Sail Tax Electronic Filing Instructions (rev. 2/7/18)

I. General.
You and your clients will need to enroll with IDOR to be able to eFile sales tax returns. There is also some setup to do in Sail Tax for you as the preparer/transmitter and for the taxpayers. Once this setup is done, eFiling using Sail Tax will be very quick and easy… literally a couple of mouse clicks! IDOR is now accepting forms ST-1, ST-2, PST-2, ST-4, ST -7 (multi-location ST-4/MPEA,) ST-8, and ST-14. You will be transmitting directly to IDOR and getting acknowledgments directly from IDOR.

II. Required Forms to file with IDOR.
IL-8633-B Business Electronic Filing Enrollment. 
This form MUST be filed with IDOR for you as the transmitter AND a separate form for each taxpayer you will be eFiling.  IDOR prefers that you fill-in the PDF form online, print it, scan it, then attach it to an email and email it to: REV.IL8633B@illinois.gov
This is the link to the form:
http://tax.illinois.gov/taxforms/Other/EF/IL-8633-B.pdf 

When you fill out this form as a transmitter:
Write in at the top of the form “Using Sail Tax software.” This way you will be issued the numbers you need without having to go through a lengthy test/approval process.
At the top right of the form, check the box for New enrollment.
In Step 1, leave #4 (EFIN) and #5 (ETIN) blank so IDOR will issue you Illinois only numbers so you don’t get other tax type acknowledgments coming into Sail Tax and other tax programs getting sales tax ACKs. 
In Step 2, fill in your information. 
In Step 3, check the boxes for Transmitter and Electronic Return Originator (ERO).
In Step 4, check the box for Sales, service and use. Do not check boxes for any other taxes.
Skip Step 5. 
In Step 6, fill in your information and sign.
To expedite, IDOR prefers that you fill-in the PDF form online, do a 'Save as' or 'Save a copy,' then email it to: REV.IL8633B@illinois.gov
-OR-
FAX to:  217-782-7992 Attn: Joan Hartley
You will get a letter from IDOR which will have your ETIN (labeled as LID) at the top right (Your EFIN is your ETIN with a zero added at the beginning.) and your Password will be at the bottom left.
Or send the form to the address in the form instructions.
Questions about the form call 217-524-4767 ask for Joan Hartley

When you (or your clients) fill out this form as/for the taxpayer:
In Step 1, fill in all numbers the taxpayer has (Account ID is their IBT#.)
In Step 2, fill in the taxpayer’s information for #7, #8 and #9. If you fill in #10 with your mailing address, IDOR will send the acceptance letter to you. If you fill in #10 with the taxpayer’s address, the taxpayer will have to let you know they received the acceptance letter to begin eFiling. (Contact info for #12 and/or #13 can be you.)
In Step 3, check the box for Taxpayer.
In Step 4, check the box for Sales, service and use. Do not check boxes for any other taxes.
In Step 5, fill in line 15 with the signature code. The code must be 6 characters. It can be any mix of letters and numbers. Upper and lower case doesn’t matter. The code cannot contain any special characters (~!@#$%*?\ Etc.) All of your clients can have the same signature code if you want. Fill in the signature block as the taxpayer in Step 5 and have the taxpayer sign. Do not fill in signature codes for any other taxes.
Skip Step 6.
To expedite, IDOR prefers that you fill-in the PDF form online, do a 'Save as' or 'Save a copy,' then email it to: REV.IL8633B@illinois.gov
-OR-
FAX to:  217-782-7992 Attn: Joan Hartley
Or send to address in instructions.
Questions about the form call 217-558-9550 ask for Joan Hartley

Do Not Need EFT-1 Authorization Agreement for Electronic Funds Transfer. 
As of January 2012, IDOR has changed how payments included with sales tax eFiles work.  If you and the taxpayer want to include ACH Debit payments with eFiled returns, Sail Tax will include the taxpayer’s banking information with each eFile submission.  You do not need to submit form EFT-1 to IDOR to include payments with sales tax eFiles.  Funds do not leave the taxpayer’s bank account until the Requested Settlement Date which can be the due date for the return. 

