Bulk filing is a method for third-party tax preparers to submit multiple clients’ returns in a single file upload. To receive third-party/bulk filing status, you must submit the Third Party/Bulk Filing Application. Once approved, you will receive an agent account that you can use to sign in to My Alabama Taxes. With an agent account, and your client’s approval, you will be able to file returns and submit payments on your client’s behalf using a single logon. There are two options for filing and paying returns using your My Alabama Taxes logon. You can enter the information on the return form on each of your client’s accounts through the third-party return filing method, or you can create text files, by tax type, that contain your client’s return and payment information for bulk uploading to the system.
Third-Party Return Filing Method: You must add your client’s account to your account list by logging in to My Alabama Taxes and clicking the “Add access to an existing account” link on the right side of the home screen. Then you will need to select the account type and enter your client’s tax account number, E-file Sign on ID, E-file Access Code, and possibly the third-party password that your client created when setting their My Alabama Taxes profile to allow third-party logons. Once the account is added, you can access it by clicking the account number link on the accounts list and proceed to manually enter the tax return information. Note: If your client has a My Alabama Taxes logon and selected to not allow third-party logons, they will need to first set their account to allow third-party logons before you can add their account to your logon.
The Bulk Upload Method: The bulk upload method allows you to create a comma delimited text file for each tax type that contains your client’s return and payment information to upload to the system. These files can be created using a spreadsheet program (e.g., Excel) and saved as a comma delimited text file with either a .txt or .csv file extension. A separate file is required for each tax type using the following layouts. Note: if a header row is used during the creation of the file, it should be removed prior to uploading since the system will begin importing with the first row of the file.
Tax Type Upload Layouts:
- Consumers Use Tax
- Consumers Use Tax – Effective 10/1/2023 (Updated 7/19/2023)
- Local (City/County) Sales, Use, Rental and Lodgings Tax
- Local (City/County) Sales, Use, Rental and Lodgings Tax – Effective 10/1/2023 (Updated 7/19/2023)
- Sales Tax
- Sales Tax – Effective 10/1/23 (Updated 7/19/2023)
- Sellers Use Tax
- Sellers Use Tax – Effective 10/1/23 (Updated 7/19/2023)
- Simplified Sellers Use Tax