Managing an AWS account

You can use the AWS Billing console to change account settings, including your contact and alternate contact information, the currency that you pay your bills in, the Regions that you can create resources in, and your tax registration numbers.

Note

Some sections can only be edited by the AWS account root user. If you do not see the Edit option, switch to the root user.

For AWS accounts with a billing address in India, see Managing an account in India.

Editing Your Account name, AWS account root user password, and AWS account root user email address

To edit your account name, AWS account root user password, or email address, perform the following procedure. Email in this case refers to the AWS account root user email address. This is the email address you use to sign in.

To edit your account name, AWS account root user password, or AWS account root user email address

1. Sign in to the Account Settings page in the Billing and Cost Management console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/billing/home?#/account.

   You can also find this by signing into the Billing and Cost Management console (https://console.aws.amazon.com/billing/), selecting your account name on the top right, and choose Account.

2. On the Account Settings page, next to Account Settings, choose Edit.

3. Next to the field to update, choose Edit.

4. After you have entered your changes, choose Save changes.

5. After you have made all of your changes, choose Done.

Editing contact information

You can change the contact information associated with your account, including your mailing address, telephone number, and website address. To edit your contact information, perform the following procedure.

To edit your contact information

1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console and open the AWS Billing console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/billing/.

2. On the navigation bar in the upper-right corner, choose your account name (or alias), and choose Account.

3. Under Contact Information, choose Edit.

4. For the fields to change, enter your updated information and then choose Update.

Note

You can add an email address for billing in the Alternate Contacts section to have AWS send a copy of billing-related emails to that email address. For example, AWS sends your Billing contact address a message that your monthly bill is ready.

Adding, changing, or removing alternate contacts

Alternate contacts allows AWS to contact another person about issues with your account, even if you're unavailable. The alternate contact doesn't have to be a specific person. You could instead add an email distribution list if you have a team that is responsible for managing billing, operations and security related issues. To add, change, or delete alternate contacts for your account, perform the following procedure.

To add, update, or remove alternate contacts

1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console and open the AWS Billing console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/billing/.

2. On the navigation bar in the upper-right corner, choose your account name (or alias), and choose Account.

3. Scroll down to the Alternate Contacts section and choose Edit.

4. For the fields to change, enter your updated information and choose Update.

Examples for alternate contacts

We would reach out to each contact type in the following scenarios:

• Billing - When your monthly invoice is available, or your payment method needs to be updated. If your Receive PDF Invoice By Email is turned on in your Billing preferences, your alternate billing contact will receive the PDF invoices as well. Notifications can be from AWS Support, or other AWS service teams.

• Operations - When your service is, or will be, temporarily unavailable in one of more Regions. Any notification related to operations. Notifications can be from AWS Support, or other AWS service teams

• Security - When you have notifications from the AWS Security, AWS Trust and Safety, or AWS service teams. These notifications might include security issues or potential abusive or fraudulent activities on your AWS account. Notifications can be from AWS Support, or other AWS service teams concerning security related topics associated with your AWS account usage. Do not include sensitive information in the subject line or full name fields since this might be used in email communications to you.

Enabling and disabling regions

AWS originally activates all new Regions by default, which allows your users to create resources in any Region. Now when AWS adds a Region, the new Region is deactivated by default. If you want your users to be able to create resources in a new Region, you activate the Region.

Note the following about activating and deactivating Regions:

You can use IAM permissions to control access to Regions

IAM added three new permissions, which let you control which users can activate, deactivate, and list Regions. For more information, see AWS Billing actions policies.

Activating a Region is free

There is no charge to activate a Region. You're only charged for resources that you create in the new Region.

Deactivating a Region removes access to resources in the Region

If you deactivate a Region that still includes AWS resources, such as Amazon EC2 instances, you can't access the resources in that Region. For example, you can't use the AWS Management Console or any programmatic method to view or change the configuration of any EC2 instances in that Region.

Charges continue if you deactivate a Region

If you deactivate a Region that still includes AWS resources, charges for those resources (if any) continue to accrue at the standard rate. For example, if you deactivate a Region that contains Amazon EC2 instances, you still have to pay the charges for those instances even though the instances are inaccessible.

