State Of
Mine
State Electronic
Filing Made Easy
Filing state returns gets easier
each year. To start the season well
prepared, activate your EFIN number
at all five service centers. Imagine
it's the middle of March, your office
is crazy, and a new client comes in
with an out-of-state return. You say,
"no problem," and file the
return, only to find out your EFIN
is not authorized for the service
center in which that state is filed.
To alleviate the possibility of problems
striking in the middle of the season,
the time to prepare is now. Any ERO
can activate their EFIN at all five
service centers quickly and easily.
Even if you are fairly certain you
will not be transmitting to a particular
center, it's worth a phone call to
save you from the hassle of rejected
returns. To have your EFIN turned
on at all service centers, you may
either file a revised 8633 or call
your normal EF service center to have
your EFIN activated.
Andover (978) 474-9486
Austin (512) 460-8900
Cincinnati (606) 292-5621
Memphis (901) 546-2690
Ogden (801) 620-7444
Welcome to the Family
Hawaii and Vermont are joining the
Electronic Filing family for the 2000
Tax Year. If you have never participated
in electronic filing before, now is
the perfect time to start. Drake preparers,
alone, filed over 1 million state
returns last year.
The Latest on 2-D
Barcodes
Seven states have elected to employ
barcode technology to reduce input
errors and speed processing for paper
returns. The participating states
are Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,
Missouri, New Hampshire, and Rhode
Island.
A 2-D barcode includes almost all
of the data for the state return in
a single barcode on the tax form¹s
front page. The state processing center
can scan the form utilizing a barcode
reader, similar to your local grocery
store scanner at the check-out line.
It may look a little different than
a "normal" barcode on the
front of your state form, but the
process is the same. By utilizing
barcodes, the states may eliminate
data entry, resulting in fewer input
errors and faster return processing.
