Who may sign for a corporation or partnership?

An officer, partner, or other authorized representative may sign if the entity’s governing documents or a corporate resolution grant authority. Retain a resolution or power of attorney to demonstrate authority during audits or disputes.

Can this declaration be signed electronically?

Yes. Electronic signatures satisfy ESIGN (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and UETA where applicable, provided intent, consent, attribution, and retention requirements are met. Some exceptions may still require notarization or in-person formalities.

When is notarization required?

Notarization depends on recipient or state rules. Some payers do not require a notary, while other legal processes or state rules may require notarized affidavits or acknowledgements. Check the requester’s instructions.

What happens if the EIN or name is wrong?

Incorrect EIN or legal name can trigger backup withholding, mismatched 1099 reporting, and penalties. Correct and resubmit the declaration promptly to avoid withholding and filing errors.

How long should signed declarations be kept?

Retain declarations according to the applicable retention schedule: at least three years for tax-related matters, longer for industry-specific rules (e.g., six years for HIPAA-related records).

Can I revoke or amend the declaration?

Yes. Provide a signed amendment or replacement declaration and notify recipients. If the declaration influenced tax reporting, coordinate corrections with payers and file corrected returns as needed.

Electronic Signature
Templates
Other
Declaration Under Penalty of Perjury for Corporation or Partnership

Declaration Under Penalty of Perjury for Corporation or Partnership

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

What the Declaration Under Penalty of Perjury for Corporation or Partnership Is

A Declaration Under Penalty of Perjury for Corporation or Partnership is a signed statement by an authorized corporate or partnership representative attesting to facts stated in a document, typically about entity status, tax classification, or the accuracy of information provided. The signer affirms the truthfulness of the contents and acknowledges criminal and civil penalties for false statements. This declaration is commonly used with IRS forms and business filings where an entity, rather than an individual, must certify information under oath. Signed declarations are admissible evidence when properly completed and retained.

Why this Declaration Matters for Corporations and Partnerships

The declaration creates a formal legal attestation that can satisfy payers, government agencies, and counterparties that entity information is accurate. It reduces downstream withholding or reporting errors and creates a clear accountability trail tied to criminal and civil penalties for willful misstatement.

Who typically completes this Declaration and why

Entities and authorized representatives complete the declaration when a corporation or partnership must certify factual information — for example, tax classification, TIN accuracy, or beneficiary status.

Corporate officers and authorized signers certify company tax information and attest to corporate status when requested by payers or the IRS.
Partners or managing members sign on behalf of partnerships or LLCs taxed as partnerships to confirm partnership-level statements.
Accounting, payroll, and legal teams use the declaration during onboarding, vendor setup, or tax form exchange to avoid backup withholding and reporting issues.

Accurate completion by an authorized signer protects the entity from penalties, reduces administrative friction, and supports correct tax and regulatory reporting.

Step-by-step: completing the declaration accurately

Follow these steps in sequence to complete the declaration and minimize common errors.

01

Gather documents: Collect EIN letter, formation documents, and resolution authorizing signer.
02

Confirm entity status: Verify corporate or partnership classification matches IRS records.
03

Fill required fields: Enter name, EIN, address, signer name, and title carefully.
04

Sign and date: Authorized representative signs and dates in MM/DD/YYYY format.

Typical processing flow for a Declaration Under Penalty of Perjury

This sequence describes how the declaration moves from preparation to acceptance and recordkeeping.

Preparation: Complete fields and attach supporting documents.
Authorization: Verify signer authority via corporate resolution or bylaws.
Submission: Send to payer, vendor system, or retain with tax records.
Record retention: Store signed copy with audit trail for statutory periods.

How to configure a digital workflow for this declaration

Set up a predictable digital workflow to capture attestation, preserve evidence, and integrate with accounting or vendor onboarding systems.

Field	Configuration
Required fields	Lock Name, EIN, Entity Type, Signature, Date
Signer authentication	Email + SMS code or business SSO for higher assurance
Audit trail	Capture IP, timestamp, and signer email
Storage	Export signed PDF to secure document storage

Platform considerations for electronic completion and storage

Choose a platform that provides secure capture, an auditable completion history, and compliance features appropriate to your industry.

Authentication: Email, SMS, KBA or enterprise SSO
Security: TLS in transit, AES-256 at rest
Integrations: Connectors to CRM, ERP, cloud storage

Maintain access controls and retention policies in the platform to meet recordkeeping obligations and to support audits or regulatory requests.

When to provide the declaration and related timing considerations

Timing depends on the transaction or reporting need — for tax forms, vendor setup, or government filings follow the deadlines below.