III. Software and hardware Setup for eFiling.
Enter Preparer Info for eFiling -in Sail Tax Settings:
	Preparer Name for eFile
	Preparer Phone for eFile
	EFIN issued by IDOR (This is your ETIN/LID with a zero added at the beginning.)
	ETIN issued by IDOR (Shown as LID on letter from IDOR.)
	Password issued by IDOR.
Each taxpayer who you will be eFiling  -in Setup/Edit Client:
	Change Type of Filing to eFile Return
	Enter eFile Signature Code (code that was entered on IL-8633-B)
	Enter Taxpayer Signer Name (the person who would sign a paper return)
Change Type of Payment if need to (see Type of Payment below for further details.)
Computers.
The computer(s) you use to eFile must be able to get onto the Internet. 
If you have multiple computers in your firm running Sail Tax and those computers are sharing Sail Tax data on a network drive, you can eFile and retrieve acknowledgments (ACKs) from any of those computers. 
If you have multiple computers in your firm running Sail Tax that are not sharing Sail Tax data on a network drive, you have four options: 
1.	Set up each user who will be eFiling returns as a Transmitter with their own ETIN, EFIN, and Password from IDOR.  You will need to submit an IL-8633-B for each of these users / transmitters in your office and enter the IDOR issued numbers in Sail Tax Settings.
2.	You can change work assignments or work flow so only one computer transmits returns and retrieves ACKs. 
3.	You can set up allotted time frames so each computer transmits returns and then gets the ACKs for those returns before another computer transmits returns. Otherwise Sail Tax won’t be able to handle the pending returns and ACKs properly. 
4.	You can network the computers and share Sail Tax data on a network drive. The “network” drive can be a drive on one of the workstations; it doesn’t have to be a dedicated server.

IV. eFiling Tasks.
Once the setup is done, eFiling is easy and will save significant time.
eFiling (transmitting) returns.
Do the return as you normally would. With the return still on-screen (or after using Open Previous Return) click on eFile Now. In a few seconds, you will get a message saying the return(s) was received by IDOR as appropriate for the taxpayer. If the taxpayer is set up for Check payment, a voucher will print to include with the check payment. (Note that the Sail Tax transmittal letter has also been enhanced to handle eFiling.)
View Pending returns and Rejected returns.
You can click on View Pending to see a list of the returns that have been eFiled, Received by IDOR, and are waiting for acknowledgment that they have been Accepted by IDOR. These are actually copies of the eFiles that have been transmitted to IDOR. Also included will be any returns that IDOR has Rejected. The file names are clientname  IBT#  APE (Accounting Period Ending) formatted as follows:
clientname 99999999 YYYYMMDD.efr
Any Rejected returns will have the word REJECTED at the end of the file name.
You will see the Archived Returns folder at the top of the file list. If you want to see a list of Accepted returns go into the Archived Returns folders.
Normally, the copies of the eFiled returns in Pending are created when the returns are Received by IDOR and then are moved to the current year archived folder when acknowledged as Accepted by IDOR. If you ever need to, use Open on the list screen to delete a Pending or Rejected file. 
Retrieving Acknowledgments.
An Acknowledgment from IDOR will be available in about a half hour. Click on Get Ack’s to retrieve acknowledgments. When Sail Tax gets one or more acknowledgments from IDOR, it will print a confirmation for each acknowledgment received. If there are pending eFiled returns when you start up Sail Tax, you will get a prompt asking if you want to get acknowledgments. After you do Get Ack’s, you can click on View Pending to see if any returns were Rejected. Be sure to do Get Ack’s regularly so if there are any Rejected returns or returns Accepted with Errors, you will have time to deal with them before the due date.  Important: Call us immediately if you have Rejected returns or returns Accepted with Errors so we can help you resolve the issue.  You can also reprint confirmations using the “Reprint Confirm” button on the main screen in Sail Tax. By noon or mid afternoon on the due date, always check the Pending returns (click on View Pending) to make sure there are no returns sitting in Pending. Any returns sitting in Pending are returns for which you have not received ACKs.  Call us immediately so we can find out from IDOR if you need to resubmit the return(s) and avoid late filing. IDOR staff leaves at 5:00pm, so if you need help on the due date the earlier you call the better. Most of the time, we just need to have IDOR repost the ACK so you can get it, but once in a while when this happens, you will need to resubmit. 
Print Voucher.
This command button is provided in case you need to reprint the voucher for a taxpayer who pays by check.

