Certificate of Clean Hands

What is the Clean Hands mandate?

The District's Clean Hands mandate requires that individuals and businesses be denied city-issued licenses, permits, grants and contracts if the person or business:

• owes more than $1,000 in fees, fines, taxes, or penalties to the Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) or the Department of Employment Services (DOES);
• has not submitted all required District tax returns.

The look back period is five years. At this time, traffic tickets, littering fines and unpaid child support payments are not reviewed in a Clean Hands check.

What is a Certificate of Clean Hands and why do I need one?

The Certificate is a document that verifies you are in compliance with the District’s Clean Hands mandate. If you are seeking a business or occupational licenses, permits, a DC government contract, or a DC government grant, the agency issuing the good/service will request a Certificate from you during the application process.

How do I get a Certificate of Clean Hands?

Please refer to our How To Request a Certificate of Clean Hands one-pager. Most taxpayers can run a Clean Hands check through their MyTax account, which is available 24/7, and immediate receive a Certificate or a Notice of Noncompliance. Taxpayers who do not live in DC and are not required to pay taxes in DC, will submit a Clean Hands request through the OTR website and receive a response in 3 business days.

What do I do if I am noncompliant?

When you run your Clean Hands check through MyTax.dc.gov, you will be provided with the specific reason(s) you are noncompliant. Reference our Frequently Asked Questions to rectify any issues. It can take between a few business days to resolve simple issues like a small debt or missing account registration, or up to 8 weeks to process a missing return.

What happens if I do not fix my noncompliance issue?

You will not be able to receive a Certificate of Clean Hands until your noncompliance issue(s) are addressed. Additionally, late returns with a balance due are subject to penalties and interest. Penalties range from 5% to 25%. Interest is compounded daily at 10% per year. The longer you wait to file, the more interest you will accrue for that period. We recommend working with our team to resolve issues promptly, which may include entering a payment plan.

I need help. Who can I contact?

Our Frequently Asked Questions address how to create a MyTax account, how to handle a noncompliance issue, payment plans, changes to your business, exemptions, and more.

For technical assistance (for example, being locked out of your MyTax account) contact E-Services at (202) 759-1946, [email protected]. For questions about your tax obligations—for example, questions about tax filings, debts, or tax registrations—contact Compliance Administration, Collections Division at (202) 724-5045, [email protected], 8:15am-5:30 pm, Monday-Friday.