On request for payers:

Provide immediately when a payer requests tax certification to avoid backup withholding

Tax reporting deadlines:

Supply information before Form 1099 or W-9 exchange deadlines (recipient delivery by Jan 31)

Contract start:

Deliver before payments begin or contract execution to prevent withholding or delays

After entity changes:

Resubmit when EIN, entity status, or address changes occur

Retention trigger:

Keep signed records through applicable retention periods after submission

Key milestones from preparation to long-term retention

Track these sequential milestones to ensure compliance and readiness for audits or reporting.

01

Document preparation

Complete all fields and gather supporting EIN and formation records

02

Authorized signature

Obtain signature from an officer or authorized representative

03

Submission to requester

Provide declaration to payers, vendors, or agencies as required

04

Archive and retention

Store with audit evidence for statutory retention periods

Common preparation pitfalls to avoid

Incomplete signer authority: Failing to confirm that the signer is authorized can invalidate the declaration and cause payers to reject it.
Mismatched entity name or EIN: Typographical errors that do not match IRS records may trigger backup withholding or reporting errors.
Missing supporting documents: Not attaching an EIN letter or corporate resolution increases the likelihood of follow-up requests or audit scrutiny.
Improper dating or unsigned forms: Undated or unsigned declarations are not legally effective and can force reissuance or delay payments.

Penalties and legal risks for false or incorrect declarations

Civil penalties: Information return fines under IRC §6721

Increased withholding: Backup withholding of 24% for incorrect TIN

Criminal liability: False statements may trigger criminal charges under federal perjury statutes

Contract delays: Payment or onboarding delays until verification completes

Audit exposure: Incorrect attestations increase audit risk and administrative costs

Reputational risk: Repeated errors harm trust with payers and partners

Essential data points to protect when handling declarations

Tax identifiers: EIN and TIN

Personal data: Signer name and contact details

Entity documents: Formation and resolution records

Signed PDF: Completed declaration files

Audit logs: IP, timestamps, authentication events

Access credentials: SSO and administrative rights

Real-world examples of declarations in use

These examples show how organizations use the declaration to streamline verification and maintain compliance.

Optica Ventures LLC

Optica used a corporate declaration to confirm entity status during vendor onboarding

The COO signed on behalf of the company
This reduced follow-up requests and allowed accounting to match payments to the correct EIN and reporting stream within weeks.

Martin Properties

A property manager used the declaration for landlord entity certification

The founder executed the attestation
The signed declaration eliminated ambiguity in payee setup and supported timely 1099 reporting at year end.

How this declaration differs from similar sworn documents

Compare the Declaration Under Penalty of Perjury with related instruments to choose the appropriate form of attestation.

Criteria	Declaration Under Penalty	Notarized Affidavit
Formality	less formal	more formal
Notary required	sometimes	usually
Court use	admissible	stronger evidentiary weight
Typical use	tax/vendor certs	legal proceedings

Typical eSignature vendor features for completing declarations

Compare common pricing and capability points across vendors. signNow is listed first per vendor comparison conventions; confirm vendor details directly before purchase.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7-day free trial	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Envelope Cap	No cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies	Varies	Varies

Frequently asked questions about completing and submitting the declaration

Answers to common practical questions about authority, formats, digital signing, notarization, and retention.

Need help? Contact support

Who may sign for a corporation or partnership?
An officer, partner, or other authorized representative may sign if the entity’s governing documents or a corporate resolution grant authority. Retain a resolution or power of attorney to demonstrate authority during audits or disputes.
Can this declaration be signed electronically?
Yes. Electronic signatures satisfy ESIGN (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and UETA where applicable, provided intent, consent, attribution, and retention requirements are met. Some exceptions may still require notarization or in-person formalities.
When is notarization required?
Notarization depends on recipient or state rules. Some payers do not require a notary, while other legal processes or state rules may require notarized affidavits or acknowledgements. Check the requester’s instructions.
What happens if the EIN or name is wrong?
Incorrect EIN or legal name can trigger backup withholding, mismatched 1099 reporting, and penalties. Correct and resubmit the declaration promptly to avoid withholding and filing errors.
How long should signed declarations be kept?
Retain declarations according to the applicable retention schedule: at least three years for tax-related matters, longer for industry-specific rules (e.g., six years for HIPAA-related records).
Can I revoke or amend the declaration?
Yes. Provide a signed amendment or replacement declaration and notify recipients. If the declaration influenced tax reporting, coordinate corrections with payers and file corrected returns as needed.

Explore Templates

Texas Divorce Template Final Decree of Divorce Residential Rental Lease Agreement Texas Affidavit Form Texas Certificate of Last Known Mailing Address Texas Adult Name Change Packet

be ready to get more

Join over 28 million airSlate SignNow users

Sign Now