Collection information statements: Forms 433-A, 433-B and 433-F

Which form

IRM 5.15.1.2 lists the three collection forms. The offer in compromise program uses its own versions.

Which form the IRS requires follows the setting. In Field Collection, IRM 5.15.1.2 directs the revenue officer to “Secure a complete Collection Information Statement if the taxpayer is unable to full pay and does not qualify for a Guaranteed Installment Agreement, Simple Payment Plan, or Simple Payment Plan (Business Trust Fund)”, and that means Form 433-A for an individual and Form 433-B for a business entity, with Form 433-F allowed only inside the IMF-only and TFRP limits in the table. ACS and the campuses work from Form 433-F, often taken over the phone. An offer requires Form 433-A (OIC) attached to Form 656 regardless of who has the case, and Form 433-F is barred in offer cases.

Two IRM 5.15.1.2 rules shape the choice for mixed cases. Partnerships and single member LLCs where the individual owner is liable need both a 433-B (business income and expenses) and a 433-A (the owner's personal finances). And “Form 433-F cannot be used for Offer-in-Compromise cases or for cases designated as Abusive Tax Avoidance Transactions (ATAT).”

When a CIS is required

A CIS is not required for a guaranteed installment agreement, a simple payment plan, or a simple payment plan (business trust fund); IRM 5.14.1.2 says a complete CIS is needed only when the taxpayer does not qualify for those. It is required for:

• Non-simple installment agreements, including six-year rule agreements (IRM 5.14.1.4.1).
• Partial payment agreements: “A full Collection Information Statement is required for all PPIAs” (IRM 5.14.2.2.1). See PPIAs.
• Currently not collectible determinations, generally (IRM 5.16.1.2). See CNC.
• Offers in compromise based on collectibility. See offers.

For a non-simple agreement, the CIS is also what makes a request pending, which triggers the levy bar. IRM 5.14.1.3 says “A CIS may be completed verbally or in writing” and that it is complete “when sufficient information is provided for the revenue officer to make an initial collection decision”. A request stays pending even if more verification is needed later.

Form 433-A, section by section

The June 2026 revision opens: “Answer all questions or write N/A if the question is not applicable.” Its sections:

The income footnotes give exact conversion factors: weekly gross wages times 4.3, biweekly times 2.17, semimonthly times 2. Net business and rental income are reported after ordinary and necessary expenses, and for a loss the form says enter zero: “Do not enter a negative number.” Footnote 6 lists expenses “not generally allowed”: private school tuition, college expenses, charitable contributions, voluntary retirement contributions and payments on unsecured debts, unless proven necessary.

The form is signed under penalties of perjury by the taxpayer and, for joint liabilities, the spouse. It warns that the IRS may ask for verification such as prior returns, pay statements, self-employment records, bank and investment statements, loan statements and recurring bills.

Form 433-B for businesses

The 433-B (Rev. 6-2026) covers business information, personnel and contacts, other financial information, assets and liabilities (foreign and domestic), and a monthly income and expense statement. Its first instruction is blunt: “Failure to complete all entry spaces may result in rejection of your request or significant delay in account resolution.” Section 5 asks the business to pick a prior 3, 6, 9 or 12 month period and report average monthly income and expenses, with the accounting method.

IRM 5.15.1.2 allows a business's own income statement and balance sheet to substitute for the income and expense section. The Collection Financial Standards do not apply to businesses; instead the revenue officer allows the costs needed to generate income, disallows non-cash items such as depreciation, and adds back excessive officer compensation.

Form 433-F

The 433-F (Rev. 7-2024) is the shorter individual statement ACS and the campuses use. Its instructions say it is used “to obtain current financial information necessary for determining how a wage earner or self-employed individual can satisfy an outstanding tax liability” and that a taxpayer requesting an agreement “should submit Form 9465, Installment Agreement Request, along with Form 433-F.” For the expenses in boxes 1 and 4 of Section H (box 1 is food and personal care), the instructions say to enter the IRS allowable standard, or the actual amount if it exceeds the standard, and that the miscellaneous amount cannot exceed the standard for the family size. It uses the same monthly conversion factors (quarterly divided by 3, weekly times 4.3, biweekly times 2.17, semimonthly times 2).

How the IRS reviews and verifies a CIS

• Currency. “A CIS submitted by a taxpayer should reflect information no older than the prior six months.” If it becomes older than 12 months during the investigation, it is updated, usually by initialed pen-and-ink changes (IRM 5.15.1.2).
• Substantiation above the standards. Expenses over the standard need reasonable substantiation, which can be credible verbal explanation or documents such as bank statements, leases, court orders and receipts.
• Field verification for businesses. For business taxpayers, physical verification of business assets is required early in the process, with the taxpayer or representative present, unless safety concerns exist.
• Cross-checks. Income is compared with IRS information returns and filed returns; assets are checked against property, vehicle and credit records as the balance rises.
• How the result is communicated. IRM 5.15.1.2 tells employees to explain how the expected payment was calculated and: “Do not tell the taxpayer what he/she can or cannot own or spend.”

