If you’ve forgotten your Centralized Authorization File number, you have three ways to find your CAF number: look at any Form 2848 or Form 8821 you’ve already filed, sign in to the IRS Tax Pro Account, or call the Practitioner Priority Service at 866-860-4259. The IRS assigns the nine-digit number the first time you file a third-party authorization and keeps it tied to you for the rest of your career, so the same number appears on everything you’ve ever submitted.
Check Your Old Authorization Forms First
Start with your own files. Your CAF number appears in the representative information section of every Form 2848 (Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative) and Form 8821 (Tax Information Authorization) you have submitted. Because the IRS ties the number to you personally rather than to any client or case, pulling up any prior authorization will show it.1Internal Revenue Service. The Centralized Authorization File (CAF) – Authorization Rules
If you work at a firm, ask administrative staff. Many practices keep a central record of CAF numbers for everyone who represents clients. The IRS also mails a confirmation letter after your first authorization is processed, so that original correspondence may still be in your records.2Internal Revenue Service. What Is a CAF Number?
Look It Up in Tax Pro Account
The IRS Tax Pro Account is a self-service portal where you can view and manage your authorizations. Once your CAF number is linked to your profile, you can see your active powers of attorney and tax information authorizations, submit new requests, and withdraw old ones in real time.3Internal Revenue Service. Tax Pro Account
Verify Your Identity Through ID.me
To get into Tax Pro Account you first verify your identity through ID.me. That process involves uploading a government-issued photo ID, taking a video selfie, and providing personal information. The same credentials work for other IRS online services after you’re verified. Your CAF number must be in good standing for the account to function.4Internal Revenue Service. Tax Professionals Can Access Useful Tools on Their IRS Tax Pro Account
Link Your Existing CAF Number
Linking is a one-time step after your first login. If you haven’t linked yet and you’re submitting an authorization request, the address you enter has to match the address the IRS currently has on file for your CAF record. A mismatch causes processing problems, so confirm your address is current before you start.3Internal Revenue Service. Tax Pro Account
Call the Practitioner Priority Service
If your records come up empty and you’d rather not deal with the online portal, call the Practitioner Priority Service (PPS) at 866-860-4259. PPS is the IRS support line staffed by representatives trained to handle tax professional account issues, and retrieving a forgotten CAF number is one of the services they provide.5Internal Revenue Service. Practitioner Priority Service
When you call, you’ll hear a phone menu. Press 2 for individual taxpayer accounts or 3 for business accounts. Either option connects you to the PPS Account Service team, which handles lost or forgotten CAF numbers. There is no separate “CAF unit” prompt. PPS is open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, with Alaska and Hawaii following Pacific time.5Internal Revenue Service. Practitioner Priority Service
What You’ll Need to Verify Your Identity
Whether you use Tax Pro Account or call PPS, the IRS will verify who you are before disclosing your CAF number. Have the following ready:
- Your full legal name as it appears on IRS records
- Your Social Security Number or ITIN
- Your current mailing address on file with the IRS
- Your date of birth
The IRS may also ask for information from a prior-year tax return, such as your adjusted gross income, as an extra verification step. Gathering these details ahead of time matters. PPS hold times can run long during filing season, and losing a call after a long wait because you couldn’t answer a verification question is worth avoiding.6Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 8821 (09/2021)
If You’ve Never Been Assigned One
If you’re searching because you’ve never had a CAF number in the first place, there’s nothing to find yet. You have two ways to get one. The simplest is to request a number directly through Tax Pro Account, where the IRS will issue it through the portal.3Internal Revenue Service. Tax Pro Account You can also submit a paper Form 2848 or Form 8821 and write “None” in the CAF number field. The IRS will process the authorization and mail you a letter with your newly assigned number.7Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 2848
Paper authorizations are processed first-in, first-out, with a target of five business days.8Internal Revenue Service. Processing Timeliness: Cycles, Criteria and Critical Dates Online requests submitted through Tax Pro Account are typically processed within 48 hours once the taxpayer approves them.4Internal Revenue Service. Tax Professionals Can Access Useful Tools on Their IRS Tax Pro Account
Keep Your Address Current So You Don’t Lose Access Again
If you’ve moved, your CAF address won’t update on its own. Because the IRS checks your address during verification, an outdated one can block you from linking your CAF number in Tax Pro Account or cause authorization forms to be rejected. Two ways to update it:
- File a new Form 2848 or Form 8821, check the address change box, and enter your new address, phone, or fax number.
- Sign and date a written notification stating your new address, then mail or fax it to the IRS office where you previously filed your authorizations.
Tax Pro Account does not currently support address changes directly through the portal, so one of these two methods is necessary.3Internal Revenue Service. Tax Pro Account
Protect the Number Once You Have It
A compromised CAF number is a serious problem. Someone using your number to file fraudulent authorizations could gain access to your clients’ tax information. The IRS flags a CAF number confirmed as compromised to prevent further misuse.9Internal Revenue Service. 21.3.7 Processing Third-Party Authorizations Onto the Centralized Authorization File (CAF)
If you suspect your number has been stolen or used without your permission, call PPS at 866-860-4259 and report it. The IRS will need your name, contact information, CAF number, and the date you discovered the suspicious activity. Treat the number with the same caution you’d give your Social Security Number, and don’t share it with anyone who doesn’t need it for a legitimate authorization filing.5Internal Revenue Service. Practitioner Priority Service