(Bulk upload is a very important topic for the e-file systems and there are several important features that need to be discussed to understand the complexity. This topic has been split into two parts to discuss each important feature in detail.)
In the previous blog related to the IRS Forms (1099 Series, 1099 MISC, W-2, and ACA – 1095B / 1095C) Bulk Data Import (Part 1 of 2), we discussed about some key features like file format support (Custom & Standard), asynchronous data processing, and batch processing that we need to consider during bulk data upload using Excel file. In this part, we will discuss about the other important features that the bulk data upload utility should have for smooth data management.
Data Validation
Bulk data upload utility should ensure that all uploaded data are complete and contains the valid data fulfilling all required rules that the IRS system would need to accept the e-file.
Taxseer’s inbuilt rules engine enables all required data validation and the failure to pass the validation check causes the data rejection which ultimately rejects the entire file upload. The important feature in the rules engine is the validation of the entire data file in one attempt and generating the error report such that the user is notified with a consolidated error report instead of exiting after encountering the first problem.
Error Handling
A proper exception handling ensures that the bulk upload program gracefully errors out after encountering any error during the file processing. Any unhandled errors could cause the program to behave abnormally causing disruptions. This can be a costly affair as data cleanup will be required if partial and incorrect information are uploaded to the database.
Taxseer’s well designed exception handling ensures that proper error messages are logged so that the user can easily perform corrective actions. We don’t leave any unhandled exception that could cause any data corruption during the bulk data upload for IRS Forms (1099 Series, 1099 MISC E-File, W-2, and ACA – 1095B / 1095C) and the entire file is rejected even if single error is encountered. The user is provided a consolidated list of issues with the bulk data file so that the user can correct the entire file in one attempt.
Workflow
E-file system should provide well defined workflow for each IRS Form (1099 Series, 1099 MISC, W-2, and ACA – 1095B / 1095C) type. It should provide maximum automation but at the same time there should be provision for manual intervention wherever required. The workflow component should never miss any key step in the workflow under any circumstances. Any failure encountered during the workflow should stop the further workflow activity and the administrator should be notified through email or dashboard notification. Administrator should have the utility to fix the error and reprocess it after correction.
Taxseer provides well defined workflow steps for each form type with maximum automation possible. There is an optional manual review step in the entire e-filing workflow process and the user can opt for the final submission with/without reviewing. We automatically generate the final PDF form when the complete form data is entered. However, we provide optional form edit option so that the user can correct any data in the form during the review process and regenerate the final PDF form.
The user can also configure the bulk upload utility such that the final file is created and made ready for submission without review and the user has to just pay through the credit card and submit the forms for e-filing.
The entire e-filing of bulk data can be performed in three easy workflow steps:
- Upload Excel data through Taxseer’s bulk upload utility
- Review, pay and submit the forms for e-file/print-mail; Taxseer automatically performs e-filing to the IRS system
- Download the final PDF form in bulk as a single zip file
Form Status Tracking
E-file system should provide the form status tracking option so that the user can take any corrective action during errors or rejections.
Taxseer users can track the real-time status of the IRS Forms (1099 Series, 1099 MISC, W-2, and ACA – 1095B / 1095C) e-file and print/mail anytime. Users are notified through email about the form status changes during critical events.
Form Download
E-file system should provide the option to download all PDF forms generated for the bulk data import for a batch in one single zip file rather than downloading each form at a time as downloading thousands of forms could become a tedious task.
Taxseer provides a very user friendly forms download utility to download all PDF forms (1099 Series, 1099 MISC, W-2, and ACA – 1095B / 1095C) in one single zip file. Additionally, there are features to download selected PDF files and users can use the search and select the required forms for download. Download history is maintained to keep track of all form downloads and re-download is possible any time. The entire process of creating the downloadable zip file for thousands of forms could take some time and so Taxseer provides asynchronous process to perform this activity.
This concludes the Bulk Import discussion for the e-file system. We hope that this discussion has provided enough details about the complex data upload utility in the Taxseer e-file system. Please send us your questions to [email protected] and we will make every effort to respond as soon as possible.
About Taxseer
Taxseer is a leading IRS-authorized e-file service provider offering you the best cloud-based solutions to perform online filings of Forms 1099 series, W-2, ACA (1095-B & 1095-C), 2290, 8849, 8809 and many more. We provide Wizard-driven e-filing for guided and error-free submissions and extend the security, intelligence, availability, and agility of the tax solution on the cloud. SSL-encrypted connections are used for transferring sensitive information and to provide a very safe environment for clients. As part of our commitment to making e-filing easy and convenient, we are always available.
