This is the most basic form of power of attorney, granting another individual of your choosing the right to sign and make decisions on your behalf. It includes managing all finances and any other dealings that will need your legal signature to take legal effect, giving them sole power over your decision making. This form will remain valid unless otherwise specified by the principal or the principal is to become disabled.
Limited/Special Power of Attorney
A limited or special power of attorney is used when you want to get more specific in the parameters that you set within your power of attorney form. It could be setting a specific amount of time for the power of attorney form or saying which areas in your business or personal life your chosen POA can have control over. These can be used in business transactions to give a colleague power to take over and handle some of your responsibilities and among other things.
Real Estate Power of Attorney
Any time you’re dealing with the purchase, selling, or refinancing of a property, you can fill out a real estate power of attorney. This document is beneficial if the principal needs to hand over the responsibility to a professional that can handle all the business and get things cleared up the way they wanted.
Parental Power of Attorney
This POA type is used if the principal has a child they need to hand over to a guardian for a short time. It could be due to a small business trip or some other kind of short-term responsibility that requires them to be absent, unable to make decisions for their underage kids.
State Tax Power of Attorney
For a state tax power of attorney (Form 2848), caution should be used in selecting the individual. This is because of the sensitive information at hand, plus the creator is solely responsible for any paperwork that is missing or filled out incorrectly. The fine may result from any fees that need to be paid, taxes for the year in question, etc. Thus, principals can choose a qualified tax accountant to hand over responsibility to that person for tax preparation and filing, but still take caution to avoid penalties and double fees. In any case, all parties must sign the POA, including the tax accountant, if the latter is a third-party provider.