Alabama Administrative Code
Title 810 - ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE
Chapter 810-2-8 - ALABAMA BUSINESS PRIVILEGE TAX AND CORPORATE SHARES TAX
Section 810-2-8-.17 - Requirements For The Alabama Electronic Business Privilege Tax Return

(a) A complete Alabama electronic business privilege tax return will consist of XML data transmitted electronically and supporting binary documents (such as .pdf documents) as required by the Alabama Business Privilege Tax Modernized Electronic Filing (MeF) schemas, business rules, and Handbook for Software Developers and Transmitters (Publication 4164). A complete Alabama electronic return must contain the same information as a comparable Alabama business privilege tax return as if filed entirely on paper.

(b) All entities that electronically file their Alabama business privilege tax return must also pay their tax liability electronically.

(c) This rule applies to and allows business privilege tax returns to be electronically filed through the Department's Internet-based electronic filing program or the Alabama Business Modernized e-filing Program (MeF) or their successors and as they may exist from time to time. Rules 810-2-8-.12 through 810-2-8-.15 apply to returns that are transmitted through the Alabama Business Modernized e-filing Program (MeF).

(a) The electronic postmark or IRS received date of an accepted Alabama electronic business privilege tax return will be used to determine timely filing of an electronic return in the same manner that the postmarked date is used to determine timely filing of a paper Alabama Business Privilege Tax return.

(b) The electronic postmark (based on the taxpayer' s time zone) will be used as the received date of the electronic transmission if the electronic postmark is within three (3) days of the IRS received date. However, if there is no electronic postmark date or if the electronic postmark date is greater than three (3) days of the IRS received date, then the IRS received date will be used.

(c) If a timely filed electronic return is rejected, the filer has the later of 10 calendar days from the date of the first transmission or the due date of the return (with extensions) to correct the errors and resubmit the return. In order for the Department to acknowledge the transmission date of the original return, the submission ID of the original return must be transmitted in each subsequent filing. If the return is resubmitted and accepted after the due date (with extensions) or the transmission perfection period, the received date will be the transmission date of the accepted resubmitted (perfected) return and not the date that the original rejected return was submitted.

(d) Perfection of a return for electronic re-transmission is generally required when the original timely filed electronic return had errors in the XML format, or errors that caused the return to fail Alabama Business Privilege Tax MeF schema validation and or business rules. Therefore, the transmission perfection period is not an extension of time to file; it is a period of time to correct errors in the electronic file.

(e) If a filer is unable to correct a rejected Alabama Business Privilege Tax electronic return to an accepted status, the filer must submit their paper return with a copy of the last rejection notification from the Department. To be considered timely filed, this paper return must be postmarked by the later of the due date of the return (including extensions) or 10 calendar days after the date that Alabama last gives notification that the return was rejected. If the paper return is received after the due date or the transmission perfection period, the received date will be the postmark date of the paper return.