Free fax cover sheet templates, and how to fill one in

What goes on a fax cover sheet

A cover sheet tells the recipient four things before they read the pages behind it: who the fax is for, who sent it, how to reach the sender, and whether every page arrived. Each template has a line for all four.

US law also requires every fax to identify its sender. Under 47 U.S.C. 227(d) and the FCC rule at 47 CFR 68.318(d), a fax must show the date and time it was sent, the business or person sending it, and the telephone number of the sending machine or the sender. That can go in a margin at the top or bottom of each page, or on the first page. Fax machines made on or after December 20, 1992 must mark it on each page themselves. Each template has a field for the date, time, sender and sender's numbers on the first page, so a filled-in cover sheet carries them too.

Keep the cover sheet free of anything private. It is the page most likely to sit face up in a tray. A Social Security number, an account number or a medical detail belongs in the pages behind it.

Confidential fax cover sheets: what the notice does

The confidential template adds a short notice at the bottom of the page. It says the fax is meant only for the person named, and that it may contain private information. It asks anyone who gets it by mistake not to read, copy or share it, to call the sender, and to destroy the pages.

The notice tells a stranger at the wrong machine exactly what you want, and gives them your number. If they call, you learn that a fax went astray and can act on it.

A notice is a request, not a lock. It does not encrypt the fax. It does not stop one wrong digit from sending the pages to a stranger. It does not stop someone at a shared machine from reading them. Some notices are written in legal language. Ours is written in plain words and makes no legal claim. Whether any wording has legal force for your business is a question for your lawyer.

These steps protect a sensitive fax more than any notice:

• Read the recipient's fax number back before you send.
• Call ahead so someone is waiting at the machine, or send to a fax inbox only their team can open.
• Keep private details off the cover page.
• Check the delivery confirmation once it has gone.

On PBXflex, faxes belong to your organization's account, and access checks keep each fax number usable only inside it. Separate inboxes and folders keep referrals, records requests and engagement letters apart, so the right person finds the right document.

A fax cover sheet for the IRS

Some IRS fax procedures spell out the cover sheet. For Form 8023, the IRS asks for these items, and the IRS template has a line for each:

• a subject that names the form
• the sender's name, title, phone number and address
• the taxpayer's name
• the date
• the number of pages faxed, including the cover sheet

The same IRS page says not to put sensitive information, such as an EIN or Social Security number, on the cover sheet. The template repeats that reminder at the bottom. For Form 8802, the instructions say you must use a fax cover sheet that states the number of pages.

Check three more things before you send. Our guide to IRS fax numbers by form covers the fax number and signature rules in detail.

• The fax number. IRS fax numbers differ by form and may change without notice, so confirm the number on irs.gov before every send.
• The signature. The IRS says a Form 2848 or 8821 sent by fax must have a wet ink signature.
• Proof it went. For Form 8023, the IRS will not confirm that a fax arrived, so keep a copy of your fax transmission log.

How to count fax pages

Count every page that goes through, cover sheet included, and write the total on the cover sheet. The recipient compares it with what arrived and knows at once if a page is missing.

• Each printed side of a double-sided original is its own fax page.
• A blank page you leave in still counts, so take it out first.
• Some IRS fax numbers have a cap. For Form 8023 and Form 8802, one fax can carry at most 100 pages.

The page count also sets the cost on a fax service that charges by the page. On PBXflex, a fax page uses 2 credits, sent or received, and one credit is one cent.

Faxes draw from the same credit balance as calls and texts, and every plan includes credits each month. Pricing shows what each plan includes.

Faxing without a fax machine

You do not need a machine to use these templates. Open one in a PDF viewer and type into the fields, or print it, fill it in by hand and scan it. Then send it as the first page of an online fax. The templates are black on white with no grey shading, so they stay crisp when faxed.

PBXflex includes fax on every plan. You send and receive in the app, from a shared inbox next to your calls and texts, with no machine and no dedicated fax line.

• Cover pages. Add a filled-in template to a single send, so that fax carries its own recipient, date and page count. You can also set a default cover page.
• Filled forms. Filled PDF fields and comments survive the send, so nobody prints and rescans a form to keep the answers.
• Confirmation. Every fax you send produces a PDF delivery confirmation, and failed faxes retry automatically.
• Incoming faxes. They arrive as documents, and each shows the sender's contact name, not just a number.

If you already have a phone system and only want fax and texting, the Text & Fax plan adds both in the app. If you want to keep a fax machine, it can connect as a shared-device line for $10 a month. Read more on how the fax extension works.