IRS Updates Filers on Issues in IRIS Working Group Meeting

During the January IRIS working group meeting, an IRS representative provided filers with updates regarding the Information Returns Intake System (IRIS), which opened for tax year 2023 filing on January 10.

The speaker identified some common issues filers had been experiencing but said the issues have mostly been resolved. The presentation slides and meeting notes will be published on the IRIS working group webpage. The speaker said filers may experience increased wait times when calling the helpdesk because call volumes are extremely high.

Systems Require Unique TCCs

IRIS users can file through the Taxpayer Portal or the Application to Application (A2A) system for bulk filing. Each option requires a unique transmitter control code (TCC). However, the speaker said a glitch allowed A2A filers to submit through the Taxpayer Portal using the A2A TCC for tax year 2022. The speaker said the problem has been corrected for tax year 2023. If the filer received an “accepted” status, refiling is not necessary.

The Filing Information Returns Electronically (FIRE) system is also available for 2023 filing, but filers should choose either FIRE or IRIS and avoid duplicate filing. FIRE requires a separate TCC from IRIS.

Other Issues

Other issues that were identified by the IRS include the following:

• A2A assurance testing. To use A2A, filers must test their software to ensure it is compatible. Filers must switch from “testing” to “production” before submitting.
• Default calendar year. Filers that submitted forms within the first few days after IRIS became available for tax year 2023 filing may wish to verify the correct year was selected. Initially, 2022 was set as the default tax year so some filers may have selected the incorrect year. 2023 is now the default.
• Processing status. The speaker said it is not uncommon for a transmission to show “processing” while others show accepted, accepted with errors, or rejected because the processing timeframe is seven days.
• Taxpayer Portal error. Some filers using the Taxpayer Portal may have received an error that triggered incorrectly. The speaker said the issue has been fixed, and filers can go back in to process forms.

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Rayna Alexander, Esq., is Editor of Payroll Information Resources for PayrollOrg.