OTR Enhances Certificate of Clean Hands Process to Improve Taxpayer Experience
The Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) announced major updates to its Certificate of Clean Hands process that are designed to improve the licensing experience, strengthen compliance, and provide clearer guidance throughout the licensing process. Together, the enhancements make it easier for customers to understand requirements, submit information, and navigate the process from application through approval.
“This system improvement exemplifies our commitment to being a customer-centric organization that aims to minimize taxpayer burdens,” said OTR interim Deputy CFO Radee Skipworth.
New enhancements include:
Simplified payment agreement processing
- Taxpayers seeking installment agreements can now proceed without requiring an OTR staff-driven manual Certificate of Clean Hands override. This streamlined process helps customers enter into installment agreements more efficiently, supporting timely payments and helping maintain licensing continuity.
Clarification and standardization of reasons for application denial
- These improvements provide applicants with clearer information about the specific issues that may result in an application denial, helping taxpayers better understand outstanding concerns and how to address them.
Electronic submission of income statements
- This enhancement modernizes a historically paper-based process, enabling customers to submit financial documents electronically for installment agreements. Electronic submission provides greater visibility into submitted documents, helps reduce errors, and supports faster review times, creating a more efficient and seamless licensing application experience for customers.
In 2025, OTR received more than 67,000 requests for a Certificate of Clean Hands and issued 51,073 certificates—an increase of nearly 1,000 certificates compared to the previous fiscal year.
A Certificate of Clean Hands verifies that an individual or business owes no more than $1,000 in fees, fines, taxes, or penalties to OTR or the DC Department of Employment Services. It also verifies that the individual or business has submitted all required District tax returns and has all required tax registrations.
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