IV. Misc.
Type of Payment (set in Setup/Edit Client.)
1.	Debit with eFile –Requires that the taxpayer banking information must be entered. All banking information fields must be entered. When you eFile with this type of payment selected, you will get a screen showing the amount that will be paid with the return and the Requested Settlement Date. Sail Tax will fill in the due date for the Requested Settlement Date. The money will not leave the taxpayer’s account until the Requested Settlement Date. Assuming that the taxpayer has adequate funds on the due date, this will be a timely payment. If you have clients who want to pay before the due date, you can change the Requested Settlement Date.
2.	EFT on IDOR Web Site –You eFile the return and then the taxpayer goes onto the state’s Web Pay site to pay. This must be done by the due date to be timely.
3.	Paper Check –Because the state has lowered the dollar liability threshold requiring electronic payments for sales tax, many more taxpayers will need to either use ACH Debit with eFile or EFT on IDOR Web Site. If a taxpayer is not required to pay electronically, you can eFile the return and the client can pay by mailing a paper check with the voucher Sail Tax prints. Check payments are timely with a postmark of the due date.
PST-2 Entry.
To eFile a gas station you must enter the amounts on any PST-2’s the gas station received from fuel distributors. For a single location gas station, enter the PST-2’s from the Gas Station screen by clicking on Enter/View PST-2’s. For gas stations that are part of a Multi-Location (ST-2) return, enter the PST-2’s from the Consolidated ST-1 screen for all locations after you have calc’d all the locations. You can enter up to four PST-2’s on a return. PST-2 rates will be updated in the January and July updates in Sail Tax per IDOR.
Preparer Info in Returns.
eFiled returns will follow similar rules as paper returns except that eFiled returns will use the new Preparer Name for eFile  and Preparer Phone for eFile fields instead of Preparer Text to Print on Forms fields in Sail Tax Settings.

Last Filed For.
As of January 2013, the “Last Filed For” column that shows when you click on the 
pull-down “To Do Return” will show the date of the last day of the liability period for eFiled returns that have been acknowledged as “Accepted” or “Accepted with Errors” by IDOR.  These will look like “01/31/2013”.  Simply printing a return that is to be eFiled will not change the “Last Filed For” info for that client.  This should help you determine which clients have been eFiled successfully as well as which clients are to be eFiled and which are to be paper filed.  Clients who are set to paper file will show the 
“Last Filed For” column as before like “JAN 2013”.  This changes when the return is printed.  (Assumes that the return will be actually sent to IDOR.)
Transmittal Letter.
The Sail Tax transmittal letter has new information that will show for the various eFiling and payment type possibilities. Also note that the “To:” and “From:” positions on the page are now reversed to be more like a letter format.
Troubleshooting.
You need to make sure you have the confirmation numbers for the returns and payments you efile.  You get these when you get ACKs.  If a return is Rejected or Accepted with Errors, call us immediately so we can help you resolve the issue.
For any issue regarding eFiling using Sail Tax you can call or email us at Instant Software Solutions at:
847-458-5740 phone
DaveH@InstantSoftwareSolutions.com  email.

You can also contact IDOR at:
Electronic Commerce Division
101 W Jefferson, MC 2-249
Springfield, IL  62702
217.524.4767 (phone)
217.782.7992 (fax)

Joan.Hartley@illinois.gov direct phone 217-558-9550 re: IL-8633-B questions only
rev.econnection@illinois.gov  regarding anything about efiling