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Modernized e-File (MeF) Assurance Testing System (ATS) updates

 

General Information

The Modernized e-File Program is hosting a conference call to discuss issues during testing. The last call is Thursday, February 11, 2010 at 4:00 pm Eastern. The call-in number is 1-866-606-4717 access code 8055089.

Washington Federal agencies are closed on Monday, February 8th, Tuesday February 9th and Wednesday February 10th; therefore, this meeting is rescheduled for Thursday, February 11th.

Starting February 17, 2010, daily calls will be held at the number shown above to discuss Production Issues and ATS issues.

February 4, 2010 Update: Business Rules R0000-928 and R0000-929 were erroneously rejecting 1040 submissions if the test SSNs were outside the range of 400-00-1001 through 400-00-1101. These rules were disabled in ATS on 02/04/2010 at 1:00pm Eastern. All 1040 test returns (including state returns) will now be accepted as long as 4th and 5th digits are "00". We apologize these rules weren't disabled on 01/31/2010 as originally scheduled.

Issues During Testing

Item# Issue/Question  Resolution  Last Update  Status
 1 When you have more than one account in e-Services, all with same name, sometimes not all display on the organization page.  This can prevent you from accessing you system id in Automated Enrollment. For multiple accounts, change the firm name for each account to be unique. This will allow all accounts to display.  11/09/2009  closed
 2 A2A certificate - Inital Login/Change Password is not working. Until this is corrected, send the SystemID to Xan Ostro and he will activate it to get past Initial Login. Change the password before Xan activates them.   1/08/2010   closed
 3 GetNewSubmissions is not working. Reconciliation list was used to find SubmissionID and then submissions were pulled.

11/16/2009:  A fix went in over the weekend and #1 and #2 should be resolved.

1) Get NewSubmissions is now working when there is a submission. A fix is on its way to handle case when there are no submissions to retrieve.

2) When there are no submissions,  GetNewSubmissions is returning previously retrieved submissions. MeF is testing a solution. 

  12/11/2009

1) closed

2) closed
 4 Certificates and SystemID

If certificates are used, the SystemID is put in AppSysID in MeF Header. Link Header to Security Section with ID element.

If Password is used, AppSysID is put in User Name Token in Security Section.

Note: Updated WSDLs were sent 11/12/2009. AppSysID is being changed from required to optional in MeF Header.

  11/09/2009 closed
 5 Does the JAXP parser check case in the submission? Yes, because case-sensitivity is an XML standard  11/09/2009  closed
 6 Will enumerated values be updated to be in upper case due to JAXP case sensitivity? No changes will be made for Processing Year 2010. We will review issue for Processing Year 2011.  12/02/2009  closed
  7 Can States send their own tests directly to IRS? Yes. See States Can Transmit Their Own Test Returns in MeF web page.  12/29/2009  closed
 8 What is the November 30, 2009 deadline? Communications testing is to begin by November 30, 2009.  11/09/2009  closed
 9 Business Rules F1040-027, SEIC-F1040-001 and F8863-009 are being set when they shouldn't. These 3 business rules have been turned off in ATS only. All check for valid SSN that is outside of the valid range for ATS testing. 11/09/2009 closed
10 Business Rule R0000-689 requires current processing year. R0000-689 is turned off in ATS until January 4, 2010 to accomodate software that is preset with year in signature of 2010. 11/09/2009 closed
11

Form 1099-R schema requires 2 values in F1099RDistributionCd when 1 value is valid.

 Form 1099-R schema will be updated to allow for 1 or 2 values in version 2009v4.0 (scheduled to post to IRS.gov on 12/7/2009) 12/02/2009 closed
12 Form 2210 Part II only allows one choice for reason to file Form 2210 but multiple choices should be allowed.

Form 2210 schema will be updated to replace choice construct in Part II with a group. Multiple reasons can then be checked.

