QuickAlerts - September 2011

September 13, 2011: MeF Business e-file Updates - Form Family 1120

ATTN: Software Developers, Return Transmitters and Authorized IRS e-file Providers/EROs. The following Tax Year 2010 and 2011 files have been posted on IRS.gov:

TY2011

• 1120/1120F/1120S XML Schemas and Business Rules: 2011v1.1
  • This version will be used for ATS starting 10-31-2011
• Forms and Attachments Listing: efileAttachments.xsd
  • This Schema must be used for any supported Tax Year 
• Business Rules: Form 7004 2011v1.1 
• For ATS Testing the business rules below will be disabled:

TY2010

• Known Issues and Solutions Update

Questions or comments may be directed to the e-help Desk at 1-866-255-0654.

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September 14, 2011:  MeF Individual e-file Updates - Form Family 1040

The second set of Tax Year 2011 Schemas and Business Rules for the Form 1040  Modernized e-File (MeF) program has been posted to IRS.gov.  These schemas and business rules will be available in the MeF ATS and Production environments. MeF ATS will open on October 31, 2011 and Production will open in January 2012.  Changes included are as follows:

• Form 8839, Qualified Adoption Expenses was removed from this schema packages. MeF will not be adding this form in Processing Year 2012. 
• Form 8854, Initial and Annual Expatriation Information Statement will be removed from the next schema packages. MeF will not be adding this form to the 1040 package. 
• Form 5405, First-Time Homebuyer Credit and Repayment of the Credit was adjusted to include only Parts III, IV and V of the Form. Parts I and II will not be available in MeF. 
• Form 56 schema and business rules will be added at a later date. 
• Form 2441, Child and Dependent Care Expenses schema elements 'CareProviderGrp' and 'QualifyingPersonGrp' has been corrected and are no longer required fields. The element 'SEEW2' will be seen in a future Form 2441 schema update.

Please note that MeF will only allow Form 8938, Statement of Foreign Financial Assets as a PDF for both the 1040 MeF Program and the Business MeF Programs for Processing Year 2012. Form 8938 will not be available in XML in MeF for Processing Year 2012.

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September 16, 2011:  IMF - 1040 e-file (Legacy)

ATTN: Software Developers, Return Transmitters and Authorized IRS e-file Providers/EROs – TY 2011 Publication 1346 DRAFT Record Layout and Error Reject Code Changes # 2

Please be advised that the TY 2011 Publication 1346 DRAFT Record Layouts and Error Reject Code Changes # 2 has been uploaded to IRS.gov. You may access this information using the following link:
 
TY 2011 Publication 1346 Draft Record Layout and Error Reject Codes Changes

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September 21, 2011:  MeF Form 720 TY2011 Second and Third Quarter Filing

ATTN: Software Developers, Return Transmitters and Authorized IRS e-file Providers/Electronic Return Originators (EROs).  Form 720 Schemas for TY2011Q1v2.0-2.3 can be used to file the Form 720 for the second and third quarters of 2011.

This is a one time acceptable practice until the schemas are updated for production.

Thank you for using IRS e-file to file your 720 returns.

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September 23, 2011:  MeF Business e-file Updates - Form 1065/1065-B

ATTN: Software Developers, Return Transmitters and Authorized IRS e-file Providers/EROs.  The following Tax Year 2011 files have been posted on IRS.gov:

• 1065/1065-B Schemas and Business Rules: 2011v1.1 
  • This version will be used for ATS starting 10-31-2011 
• Forms and Attachments Listing

Updates are posted for Forms 1065 and 1065-B Business Rules for Tax Year 2009, version 3.2, and Tax Year 2010, version 3.4.

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September 28, 2011:  Scheduled Modernized e-File (MeF) Production and Assurance Testing System (ATS) Downtime.

The MeF system will be down from 9:00 pm, Eastern on Saturday, October 8th, until 5:00 am, Eastern on Tuesday, October 11th, (Columbus Day weekend). 

A routine system maintenance build and the annual power outage used by the IRS to perform critical operation and maintenance programs, to enhance building infrastructure and to upgrade various computer systems is scheduled to occur during this time.  The Modernized e-File systems (both Production and ATS) will not be operational during this timeframe. Please refrain from accessing the MeF Production or Assurance Testing

Systems to transmit business/individual tax returns, retrieve acknowledgements or submit any other service requests.

We apologize in advance for any inconvenience caused.  Please check the MeF Status Page for updates.

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September 29, 2011:  Tax Year 2011 Publication 1436

ATTN: Software Developers, Return Transmitters and Authorized IRS e-file Providers/EROs.  Please be advised the Publication 1436, Test Package for Electronic Filers of Individual Income Tax Returns For Tax Year 2011, is now available at Publication 1436 (Rev. 9-2011).

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September 30, 2011:  Modernized e-File (MeF) Individual e-file Updates - Form Family 1040.

The Form 56, Notice Concerning Fiduciary Relationship, Schema and Business Rules for the Modernized e-File (MeF) Program has been posted to IRS.gov.  Please click on the link above and the link will take you to the web page that contains the Form 56 information.

The TY2011 Form 56 version Continuous Usage (CUv2.0) is part of the Phase III forms and schedules for the Form 1040 family of forms being rolled out to MeF.     
 
The schemas and business rules will be available for MeF ATS on October 31, 2011. The schemas and business rules will be available for Production in January 2012.