Form 8879-EMP

(October 2013)

Department of the Treasury 

Internal Revenue Service

IRS e-file Signature Authorization for Forms 940, 940-PR, 

 941, 941-PR, 941-SS, 943, 943-PR, 944, and 945

For the period beginning , 20 , and ending , 20 .

▶ Do not send to the IRS. Keep for your records.

▶ Information about Form 8879-EMP and its instructions is at www.irs.gov/form8879emp.

OMB No. 1545-0967

Name (as shown on Form 940, 940-PR, 941, 941-PR, 941-SS, 943, 943-PR, 944, or 945) Employer identification number

Part I Type of Return and Return Information (Whole dollars only)

Check the box for the return that you will file using this Form 8879-EMP. Enter the amounts from the applicable lines of the return. If any of the 

applicable lines on the return are blank, leave line 1b, 1c, 2b, 2c, 3b, 3c, 4b, 4c, 5b, or 5c, whichever is applicable, blank (do not enter -0-). 

However, if you entered -0- on the return, enter -0- on the applicable line. Complete a separate Form 8879-EMP for each return.

1 a Form 940 check here ▶

(all 940 series)

b. Total payments to all employees (Form 940, Part 2, line 3) 1b 

c. Balance due (Form 940, Part 4, line 14) . . . . . . 1c 

2 a Form 941 check here ▶

(all 941 series)

b. Total taxes after adjustments (Form 941, Part 1, line 10) . . 2b 

c. Balance due (Form 941, Part 1, line 12 (line 14 for the fourth 

quarter of 2013)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2c 

3 a Form 943 check here ▶

(all 943 series)

b. Total wages subject to social security tax (Form 943, line 2) 3b 

c. Balance due (Form 943, line 15) . . . . . . . . 3c 

4 a Form 944 check here ▶ b. Wages, tips, and other compensation (Form 944, Part 1, line 1) 4b 

c. Balance due (Form 944, Part 1, line 11) . . . . . . 4c 

5a Form 945 check here ▶ b. Total taxes (Form 945, line 3) . . . . . . . . . 5b 

c. Balance due (Form 945, line 5) . . . . . . . . . 5c 

Part II Taxpayer Declaration and Signature Authorization

Under penalties of perjury, I declare that I have an approved role (as identified in the instructions for the employment tax return) within the 

company listed above and that I have examined a copy of the electronic return and accompanying schedules and statements for the period 

shown above and to the best of my knowledge and belief, they are true, correct, and complete. I further declare that the amounts in Part I 

above are the amounts shown on the copy of the electronic return. I consent to allow the electronic return originator (ERO), transmitter, or 

intermediate service provider to send the return to the IRS and to receive from the IRS (a) an acknowledgement of receipt or reason for

rejection of the transmission, (b) the reason for any delay in processing the return or refund, and (c) the date of any refund. If applicable, I 

authorize the U.S. Treasury and its designated Financial Agent to initiate an electronic funds withdrawal (direct debit) entry to the financial 

institution account indicated in the tax preparation software for payment of the federal taxes owed on this return, and the financial institution 

to debit the entry to this account. To revoke a payment, I must contact the U.S. Treasury Financial Agent at 1-888-353-4537 no later than 2 

business days before the payment (settlement) date. I also authorize the financial institutions involved in the processing of the electronic 

payment of taxes to receive confidential information necessary to answer inquiries and resolve issues related to the payment. I have selected 

a personal identification number (PIN) as the signature for the electronic return and, if applicable, the consent to electronic funds withdrawal.

Taxpayer's PIN: check one box only

I authorize 

ERO firm name

to enter this PIN 

do not enter all zeros

as the signature

on the electronically filed return.

I will enter a PIN as the signature on the electronically filed tax return. Check this box only if you are entering a PIN and the return is 

filed using the Practitioner PIN method. The ERO must complete Part III below.

▶

Taxpayer's signature 

▶

Print your name and title 

▶

Date 

Part III Certification and Authentication

ERO’s EFIN/PIN. Enter your six-digit EFIN followed by your five-digit self-selected PIN.

do not enter all zeros

I certify that the above numeric entry is my PIN, which is my signature on the electronically filed return for the taxpayer indicated above. I 

confirm that I am submitting this return in accordance with the requirements of Pub. 3112, IRS e-file Application and Participation, Pub. 4163, 

Modernized e-File (MeF) Information for Authorized IRS e-file Providers for Business Returns, and Pub. 3823, Employment Tax e-file System 

Implementation and User Guide.

