If you receive a rejection regarding a federal name control or data not matching the IRS database, first verify that the information has been entered correctly in the return. If already entered correctly, we advise contacting the IRS for further assistance, as the IRS maintains the master database – not Thomson Reuters.
See below for which IRS phone numbers to use.
Contacting the IRS E-Help Desk for Help Resolving E-File Errors
The IRS e-help Desk is available to help tax professionals in numerous areas of the e-file process, from registering to e-file to resolving e-file rejections. See below for who can call this number and when you may find it helpful or required to call the IRS e-help Desk.
- The IRS e-help Desk is available to assist tax professionals, such as Reporting Agents, Enrolled Agents, Certified Public Accountants, Electronic Return Originators, Software Developers, and Transmitters.
- The IRS e-help Desk supports the following: e-Services, electronic account registration, the IRS e-file Application process, Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) matching, and the Transcript Delivery System (TDS).
As mentioned above, in some cases you may have to contact the toll-free IRS e-help Desk for assistance in resolving rejected returns. For example, consider contacting the IRS e-help Desk if a corporate return is rejected with the following message: “The return type indicated in the return header must match the return type established with the IRS for the EIN” and you cannot resolve the error.
The IRS e-help Desk toll-free number is 866.255.0654. Callers outside of the 50 U.S. states and/or U.S. territories should use the International phone number: 512.416.7750.
IRS Phone Number for Business Name Control Rejections
The IRS has established a phone line specifically for taxpayers and tax preparers who want to verify the name control for business (non-1040) returns. The IRS recommends that business taxpayers who are uncertain of the correct name control for e-file purposes should contact the Business & Specialty Help phone number to confirm the corporation’s or partnership’s name control before electronically filing the business return. The toll-free number is 800.829.4933.
For a list of people who can call this number, view this article in our Help & How-To Center: 1065 – US ELF: Name Control.