Deactivate a Region isn't always immediately visible

If you deactivate a Region, the change takes time to become visible in all possible endpoints. Deactivating a Region can take between a few seconds to minutes to take effect.

Existing Regions are active by default

The original Regions (the Regions that existed before we added the ability to activate and deactivate Regions) are all activated by default and can't be deactivated.

Activating a Region takes a few minutes for most accounts

Activating a Region generally takes effect in a few minutes, although it can take longer for some accounts. If activating a Region takes longer than nine hours, sign in to the AWS Support Center and open a case with AWS Support.

Perform the applicable procedure:

• Enable a Region

• Disable a region

To activate a Region

1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console and open the AWS Billing console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/billing/.

2. On the navigation bar in the upper-right corner, choose your account name (or alias), and choose Account.

3. Under AWS Regions, next to the Region to activate, choose Enable.

   Older Regions are activated by default.

4. In the dialog box, choose Enable region.

For more information about enabling a Region, including the permissions required, see Managing AWS Regions.

To deactivate a Region

1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console and open the AWS Billing console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/billing/.

2. On the navigation bar in the upper-right corner, choose your account name (or alias), and choose Account.

3. Under AWS Regions, next to the Region to deactivate, choose Disable.

   Not all Regions can be deactivated.

4. In the dialog box, for To confirm disabling in this region, enter disable and choose Disable region.

Updating and deleting tax registration numbers

Use the following steps to update or delete one or more tax registration numbers.

To update tax registration numbers

1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console and open the AWS Billing console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/billing/.

2. In the navigation pane, choose Tax Settings.

3. Under Manage Tax Registration Numbers, select the numbers to edit.

4. For Manage Tax Registration, choose Edit.

5. Update the fields to change and choose Update.

To delete tax registration numbers

You can remove one or more tax registration numbers.

1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console and open the AWS Billing console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/billing/.

2. In the navigation pane, choose Tax Settings.

3. Under Manage Tax Registration Numbers, select the tax registration numbers to delete.

4. For Manage Tax Registration, choose Delete.

5. In the Delete tax registration dialog box, choose Delete.

Turning on tax setting inheritance

You can use your tax registration information with your member accounts by turning on your Tax Settings Inheritance. After you activate it, your tax registration information is added to your other AWS Organizations accounts, saving you the effort of registering redundant information. Tax invoices are processed with the consistent tax information, and your usage from member accounts will consolidate to a single tax invoice.

Note

Tax inheritance settings are only available to accounts after a member account is added.

If you turn off tax inheritance, the member accounts revert to the account's original TRN setting. If there was no TRN originally set for the account, no TRN will be assigned.

Tax registration information includes:

• Business legal name

• Tax address

• Tax registration number

• Special exemptions (does not apply for US sales tax exemptions)

To turn on tax setting inheritance

1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console and open the AWS Billing console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/billing/.

2. In the navigation pane, choose Tax Settings.

3. Under Manage Tax Registration Numbers, select Enable Tax Settings Inheritance.

4. Choose Continue.

Managing your US tax exemptions

If your state is eligible, you can manage your US tax exemptions on the Tax Settings page. The documents you upload for the exemption are reviewed by AWS Support within 24 hours.

To upload or add your US tax exemption

1. (Prerequisite) Ensure you have the IAM permissions to view the Tax exemptions tab on the Tax Settings page in the Billing console.

   For an example IAM policy, see Allow IAM users to view US tax exemptions and create AWS Support cases.

2. Sign in to the AWS Management Console and open the AWS Billing console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/billing/.

3. In the navigation pane, choose Tax Settings.

4. Choose all of the accounts to add the tax exemption. Choose Manage tax exemption and select Add tax exemption.

   1. If you're logged in as a linked account, you can add tax exemptions to only the linked account.

   2. If you're logged in as a payer account, you can add tax exemptions to both payer and linked accounts.

5. Specify your exemption type and jurisdiction.

6. Upload certificate documents.

7. Review your information, and choose Submit.

Within 24 hours, AWS Support will notify you through a support case if they need additional information, or if any of your documents weren't valid.

Once the exemption is approved, you'll see it under the Tax exemption tab with an Active validity period.

You'll be notified through a support case contact if your exemption was rejected.