2021 ProSeries/Alabama Readme

Release 2021.028


Contents

Items addressed in this release

Items addressed in previous releases

What's new for ProSeries/Alabama

Forms

Electronic filing

Additional Information


Items addressed in this release

The following item has been addressed for this release:

Items addressed in previous releases

The following issues have been addressed in prior releases:

What's new for ProSeries/Alabama

The following items are new for tax year 2021:

Forms

The Alabama Department of Revenue has approved for filing all forms and schedules included in this release of ProSeries/Alabama.

Electronic Filing

ProSeries does not currently support "state-only" filing for Alabama. This means that if you want to file the Alabama return electronically with ProSeries, you must electronically file the federal return at the same time.

You can file returns electronically with this version of ProSeries/Alabama.

For a list of forms that can be e-filed go to What's New This Year in Help Center.

Additional Information

Check all returns

The Alabama Department of Revenue scans computer-generated forms to quickly process the income tax returns they receive. To meet the requirements for producing computer-generated forms, ProSeries is required to limit the width of the tax information printed on forms that are scanned. In certain cases, data you entered may be truncated. After completing a tax return, review the information that prints (for example, mailing address information), make any necessary changes, and reprint the return before mailing it.

Bar codes on printed state returns

Some states use bar codes on computer-printed tax forms. This special formatting allows the state taxing authorities to process returns more quickly and efficiently. On-screen, you'll see only a small representation of the bar code on the lower-left side of the form. This image is static and does not change based on the information in the return. However, when you print the return, the bar code appears as a large rectangular box on the first page of the form. The width of the bar code is constant; the height varies according to the data in the return. In general, the more complex the return, the larger the printed bar code.

Returns that contain special formatting may be processed at a different location than manually-prepared returns. Therefore, the filing instructions that print with the state return may contain a mailing address that's different from the mailing address in the package that is sent to taxpayers. Be sure to have your clients mail their returns to the address in the filing instructions that print with the return.

Important: Because the bar code image is a function of the data in the tax return, it's important that you reprint the page with the bar code if changes are made to any part of the return. Also, do not print blank copies of the main form and prepare them manually. The Alabama taxing authority may attempt to scan the form and reject it.


End of ReadMe file for ProSeries/Alabama