Final Supporting Statement NRC Form 531

FINAL SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR
NRC FORM 531 "REQUEST FOR TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER"
OMB 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. 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 maybe the owner’s Social Security
Number (SSN). Based on experience, 300 requests for TINs will be mailed to new licensees
each year.
A.

JUSTIFICATION
1.

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.

2.

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.

3.

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), by facsimile, or by e-mail. It is
anticipated that 50 percent of all request will be submitted electronically.

4.

Effort to Identify Duplication and Use Similar Information
No sources of similar information are available. There is no duplication of
requirements.

5.

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. Approximately 300
responses are received annually of which 75% are small businesses.

6.

Consequences to Federal Program or Policy Activities if the Collection is not
Conducted or is Conducted Less Frequently
The impact to the NRC of not conducting or conducting the collection of
information less frequently will result in licensees and applicants not receiving
payment due them from the NRC and will result in the Department of the
Treasury being 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.

7.

Circumstances Which Justify Variation from OMB Guidelines
This request does not vary from OMB guidelines.

8.

Consultations Outside the NRC
Opportunity for public comment on the information collection requirements for this
clearance package was published in the Federal Register on August 1, 2018 (83
FR 37528). NRC sent emails to six vendors and no responses were received.

9.

Payment or Gift to Respondents

.
Not applicable.
10.

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 81

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Federal Register 81342 (November 17, 2016), or the most recent Federal
Register publication of the NRC’s Systems of Records Notices.
https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/foia/privacy-systems.html.
11.

Justification for Sensitive Questions
Not applicable

12.

Estimate of Annualized Burden and Burden Hour Cost
The estimated time to complete the form is fifteen minutes. The annual number
of requests for TINs is 300. The estimated annual burden is 75 hours (0.25 hr x
300 TINs). The public cost is: 75 hours x $ 263 per hour
= $19,725.
The $263 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
2017 (82 FR 30682; June 30, 2017).

13.

Estimate of Other Additional Costs
There are no additional costs.

14.

Estimated Annualized Cost to the Federal Government
The estimated annual cost to the Federal Government for data entry is $19,725.
(15 minutes per form x 300)/60 x $263 = $19,725.
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.

15.

Reasons for Change in Burden or Cost
There has been no change in the estimated burden for this information
collection. The cost has decreased because of the decrease in the hourly rate
from $267 to $263.

16.

Publication for Statistical Use
This information will not be published for statistical use.

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17.

Reason for Not Displaying the Expiration Date
The clearance expiration date is displayed on NRC Form 531.

18.

Exceptions to the Certification Statement
There are no exceptions.

B.

COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS
Not applicable.

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