How can I check whether I have clean hands with D.C. Government?

The simplest way to check whether you meet D.C.’s Clean Hands mandate is to request a Certificate of Clean Hands through the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue’s MyTax.dc.gov portal (if you have an account). If you're in compliance, the system will immediately generate a certificate. If you're not, it will issue a Notice of Non-Compliance outlining the specific reason.

Alternatively, you can call the Collections Unit at the Office of Tax and Revenue at (202) 724-5045. We strongly recommend calling right at 8:30 AM when they open, or as early as possible, to avoid long wait times.

Here’s how to check your Clean Hands status:
We highly recommend using a computer (not a mobile device) to complete these steps. 

1. Log in to your MyTax.dc.gov account (if you created one — this is DC’s official tax portal) If you've never created one you should but you will need a copy of your latest DC tax return so you can verify yourself using information from it.
2. Once logged in, look for the navigation bar at the top third of the screen that begins with “Favorites” and ends with “More…” — click "More…"
3. On the next screen, under Account Management, click "Request Clean Hands Certificate."
4. The next screen will tell you whether you’re eligible. If it says "You are currently not eligible to receive a certificate of clean hands," it will explain why:
   • Liability owed = unpaid taxes or fees
   • Names of Tax Accounts (Like Personal Property or Unincorporated Franchise Tax) = missing tax returns/filings for one or more years
   • Registration required = a missing tax registration

 
Take note of what is says here and then, I recommend clicking “Next” on that same screen to request a Notice of Non-Compliance. You’ll re-enter your MyTax password, confirm the request, and then return to the main screen. From there:

• Go to the Messages and Letters box
• Click "View Letters" to access your Notice of Non-Compliance for more detail (While you're in the letters folder I would also see if it provides you a Notice of Business Tax Registration which will explain all taxes you were registered for.

If you are a non-resident of the District and do not have a DC MyTax account:

1. Go to mytax.dc.gov. Scroll down the page to the section titled “Clean Hands.”
2. Click Request a Certificate of Clean Hands
3. Follow the instructions and answer the questions to obtain a Certificate of Clean Hands. 
4. D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue will email you the certificate after reviewing your request.

Important Note: For non-residents, you must upload a scanned copy of your government-issued I.D. as proof of identity.

If you’re a D.C. resident or a business registered with the D.C. Office of Corporations but do not yet have a MyTax.dc.gov account:

You’ll need to set one up before proceeding. Please refer to the attached e-book provided by the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue for step-by-step instructions on creating your account.

For verification during setup, you’ll need the Notice Number, which appears on the Notice of Business Tax Registration that OTR mailed to you after we emailed you confirming your Business Tax Registration had been accepted.

If you're an individual who has previously filed a D.C. Individual Income Tax return, you may be able to use your most recently filed return instead of the Notice of Business Tax Registration — see page 6 of the e-book for details.

If you haven’t received the Notice of Business Tax Registration and can’t verify using a personal tax return, we recommend calling OTR at (202) 724-5045 to confirm your compliance status.