Meeting between the ASCPA State Tax Committee and Alabama Department of Revenue Over Recent Common Issues
February 15, 2019
Yesterday, several members of the ASCPA State Tax Committee had the privilege to meet with members of the Alabama Department of Revenue Forms and IT sections to discuss a couple of common issues that have been shared with me over the past two weeks. The Department is now fully aware of the issues (challenges) that the “Do Not File” Watermark Disclosure is causing practitioners and your clients. The Department will ask the software companies to remove the disclosure from all forms for which the bar code is yet to be approved, i.e. the form is not final.
Regarding the final (barcoded) version of tax forms and voucher slips, the Department remains in a test phase with approximately ten software companies. There have been numerous issues with barcodes in past filing seasons, so both the Department and the software companies are committed to the process of accuracy such that all tax forms and vouchers pass testing before forms are released. In the meantime, if you need to submit a payment with a voucher, simply cover up (white out) the barcode and remit the payment with the voucher.
Lastly, there have been several questions about the $750.00 rule for payment by check related to BPT returns. If the payment is $750.00 and less, the payment may be made by check. If the payment is greater than $750.00, the payment should be e-filed, but the Department will allow a check payment so long as the payment is made early. (Early means the payment has time to be processed and the check cashed before the due date.)
Thank you for bringing your concerns to the ASCPA and allowing us to advocate on your behalf.
Respectfully,
Jeannine Birmingham
President and CEO of the ASCPA