Schema corrected in 2009v4.1. Re-enabled in ATS on 01/31/2010 and Production on 02/17/2010.(will post to IRS.gov on 12/23).

 12/18/2009 closed
13 Was there a prior Jurat Disclosure code for online self-select PIN with ACH payment? Reviewing issue 11/09/2009 open
14 Is Business Rule F1040-051 correct?

This Business Rule includes a check for Line 40b, which requires Schedule L to be attached. The 1040 schema is being corrected to remove the element for Line 40b and the business rule will be corrected with updated language.

Rule corrected in version 2009v4.0. (Re-enabled in ATS on 01/04/2010)

 12/18/2009 closed
15 Is Business Rule F1040-113 correct?

The Business Rule was incorrectly set on a test submission when Preparer SSN was included.

The Business rule was disabled in ATS on 11/16/2009. It has been corrected and will be re-enabled in ATS on 01/04/2010.

 12/11/2009 closed
16 Is Business Rule F1040-063 correct?

Business Rule will be corrected to check for entries in Line 23 and 27 when an amount is entered for Adjusted Gross Income on Form 1040.

Rule corrected in version 2009v4.1 (re-enabled in ATS 01/31/2010. Fixed for Production 02/17/2010)

  12/18/2009  closed
17 Is Business Rule F1040-082 correct? MeF will be correcting the Adjusted Gross Income threshholds for the non-refundable credit and the refundable credit.

Rule corrected in version 2009v4.1 (re-enabled in ATS 01/31/2010. Fixed for Production 02/17/2010)

.		 12/18/2009 closed
19 Is Business Rule F1040-034 correct?

11/16/2009: MeF will update Business Rule to check withholding in the same manner as Legacy (check of withholding amount in Form 1099-R will be removed..1099-R withholding needs to be included in Other Withholding Statement).

Rule corrected in version 2009v4.1 (re-enabled in ATS 01/31/2010. Fixed for Production 02/17/2010)

.

  12/18/2009  closed
20 Can the range of valid SSNs for Fed/State returns be expanded? Limiting the number of SSNs to 100 may cause problems testing all 16 States participating in MeF. We are updating the allowable test SSNs for federal SSNs: Test SSNs with "00" as the 4th and 5th digits will be able to be used.  The expanded range of SSNs will be available on January 31, 2010.  1/26/2010  open
21 There seems to be a delay in e-help Desk responding to e-mails. Some e-mail replies to the e-help Desk were not going to the correct location. Suggest that Subject line not be changed when replying to IRS. Issue no longer occurring. 11/09/2009 closed
22 e-file type NameLine1Type pattern does not allow a space or less than sign in the 2nd position. A less than sign is valid when first name is an initial. The NameLine1Type pattern has been corrected to allow for a space or less than sign in the 2nd position in schema version 2009v4.0. This schema is scheduled to post to IRS.gov on 12/7/2009 12/2/2009 closed
23 Some States are having difficulty retrieving large submissions (250 MB or larger) in production and ATS.  When we look IRS appears to return the submission, but the state doesn’t get it.  Large submissions can now be retrieved. 11/30/2009 closed
24 Acknowledgment for all return types has choice between "Filing Status" and "Acceptance Status".

The choice is being removed and the acknowledgment is being changed to "Acceptance Status" only. The values returned will now be spelled out. Instead of "A" or "R" the values will be "Accepted" or "Rejected" for all return types. Form 1040 will include an additional value of "Exception".

Note: This change is scheduled to be available in ATS and Production on January 4, 2010. Schemas with changes will post by December 8, 2009.

 12/2/2009 closed
25 Acknowledgment for all return types has choice between "EIN" and "TIN".

The choice is being removed and the Acknowledgment will only return "TIN" for all return types. (Taxpayer Identification Number). Both EIN and SSN will be placed in the TIN element. You can tell which by the category.

Note: This change is scheduled to be available in ATS and Production on January 4, 2010. Schemas with changes will post by December 8, 2009.