ERO’s signature ▶ Date ▶

ERO Must Retain This Form — See Instructions 

Do Not Submit This Form to the IRS Unless Requested To Do So

For Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see instructions. Cat. No. 62874U Form 8879-EMP (10-2013)
Form 8879-EMP (10-2013) Page 2 

Future Developments

For the latest information about developments related to Form 

8879-EMP and its instructions, such as legislation enacted after 

they were published, go to www.irs.gov/form8879emp.

Purpose of Form 

Use Form 8879-EMP if you and the electronic return originator 

(ERO) want to use a personal identification number (PIN) to 

electronically sign an electronic employment tax return.

If applicable, Form 8879-EMP is also used to authorize an 

electronic funds withdrawal. If you do not use Form 8879-EMP 

to sign the return, you must use Form 8453-EMP, Employment 

Tax Declaration for an IRS e-file Return. For more information, 

see the Form 8453-EMP instructions. 

Do not send this form to the IRS. The ERO must retain 

Form 8879-EMP. 

ERO Responsibilities 

The ERO will: 

• Enter the name and employer identification number as shown 

on Form 940, 940-PR, 941, 941-PR, 941-SS, 943, 943-PR, 944, 

or 945. 

• Complete Part I by checking the box for the type of return 

being filed and entering the amounts from the return being filed. 

Zeros should only be entered if the return contains zeros. 

Otherwise, if the line on the return is blank, leave the 

corresponding line in Part I blank. 

• Enter on the authorization line in Part II the ERO firm name 

(not the name of the individual preparing the return) if the ERO 

is authorized to enter the taxpayer’s PIN. 

• Give the taxpayer Form 8879-EMP for completion and review. 

This can be done by hand delivery, U.S. mail, private delivery 

service, email, or Internet website. 

• Complete Part III, including a signature and date. 

▲!

CAUTION

Form 8879-EMP must be completed and signed 

before the electronic return is transmitted (or 

released for transmission). 

Taxpayer’s Responsibilities 

The taxpayer filing Form 940, 940-PR, 941, 941-PR, 941-SS, 

943, 943-PR, 944, or 945 has the following responsibilities. 

• Verify the type of return being filed in Part I. 

• Verify the accuracy of the return. 

• Check the appropriate box in Part II to either authorize the 

ERO to enter your PIN or to choose to enter it in person. 

• Indicate or verify the PIN when authorizing the ERO to enter it 

(the PIN must be five numbers other than all zeros). 

• Sign, date, and print your name and title in Part II. 

• Return the completed Form 8879-EMP to the ERO by hand 

delivery, U.S. mail, private delivery service, or fax. 

Note. The return will not be transmitted to the IRS until the ERO 

receives the signed Form 8879-EMP. 

Important Notes for EROs 

• Do not send Form 8879-EMP to the IRS unless requested to 

do so. Retain the completed Form 8879-EMP for 4 years from 

the return due date or IRS received date, whichever is later. 

• Enter the taxpayer’s PIN on the input screen only if the 

taxpayer has authorized you to do so. 

• Provide the taxpayer with a copy of the signed Form 8879-

EMP upon request. 

• Provide the taxpayer with a corrected copy of Form 8879-EMP 

if changes are made to the return (for example, based on the 

taxpayer’s review). 

• See Pub. 4163, Modernized e-File (MeF) Information for 

Authorized IRS e-file Providers for Business Returns. 

Paperwork Reduction Act Notice. We ask for the information 

on Form 8879-EMP to carry out the Internal Revenue laws of the 

United States. You are required to give us the information. We 

need it to ensure that you are complying with these laws and to 

allow us to figure and collect the right amount of tax. 

You are not required to provide the information requested on 

a form that is subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act unless 

the form displays a valid OMB control number. Books or 

records relating to a form or its instructions must be retained as 

long as their contents may become material in the 

administration of any Internal Revenue law. Generally, tax 

returns and return information are confidential, as required by 

Internal Revenue Code section 6103. 

The time needed to complete this form will vary depending 

on individual circumstances. The estimated average time is: 

Recordkeeping . . . . . . . . . . . 2 hr., 37 min. 

Learning about the law 

or the form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 min. 

Preparing the form . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 min. 

If you have comments concerning the accuracy of these time 

estimates or suggestions for making Form 8879-EMP simpler, 

we would be happy to hear from you. You can send us 

comments from www.irs.gov/formspubs. Click on More 

Information and then click on Comment on Tax Forms and 

Publications. Or you can send your comments to Internal 

Revenue Service, Tax Forms and Publications Division, 1111 

Constitution Ave. NW, IR-6526, Washington, DC 20224. Do not

send Form 8879-EMP to this address. Instead, keep it for your 

records.