If the taxpayer refuses to provide a CIS when unable to pay, the revenue officer is told to warn of enforcement and, after required notices, proceed (IRM 5.15.1.2). For representatives, IRM 5.15.1.2 says that if a representative reports that efforts to get the information have failed, the revenue officer will advise that enforcement or administrative action will be taken, with a cross-reference to the IRM summons procedures.

The IRM 5.15.1 verification steps and what to send

IRM 5.15.1.4 to 5.15.1.7 (rev. 06-29-2026) lay out the sequence a revenue officer follows once a CIS is in hand, and a representative who follows the same sequence can send a package that needs no follow-up request.

1. Interview. IRM 5.15.1.4 tells the officer to ask probing questions and follow-ups: sources of income, real property including property outside the United States, vehicles and boats, investments and retirement accounts, digital assets, and how necessary expenses are actually paid. For a business, the questions cover the nature of the business, recurring customers, owned or leased equipment, foreign income or assets, and whether it accepts virtual currency. For a business taxpayer the officer must also schedule a visit “to observe and document the physical layout of the business, number of employees, and the type and condition of the business assets” unless a safety concern exists.
2. Internal research first. IRM 5.15.1.6: “Verify as much of the financial statement as possible through internal sources and online research”. The listed sources are ENMOD and INOLES for cross-referenced TINs, RTVUE or the last return to compare reported income with the CIS, IRPTRO for wage, interest, mortgage interest and Form 1099-K data, FBAR and FATCA (Form 8938) records, state motor vehicle and county real estate records, and credit bureau reports. Expect the officer to already know about a Schedule E rental, a 1099-K payment account or a second vehicle before asking.
3. Then external documents, tailored. IRM 5.15.1.7 is explicit: “Do not make a blanket request for information. Tailor your request to each taxpayer's specific situation. Do not require the taxpayer to provide information that is available from internal or online sources.” The standard items are wage statements for the prior three months (or a year-to-date statement), three months of invoices or commission statements for the self-employed, bank statements for the last three to six months, three months of canceled checks and credit card statements, and statements for retirement, brokerage and life insurance accounts. For businesses the IRM adds: “It is recommended a minimum of six months of statements be secured for business taxpayers.” Ask for copies, not originals; the officer is told to do the same.
4. Substantiation against the standards. “A taxpayer is not required to substantiate expenses that are categorized as National Standards unless they exceed the Standard.” If one of the five national standard categories is claimed above the standard, only that category needs proof. Local standards (housing, utilities, transportation) and other expenses may require substantiation, and anything above a standard must be supported by documents or a credible explanation recorded in the history. The figures themselves are on the Collection Financial Standards page.
5. Income is household income. IRM 5.15.1.12 counts all household income, including tax-exempt income, converts weekly wages by 4.3 and biweekly by 2.17, averages sporadic income from the W-2 or return over 12 months, and treats net self-employment or rental income as zero rather than negative. Where a non-liable person shares the household, IRM 5.15.1.5 prorates shared expenses by the taxpayer's share of total household income (community property states excepted).
6. Timing and refresh. “Analysis and verification of a CIS should take place shortly after obtaining the CIS.” The statement must reflect information no older than six months when submitted and is updated by initialed pen-and-ink changes if it passes 12 months; “If there is reason to believe the taxpayer's situation may have significantly changed, secure a new CIS.” Once a field officer has done a full analysis, IRM 5.15.1.4 bars a repeat: “Collection issues that have been previously addressed during a balance due investigation by field personnel in the preceding 12 months will not be re-examined unless there is convincing evidence that such reinvestigation is absolutely necessary.” Cite that paragraph when a reassigned case brings a second request for the same documents.

What to send and where. In a field case the package goes to the revenue officer by the Form 9297 date, by secure messaging, the Document Upload Tool or at the scheduled meeting; in an ACS case it is faxed or mailed to the address on the notice with Form 433-F and, if a plan is requested, Form 9465; in an offer it is attached to Form 656. A cover letter that maps each document to the CIS line it supports, flags each expense above a standard with its substantiation, and explains any drop in income from the last return answers the questions in IRM 5.15.1.4 before they are asked.

Common mistakes

1. Using 433-F for an offer. Offers require Form 433-A (OIC); IRM 5.15.1.2 bars Form 433-F in offer cases.
2. Net figures where gross is asked. Wages on line 21 and 22 are gross monthly amounts before withholding and deductions.
3. Leaving lines blank. Write N/A; blanks invite a request for a new statement.
4. Household size that does not match the return. The national standards follow the dependents claimed on the most recent return unless an exception is documented (IRM 5.15.1.8).
5. Ignoring equity. Whole life cash value, retirement accounts and available credit lines are assets the revenue officer will ask about.
6. Stale data. Bank balances and pay stubs older than six months at submission will be questioned.
7. Unexplained changes. A drop in income from the last return should be explained in Section 3 or an attachment.

Questions practitioners ask