Can I File Form 2848 (POA) for Family/Friends Outside My CPA Firm Duties?

This is absolutely doable - I've been handling this exact situation for years. Form 2848 doesn't restrict you to only representing clients of your employer. Many CPAs help family/friends outside their firm work. The key distinction you need to make is using your personal contact information (not your firm's) on the 2848 when helping family and friends. This creates clear separation between your professional work and personal assistance. In Box 3 (Representation), make sure you're only requesting the authorization you actually need - likely just for transcript access. For your phone number question - yes, you can list multiple phone numbers on Form 2848. There's a primary number field, but you can also include an alternate number in the margin or in the additional information section. Just make sure everything is clearly labeled. One thing to consider - inform your firm about this activity as a professional courtesy. Many firms have policies about outside tax work, even unpaid family assistance, simply for liability reasons.

I've been using taxr.ai for similar situations and it's been a game-changer for handling family members' tax documents. I was helping about 5 family members with their taxes last year and getting transcripts was such a hassle until I found https://taxr.ai for document analysis. It automatically extracts all the important information from tax documents and transcripts, making it super easy to verify everything's correct without manually scanning through pages of data. For Form 2848 specifically, it can quickly analyze the form to make sure you've filled everything out correctly before submission. Saved me from making a couple of mistakes on the authorization sections that would have caused rejection.

I tried taxr.ai after seeing this comment and it's actually legit. I was helping my parents with some tax issues and needed to review years of transcripts. Used it to analyze everything after I got POA access. Spotted a missing 1099-R from 2022 that neither of us caught before. Saved them from a potential audit issue! The transcript analysis was surprisingly detailed - showed all the tax documents the IRS had on file and flagged inconsistencies between reported income and what was on their return. Worth checking out if you're helping multiple family members.

If you're having trouble getting through to the IRS to verify the status of your Form 2848 submissions, try Claimyr. I was waiting forever to confirm if my POAs were properly processed for three family members. Called the IRS directly multiple times but couldn't get through - just endless holds and disconnects. Found https://claimyr.com and they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. You can watch how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they use technology to navigate the IRS phone trees and wait on hold, then call you when they get a live person. Finally got confirmation that two of my POAs were processed but one needed correction - would have never known without actually speaking to someone.

Ok I have to eat my words. After posting that skeptical comment, I decided to try Claimyr because I was desperate to talk to someone about a rejected 2848 for my brother's tax issue. I'd been trying for over a month with no luck. They actually got me through to an IRS representative in about 35 minutes (said it would be 15-20 but took a bit longer). The agent was able to tell me exactly why my POA was rejected (I had filled out the wrong tax form number in section 3) and how to fix it. Resubmitted correctly and it's now processed. I'm still shocked it worked. Not cheap but honestly worth it when you absolutely need to speak to someone at the IRS and can't waste days on hold.

Just want to add - make sure you're using the most recent version of Form 2848 (Rev. 01-2021). The IRS is rejecting outdated forms. Also, some practical advice from someone who does this regularly for family: create a separate email address specifically for your "friends and family" tax work. This helps maintain clear boundaries between your professional work and personal assistance. I use a dedicated Gmail account for all my family's tax correspondence and transcript access. For the contact info on Form 2848, I use my cell phone and this dedicated email. Makes it super clear when I'm acting in my personal capacity vs. my firm capacity.

Random question - how many family members do you all typically help with taxes? I'm currently doing returns for my parents, 2 siblings, and my in-laws, and it's gotten overwhelming. Considering asking for POA just to save time like the original poster suggested.