Creating EFTPS enrollment and payment files

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For payroll compliance (annually licensed)

Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) offers you the convenience of making clients' federal tax payments electronically 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. EFTPS allows tax payments to move electronically from the taxpayer's bank account to the federal government's account. The taxpayer's records with the IRS are automatically updated for each such payment. To find further information and to learn about the benefits of using EFTPS, visit http://www.irs.gov/uac/EFTPS-The-Electronic-Federal-Tax-Payment-System.

Creating EFTPS enrollment files

Use the following procedure to create and transmit an EFTPS enrollment file to import into your EFTPS batch file transmission software.

  1. If you have not yet registered as a batch filer or downloaded the batch filer software, please begin by following the instructions in the Getting started with EFTPS topic.
  2. Choose Actions > Enroll > EFTPS.
  3. Click the Setup button to open the Setup dialog and enter your nine digit batch filer ID (provided to you by the IRS after you have registered as a batch filer) and your firm's four digit master inquiry PIN and then click OK to close the Setup dialog.

    Note: You need to perform this step only once.

  4. Choose the Add Clients option, if it's not already selected. The grid displays any clients who have not yet been enrolled to use EFTPS (they do not have a taxpayer PIN entered in the Main tab of the Setup > Vendors screen). Is a client missing from the list?
    If you don't see a particular client in the list, make sure that the Do not create liabilities checkbox is not marked for that client in the Payroll Taxes tab of the Setup > Clients screen. If it is marked, that client will not display in the list (whether you have chosen Add Clients or Terminate Clients as the Action).
  5. When you are ready to create enrollment files, mark the checkboxes next to the appropriate client record(s), select the bank account, and click the Create Files button. A single enrollment file is created for all selected client records.

    Notes

    • Enrollment files are stored in the file location specified at the bottom of the screen. You can modify this file location by choosing Setup > File Locations , clicking the File Creation tab, and modifying the EFTPS file location.
    • The Bank Account field will not be available if the Batch Filer Account checkbox is marked (meaning that the client is set up for impound).
  6. Once you have created enrollment files, transmit them using your EFTPS batch file transmission software.
  7. After receiving enrollment confirmation for the client(s), choose Setup > Vendors, select the federal tax agent(s), and in the Payment Preferences section of the Main tab, select EFTPS as the payment method in the Method field and enter the clients' taxpayer PIN in the Taxpayer PIN field.

    Note: The client's taxpayer PIN is provided by the IRS once the client is enrolled in EFTPS. This PIN will print on the EFTPS Phone Payment Worksheet and EFTPS Payment Worksheet. For information about enrolling in EFTPS and creating batch files, see the Getting started with EFTPS topic.

Reducing federal liability by COBRA credit (optional)

  1. Choose Actions > Edit Payroll Tax Forms, filter the form type to Reconciliation and mark the checkbox(es) for Frequency as appropriate.
  2. Enter the COBRA credit amount on the COBRA premium assistance payments line of Form 941, Form 943, or Form 944.
  3. Click the Process Client Forms Process client forms button button at the top of the screen or choose File > Process Client Forms.
  4. In the Process Client Forms dialog, mark the 941 checkbox and click the Process Adjustments button.
  5. In the Liability Adjustment Diagnostics dialog, click the Process button.

Creating EFTPS payment files

After you have successfully sent your enrollment file, received verification by mail, changed the payment method to EFTPS and entered the clients' taxpayer PIN in the Main tab of the Vendors screen for the appropriate vendors, you are ready to create your EFTPS payment file.

  1. Print the liabilities using the Liabilities tab of the File > Print Checks screen.
  2. Choose Actions > Process EFTPS. All files awaiting EFTPS file creation are listed in the grid.
  3. Mark the checkbox(es) for the transactions to be included in the EFTPS payment file.

    Note: A single payment file is created for all selected transactions. To create payment files for individual clients, mark only checkboxes for a single client prior to creating the EFTPS file.

  4. Click the Create Files button.

    Note: Payment files are stored in the file location specified at the bottom of the screen. You can modify this file location by choosing Setup > File Locations and modifying the EFTPS file creation path on the File Creation tab.

  5. If necessary, click the Manage Files button to open the Manage Files dialog, where you can preview the file (by clicking the Preview File button), or recreate the file (by clicking the Recreate Selected button).
  6. Once you have created payment files, transmit them using your EFTPS batch file transmission software.

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