 thru September 30, 2022

Note: All amounts should be reported on a cumulative basis, not just a quarterly basis.

7.5 I can’t get these reports in by the deadline. What do I do? / Is there an extension?

Treasury is not providing individual extensions for quarterly reporting. However, the portal will 

still accept late reports after the deadline. We strongly encourage you to submit your report on or 

before the reporting deadline to avoid non-compliance with the terms and conditions of your

CERTS Grant Agreement.

If you are experiencing technical issues preventing you from submitting a report, please let us 

know by emailing CERTS@Treasury.gov.

7.7 It’s already past the deadline and I did not submit the required report(s). What do I do?

Please submit your required report(s) as soon as possible. Grantees are required to submit

reporting by the given deadlines. If a report is not submitted by the deadline, the Grantee may be

determined to be out of compliance with the terms and conditions of its CERTS Grant 

Agreement.

7.8 Are there any penalties for missing the reporting deadline?

We advise that you submit all required reporting by the appropriate deadline or if it is passed

the deadline, as soon as possible. If a report is not submitted by the relevant deadline, a Grantee 

may be determined to be out of compliance with the terms and conditions of its CERTS Grant 

Agreement.

7.9 What is the effective date of the grant agreement?

The effective date of a CERTS Grant Agreement is the date on which Treasury signed the 

CERTS Grant Agreement. A Grantee may find this date on the last page of their CERTS Grant 

Agreement.

7.10 I have exhausted all of my CERTS Grant Funds. What do I do next?

Make sure to submit a quarterly report by the next applicable deadline. If your company has 

reported and certified on the quarterly compliance report(s) that it expended the Grant Funds on 

eligible expenses, there is no further action for you to take at this

time. All amounts should be reported on a cumulative basis, not a quarterly basis.

Please take note of the following reminders:

• You must maintain records on expenditures for at least three years after the expiration of

the covered period, as defined in your CERTS Grant Agreement.

• You may be required to provide any documents requested by Treasury for an audit,

examination, or evaluation of your compliance with the terms of your CERTS Grant 

Agreement.

• Failure to provide any requested documentation in a timely manner may result in a

determination of non-compliance.
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7.11 I have unused Grant Funds. How do I handle that?

If your company has unused CERTS Grant Funds at the end of the covered period, please refer to

paragraph 4 of the CERTS Grant Agreement which states: “Return of Funds. The Grantee shall 

return to Treasury any Funds received under this Grant Agreement that are not expended by the 

Grantee within 1 year after the date on which the Grantee first receives Funds from Treasury 

under this Grant Agreement.”

Once a Grantee successfully submits its final compliance report through the Treasury portal, 

Treasury will provide a follow up notice indicating the specific amount that must return to 

Treasury. The notice will also contain payment instructions to return unused CERTS funds in one 

of three ways: ACH, Fedwire, or Check. Note that for the majority of CERTS Grantees, their 

final compliance report will be Q3 2022, which is due October 17, 2022. 

7.12 Will Treasury provide instructions/steps on how to return unspent funds? How do I do 

that?

Once a Grantee successfully submits its final compliance report through the Treasury portal, 

Treasury will provide a follow up notice indicating the specific amount that must return to 

Treasury. The notice will also contain payment instructions to return unused CERTS funds in one 

of three ways: ACH, Fedwire, or Check. Note that for the majority of CERTS Grantees, their 

final compliance report will be Q3 2022, which is due October 17, 2022. for unused CERTS 

funds. 

8. Audit Resources 

8.1 Where can I find resources for members of the audit community? 

Members of the audit community seeking information to confirm amounts awarded under 

pandemic response programs are advised to consult the data in USASpending.gov. Please see one 

or more program Assistance Listings below for detail by recipient or program. Additional

program information may be found at the Covid-19 Economic Relief page at Treasury.gov

Assistance for State, Local, and Tribal Governments:

CARES Act, Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF), Assistance Listing Number 21.019.

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Emergency Rental Assistance 1 (ERA 1), Assistance 

Listing Number 21.023.

American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Emergency Rental Assistance 2 (ERA 2), Assistance Listing 

Number 21.023.

American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds 

(SLFRF), Assistance Listing Number 21.027.

American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF), Assistance Listing

Number 21.026.

American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Capital Projects Fund (CPF), Assistance Listing Number

21.029.
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American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), Assistance 

Listing Number To be Determined

American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund (LATCF), 

Assistance Listing Number 21.032.

Assistance for American Industry:

CARES Act, Payroll Support Program (PSP), Assistance Listing Number 21.018:

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services 

(CERTS), Assistance Listing Number 21.028.

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Emergency Capital Investment Program (ECIP)

For details on other federal pandemic programs, please visit the COVID-19 page at 

USASpending.gov.