 12/2/2009 closed
26 In certain situations where MeF cannot determine the Return Type or Category, the literal ‘UNKNOWN’ is returned in the acknowledgement.  This violates the acknowledgement schema rule because UNKNOWN is not a valid enumerated value.  The acknowledgement will be updated to include ‘UNKOWN’ as a valid value.  This change will be implemented for Processing Year 2011. If you are validating the acknowledgement schema, you will need to account for this literal. 12/11/2009 closed
27 For strong authentication, is the ID element in the MeF header, which is used to link the header information to the security section in the SOAP header, also used to link it with the SOAP body?  Yes. The ID links the MeF Header and the security section and the SOAP body for the initial service only. See Item #4 above for more information. 12/11/2009 closed
28 Receving Error Message ETIN XXXXX is not registered with submission category IND A fix will be put in for ATS during the 12/13 maintenance window. 12/15/2009 closed
29 IRS State Manifest schema version element not compatible with State returns return header (length of "12" vs length of required "20"). IRS State manifest will be corrected for PY 2011. Recommend software developers not use the optional schema version element in manifest this processing year. 12/2/2009 closed
30 Some State submissions are not getting past received status and getting to the States. This appears to be 1040 only problem. A fix was placed in ATS on 12/15/2009. 12/232009 closed
31 Some State returns are received but only partially processed and not forwarded to the State. Transmitter not getting receipt and IRS data doesn't contain the count value. When this happens, the returns are rejected to the Transmitter; however, the error message is incorrect. 01/08/2010 closed
32 State submission file badly formed

We notified the software developer the state submission had the IRS/xml directory placed inside the XML directory instead of at the same level.

 

 01/08/2010 closed
33 Receive WSE839 error (or likekind error) when receiving some response services using MTOM. MeF is returning a non-MTOM SOAP fault. This is an MeF limitation. The effect is to cause the client to throw an error upon receiving a non-MTOM SOAP fault and the MeF error is lost to the client. See the Solution to WSE839 error for the workaround. 12/8/2009 open
34 MeF is not returning a token in the MIME section indicacting an attachment exists. This may be affecting any response with an attachment such as the Ack list in the GetNewAcknowledgements response. This appears to be a problem with the JAX parsers. You can request a workaround at the 1040 MeF mailbox. 01/08/2010 open
35 Token not returned in Send Submissions response Reviewing Issue - Related to Item #34 12/11/2009 open
36 State submissions are rejected back to transmitter when either the EIN (business returns) or SSN (1040s) is missing in the manifest.  The error message is always that the Primary SSN is missing, which causes transmitters of BMF returns confusion. Issue has been resolved. 1/26/2010 closed
37 Business Rule R0000-122 is incorrect for Form 1040

Rule erroneously requires an ampersand in the name on a Married Filing Separate return (2009v4.0 and 4.1).

R0000-122 has been disbled in ATS for Form 1040 and will be replaced with a new rule.  See Change Page for 2009v.4.1 rules. 

 1/26/2010 closed
38 Business Rule R0000-121 rejecting individual returns in ATS Rule disabled January 4th by 5:00pm ET. It was erroneously activated in ATS. 1/4/2010 closed
39 Virus Daemon error is erroneous Issue Resolved 01/26/2010 closed
40 Transmitters with over 50 ETINs (among all form families combined) are having problems transmitting Reviewing Issue 1/26/2010 open

Transmissions

URL for A2A:

Beginning December 30, 2009, use 'la' only with the 'la' certificates in ATS.

If necessary, MeF may use 'la.alt' for debugging after December 29, 2009. IRS will notify transmitters if this situation occurs. Unless notified, transmitters should use 'la'.

For Production, use ‘la’ only with the ‘la’ SSL certificates. 

Test Publications

You can find all MeF publications on the MeF User Guides and Publications page.

          Publication 1436 change page - MeF section (Rev 11/06/2009)

 

 
 


Page Last Reviewed or Updated: February 09, 2010