Re: taxes

"Raven-Poe" <raven@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:47e651ad$0$17396$6c5eefc5@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> xhoster@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 wrote:
>> return?  Since I refuse to honor the FFA and their corrupt bargain with

>> the
>> IRS with my business, I file on paper.
>
>> Do they hire people to just enter all the numbers and information into 
>> some
>> computer form and submit it; and from there pretend that I filed
>> electronically?
>
> I'd bet that you have that backwards.  They hire people to key in all
the
> data to thier system, but they also hired people to write the eceltronic
> submission front end to massage that data into thier existing system so
> that when you file electronicly, they can pretend you did it on paper.

I'm just speculating here, based on what I've been doing for a living for 
the past 20 years...I suspect that what all these software packages that 
help you file electronically is actually submit a standardized format file

to the IRS.  What you see on the screen or on paper bears no resemblence
to 
what file is transmitted.  The IRS is not going to accept 40 gazillion 
different formats and write an interface for each one, they're going to
tell 
the software company, "If it's not in this format, we'll reject it.  No 
exceptions."

Aha!  A quick google search brought me here: 
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8633.pdf

If you want to market yourself as being able to e-file other peoples' 
returns, the IRS is going to make you jump through hoops.

Sheesh, they've already upgraded to version 4030.

I can't find specs (yet) on the 813 - the transaction set used for tax 
data - but I suspect it's a nightmare to map to.  I'm not up enough on XML

to even make heads or tails of that file layout, but I suspect that's a 
nightmare too.

Wow, I hope Glenn and the tax department doesn't get hold of this 
information...or else I'll be mapping to the 813 after all...


Lisa Ann