SECTION 7. ELECTRONIC

COMMUNICATIONS, EMPLOYEE CONSENTS, AND RECORD RETENTION PERMITTED

.01 This revenue procedure permits an employer to establish a system to request, furnish, and retain employee consents in an electronic format, including permitting employees to submit employee consent by fax. It also permits the retention in an electronic format of requests for consent and employee consents submitted in a paper format. The rules for furnishing and retaining employee consents also apply to an employee’s response indicating that the

Bulletin No. 2017–14 1063 April 3, 2017

employee does not authorize the employer to claim a refund of FICA taxes on his or her behalf. Electronic information obtained under this revenue procedure is subject to the basic requirements for record retention set forth in Rev. Proc. 97– 22, 1997–1 C.B. 652, Rev. Proc. 98– 25,1998–1 C.B. 689, and any subsequent IRS published guidance, publications, forms or instructions.

.02 The electronic system must be reasonably accessible to the employee and must be reasonably designed to preclude anyone other than the employee from giving the employee consent. It must provide the electronic request for consent to the employee in a manner no less understandable than a written paper document.

.03 Any electronic system used for purposes of obtaining employee consent must inform the employee that by signing the employee consent the employee is making the required declaration contained in the penalties of perjury statement.

.04 Electronic records and signatures are given the same legal effect as their paper counterparts. Any signature should be located immediately below the required penalties of perjury statement. Until further guidance is published, an electronic signature that meets the following requirements is acceptable:

(1) A person ( i.e., the signer) must use an acceptable electronic form of signature; for purposes of this revenue procedure, this includes a typed name that is within or at the end of an electronic record, such as typed into a signature block, or as otherwise identified in IRS published guidance, publications, forms, or instructions;

(2) The electronic form of signature must be executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the electronic record ( e.g., to indicate a person’s approval of the information contained in the electronic record);

(3) The electronic form of signature must be attached to or associated with the electronic record being signed;

(4) There must be a means to identify and authenticate a particular person as the signer; and

(5) There must be a means to preserve the integrity of the signed electronic record.

.05 No employee may be required to provide an employee consent in an electronic format. Thus, the employee must be

given the option to provide the employee consent in a paper format. Upon request, the employer must provide a paper copy of any electronic communications to the employee, including the request for consent.

.06 Upon request by the IRS, the employer must supply to the IRS a hard copy of the electronic employee consent or a response indicating that the employee was not authorizing the employer to claim a refund of FICA taxes on his or her behalf. The employer must include a statement that, to the best of the employer’s knowledge and belief, the electronic employee consent or response was furnished by the named employee.