FINAL SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR
NRC FORM 531 "REQUEST FOR TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER"
(3150‑0188)
EXTENSION
Description of Information Collection
The Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 (P.L. 104‑134) was signed into law on April 26, 1996. Under this law, Federal agencies are required to collect Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TINs) from all persons who do business with the government. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Form 531 is used to collect TINs and information sufficient to identify the licensee or applicant for licenses, certificates, approvals and registrations. For small businesses the TIN may be the owner’s Social Security Number (SSN).
JUSTIFICATION
Need for and Practical Utility of the Collection of Information
The Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 requires all Federal agencies to obtain TINs from all persons who do business with the Government including contractors and recipients of credit, licenses, permits, and benefits.
Agency Use of Information
The TIN will be requested from all licensees and applicants for which we have not previously collected a TIN. The TIN will be used on payments (refunds) made to licensees by electronic funds transfer by the Department of the Treasury. The Department of the Treasury will use the TIN to determine whether the refund can be used to administratively offset any delinquent debts reported to the Treasury by other government agencies. In addition, the TIN will be used to collect and report to the Department of the Treasury any delinquent indebtedness arising out of the licensee's or applicant's relationship with the NRC.
Reduction of Burden Through Information Technology
The NRC has issued Guidance for Electronic Submissions to the NRC which provides direction for the electronic transmission and submittal of documents to the NRC. Electronic transmission and submittal of documents can be accomplished via the following avenues: the Electronic Information Exchange process, which is available from the NRC’s “Electronic Submittals” Web page, by Optical Storage Media (e.g. CD-ROM, DVD), or by e-mail. It is anticipated that 100 percent of all requests will be submitted electronically.
Effort to Identify Duplication and Use Similar Information
No sources of similar information are available. There is no duplication of requirements.
Effort to Reduce Small Business Burden
The information required by NRC Form 531 is needed for both small and large businesses in order to issue refunds owed to licensees. It is estimated that 75% of potential respondents are small businesses.
Consequences to Federal Program or Policy Activities if the Collection is not Conducted or is Conducted Less Frequently
If the information collection were not conducted, licensees and applicants would not receive the payment due them from the NRC, and the Department of the Treasury would be unable to perform administrative offset of delinquent debts. The frequency cannot be reduced because this is a one-time request for information from the public.
Circumstances Which Justify Variation from Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Guidelines
This request does not vary from OMB guidelines.
Consultations Outside the NRC
Opportunity for public comment on the information collection requirements for this clearance package will publish in the Federal Register on December 20, 2024 (89 FR 104239). Emails were sent to five licensees and only one responded. The respondent expressed support for the information collection. In addition, one comment was received on the docket from a private citizen who also expressed general support for this collection.
Payment or Gift to Respondents
.
Not applicable.
Confidentiality of Information
Confidential and proprietary information is protected in accordance with NRC regulations at 10 CFR 9.17 (a) and 10 CFR 2.390 (b).
NRC Form 531 specifies the use of the individual's SSN or Employer Identification Number. This information is necessary to ensure the proper identification of the individual.
There is a Privacy Act System of Records Notice for this information that is maintained in a system of records designated as NRC‑32 and described at 89 FR 58779 (July 19, 2024).
Justification for Sensitive Questions
Not applicable.
Estimate of Annualized Burden and Burden Hour Cost
The estimated time to complete the form is 15 minutes. The estimated number of annual requests for TINs is 150. The total estimated annual burden is 37.5 hours (15 minutes per form x150 forms) at a cost of $11,888 (37.5 hours x $317 per hour).
The $317 hourly rate used in the burden estimates is based on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s fee for hourly rates as noted in 10 CFR 170.20 “Average cost per professional staff-hour.” For more information on the basis of this rate, see the Revision of Fee Schedules; Fee Recovery for Fiscal Year 2024 (89 FR 51789, June 20, 2024).
Estimate of Other Additional Costs
There are no additional costs.
Estimated Annualized Cost to the Federal Government
The staff has developed estimates of annualized costs to the Federal Government related to the conduct of this collection of information. These estimates are based on staff experience and subject matter expertise and include the burden needed to review, analyze, and process the collected information and any relevant operational expenses.
The estimated annual cost to the Federal Government for data entry is $11,888 (15 minutes per form x 150 forms x $317 per hour).
Reasons for Change in Burden or Cost
The annual burden decreased from 75 hours annually in the previous clearance to 37.5 hours annually (a decrease of 37.5 hours). This is due to a decrease in the estimated number of forms received annually. The burden per response has not changed.
The NRC staff is lowering the estimated number of annual responses based on improved data from agency refund tracking system. In addition, the NRC is no longer sending the NRC Form 531 with the annual invoice to entities who have already provided a TIN. This change in the invoicing process resulted in a decrease in the number of forms received and a reduction of duplication. Finally, the fee rate increased from $288 to $317 per hour.
Publication for Statistical Use
This information will not be published for statistical use.
Reason for Not Displaying the Expiration Date
The clearance expiration date is displayed on NRC Form 531.
Exceptions to the Certification Statement
There are no exceptions.
COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS
Not applicable.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Kristen Benney |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2025-07-01 |