Attention Software Developers (Electronic and Paper Forms)

All software providers who offer tax preparation software for electronic and paper tax forms are required to register with the District of Columbia by completing an annual Letter of Intent.

DC uses the Federal Tax Administration’s State Exchange System (SES) to securely distribute the Letter of Intent, e-file schemas, business rules and related materials, and all SUB Forms for the coming year.

For more information and access to the Letter of Intent, contact the District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue at efile@dc.gov. To register, the District of Columbia Letter of Intent must be submitted annually by the October 31 deadline. Vendors will receive an email notifying them once permission is granted.

Modernized e-file (MeF)

The Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) invites all eligible practitioners and software developers to participate in the DC MeF joint electronic program. OTR requires the Letter of Intent (LOI) located on the State Exchange System (SES). This registration is required for MeF and substitute forms. If you need additional information, please email efile@dc.gov.

 

Substitute Tax Forms Approval Process and Information

A substitute tax form is a computer-generated form for filing in lieu of official DC tax forms. Reference the "Substitute Forms Guidelines" publication DC-1167 for the appropriate generation, use and approval of substitute forms.

• DC-1167 Substitute Forms Guidelines - Available on the State Exchange System (SES)

Substitute tax form grids are available to assist software developers and printers in the accurate generation of substitute tax forms. These grids show the exact design and location of the required elements on the official forms. The substitute tax form grids are for computer-generated/printed, black-and-white versions of pages in the official form that contain drop-out ink. If there are pages in the official version that are black-and-white, continue those in the same format.

Substitute Tax Form Grids

Substitute tax form grids are available on the State Exchange System (SES). Questions and comments concerning these grids should be addressed to the Office of Tax and Revenue's System and Forms Division at dcsubformapproval@dc.gov.