User's Manual - Drake Software

Drake Software User’s Manual
E-filing a Return
The program immediately logs in to Drake and performs the following tasks:
• Checks for new acknowledgments
• Transmits files to Drake
• Retrieves pending acknowledgments of the transmitted files (if available)
• Checks for Drake e-mail (if this option is selected; see following note)
• Logs out of Drake
Transmission notes appear in the Communications box of the Transmit/Receive
window as transmission progresses. When transmission is complete, all returns transmitted
through Drake are forwarded to the correct IRS processing center.
6. Click Exit to close the Transmit/Receive box.
TIP
To have the system check for Drake e-mail during transmission, go to
Setup > Options, EF tab and select Check for e-mail during EF
transmit/receive.
Receiving
“Acks Only”
To check for acknowledgments without transmitting any files to Drake, go to
EF > Transmit/Receive and click Acks Only. The program checks for federal and
state acknowledgments, bank-product acknowledgments, and check authorizations.
See “Step 4: Process Acknowledgments,” following, for more on acknowledgments.
Step 4: Process Acknowledgments
When Drake receives a transmission, it immediately returns a one-letter acknowledgment,
or “ack.” When the IRS Submission Processing Center receives the return, it
sends an ack to Drake, which you can “pick up” by logging in to Drake.
Ack
Processing
Ack Codes
To process acks, go to the Home window and select EF > Process Acks. The Process
Acknowledgments box displays progress. This data is copied to the EF database for
later access. (See “EF Database” on page 239.) If no new acknowledgments are found,
Drake asks if you want to review old ones. After you read the acknowledgment file, an
Acknowledgment Report shows the acknowledgment code and batch ID.
Drake codes are shown in Table 8-1. Re-send any return that receives a “B” ack.
Table 8-1: Drake Acknowledgment Codes
Code
P
T
B
Description
Tax return transmitted successfully to Drake. Return is being processed.
TEST return transmitted successfully to Drake.
Bad transmission
NOTE
A “B” ack received for a return sent in a batch with other returns means
only that return received the “B” ack; the other returns in the transmission
will still be processed if they each generated a “P” ack.
Tax Year 2012 233