E-filing 940 and 941s

[David]

I have never e-filed 940s or 941s. Do we have to do anythng special in order to e-file 940s and 941s or is it ready to go as it is with other tax returns? Do we have until midnight tonight if we e-file?

Thanks.

[Margaret CPA in OH]

Yes, you have to jump through more hoops. If you open a Form 941 )r W-2/940) and choose Forms, add the 940/941 EF Pin Reg form. Complete this and submit. It will take a few weeks for the response and it may not work the first time. For one client, it took 3 tries. In any event, you will receive from IRS a 10 digit personal PIN for filing these returns. And you have to observe the rules - no sharing of pin, confirm receipt in a SEALED envelope (yes, it is in capital letters), protect the PIN, and contact IRS in case it has been compromised.

With all that, i love this feature. Between this and submitting W-2's through SSA BSO, I efile virtually everything now and 'print' the receipts to pdf. No paper!

I believe the deadline for efiling is end of February but I doubt you will receive your PIN in time. There is always next quarter so get started anyway.

[Catherine]

For the few 941's I do, I cannot be bothered to "jump through those hoops". My clients continue to get their 941's on paper, to mail in. Grrr. It's more nonsense than for e-filing W-2's, which have all the employee information on them! (Ditto for 1099s.)

Just my 2 cents. YMMV.

[jklcpa]

My two cents, fwiw: I just applied for a pin for my own firm's 941/940 to test the waters. For myself and clients, I added W-2 efiling this year but will continue to give clients the printed 941s to paper file because I still have to give paper returns for the state withholding and state unemployment.

[Margaret CPA in OH]

Ohio, my location, has a website called Ohio Business Gateway where much business can be transacted including filing and paying withholding for the state and many municipalities as well as filing the quarterly reports for same. As with EFTPS and efiling 941's, I 'print' pdf's for my files and clients and attach to emails. Workers' Comp can also be managed through this means as well as through their own website. It works for me and my clients and has done so for a few years now.

[RALPH RICHEY]

What process do you need to go through to get a "Reporting agent Pin" to send in several clients 941 forms. Or do you just get a PIN number for all clients that you choose to e-file their 941. I have updated information on e-services & have had clients sign form 8655 but don't know how to finalize and get the pin #./

[Lion EA]

I think you have an extra month if you are efiling Forms W-3/W-2 or 1096/1099 instead of mailing them, end of March instead of end of February, 2 April 2012 due to weekend.

[jklcpa]

I'm confused on this. For those of you e-filing your client's 941s and 940s, are you acting as EROs with individual Pin #s for each client, or acting as reporting agents with one Pin # no matter how many clients you file for?

[Margaret CPA in OH]

I have obtained for or with each client their own PIN for 940/941 and am authorized to use it. That way they can take over at any time and some already have. I am phasing out of payroll processing and this is what worked for me. Obviously payroll services such as Paychex or Paycor must use a 'master' number as a reporting agent. That was not my choice, it may be yours.

[jklcpa]

Thank you, Margaret. I posted over in the e-file section that I thought the larger companies such as Paychex, ADP, etc were reporting agents, and that we were only EROs. Like you, I would choose to have individual Pin #s unique to each client.