Checking for errors in the electronic file before transmission

Show expandable text

New (tax) year, new help!

Fixed Assets and UltraTax CS 2023 help is now on Help and Support. We're still moving articles, but you can find most content for the 2023 tax year there. Continue using the Help & How-To Center for tax years 2022 and older.

Checking for errors

To check the entire return for electronic filing errors, do the following:

  1. Click the drop-down arrow on the Print Preview button Print Preview button.
  2. Select Check E-File to open the E-File Error Report dialog. If the electronic file fails error checking, see Correcting errors in the electronic file.

To check specific returns or forms for electronic filing errors, do the following:

  1. Choose File > Print Returns.
  2. Mark the Create electronic file checkbox.
  3. Click the Options button, and verify that the appropriate Federal and any state checkboxes are marked.

    Note: If you are creating the FinCEN Form 114, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR), clear the Federal and any state checkboxes, and mark only the FinCEN Form 114 checkbox.

  4. Click the Preview (or Check E-File) button to check the return for errors before you create the electronic file.

E-File Error Report dialog and error code publications

When you click the Print or E-File button to create the electronic file or click the Preview or Check E-File button to check the electronic file for errors, the E-File Error Report dialog opens, if applicable, and lists any errors. If there are no errors, UltraTax CS creates the file if you clicked the Print or E-File button. If you clicked the Preview or Check E-File button, the E-File Error Report dialog prompts that you can create the electronic file by clicking the Print or E-File button.

Note: If you use a third-party application vendor to transmit electronic returns, that vendor completes error checking.

The E-File Error Report dialog provides a comprehensive list of the error conditions that exist within the electronic return. This dialog lists the client ID, client name, the tax application (federal or state) that contains the errors, the error code numbers, and descriptions of the errors.

The E-File Error Report dialog displays the taxing authority's error codes as well as our error codes. These codes represent the same criteria that the taxing authorities apply to returns they receive. Each error code contains the following components.

  • The error code is displayed. This is the number that corresponds to the taxing authority's list of error codes.
  • The text attributable to this error code is displayed. This text is taken directly from the taxing authority's publications.
  • A list of the sequence numbers or element names that pertain to the error and data in those sequence numbers or element names, along with a description of the sequence number or element name, displays when you click the Error Code Specifics button.

    Note: We have created certain error codes for situations that cause a return to be rejected but for which no taxing authority reject code or business rule exists.

You can obtain further error code information from the following publications.

For more information, refer to the E-File Help Center > Resolving E-File Errors.

Two buttons are also available that allow you to close this dialog or print the error report.

  • OK - Click this button to close this dialog. If the federal or state return has errors, that particular return is not created. If an indirect return has errors, the federal return and all indirect returns are not created. Independent and state-only returns are created unless those returns contain errors.
  • Print Report - Click this button to print the error report that appears in the E-File Error Report dialog.

    Note: For information on correcting the errors outlined in this dialog, see Correcting errors in the electronic file for electronic returns.

Related topics

Was this article helpful?

Thank you for the feedback!