Frequently Asked Questions - E-File Magic Software FAQ


Listed below you will find questions and answers pertaining to the E-File Magic desktop software. If you are looking for questions and answers pertaining to the E-File Magic website, please visit the E-File Magic Website FAQ.

Do E-File Magic Payments Carry Forward For Services from Processing Year to the Next Processing Year?

No, payments do not carry forward for services from processing year to the next processing year.

What is Recipient Encryption and why is it important?

E-File Magic 2.4 and above supports the encryption of your recipients TaxID, Name1, Name2, and Address fields in the database that is stored on your computer. When activated this information is automatically encrypted using the Department of Defense recommended AES-256 algorithm. E-File Magic believes the security of your information is paramount. To that end, if your computer is lost or stolen, or your database file goes missing, having recipient encryption enabled will help mitigate any potential loss of sensitive information.

To enable this feature, navigate to the 'Config' menu and select 'Enable Encryption'. The software will prompt you for a password. Make SURE you choose a password you will REMEMBER! If you loose or forget your password, we cannot assist you in recovering your data.

This is just another step we've taken to help safeguard your information. 

What W2G Wager Codes Can I Use?

1 - Horse race track (or off-track betting of a horse track nature)
2 - Dog race track (or off-track betting of a dog track nature)
3 - Jai-alai
4 - State-conducted lottery
5 - Keno
6 - Bingo
7 - Slot machines
8 - Poker Winnings
9 - Any other type of gambling winnings

Is my data safe when I transmit it to you?

Yes. Please see our Data Security Policy. All information is encrypted in transit to E-File Magic's servers.

How do I switch between companies?

To switch to an alternate company go to Companies/Filers and select the second company.
This will change the active company to the alternate company, and you will be notified of
this change. The Active Company is displayed on top of software window in blue bar.

When I try to print, the software tells me I need to make a deposit?

E-File Magic requires that you make a deposit for e-file services prior to utilizing the print features of the software. The deposit you make will automatically be applied against the cost of e-file service when you begin transmitting your filing information to us for processing. Once you have made your first deposit a registration key will be automatically genereted and entered into the E-File Magic software for you. This registration key will allow you to print your recipient forms.

When I enter my registration details and click save, nothing happens?

If you do not receive an error message when you click the 'Save' button on the Registration screen, it's safe to assume your registration details were commited to the database. Once your information has been saved, upon your first payment for e-file services, you will receive a registration key. 

How do I manually add recipient records?

Manually adding recipient records is a simple process.

1) Create a new Company/Filer, by navigating to the Company/Filer screen. This company will be set as the 'Active Company'.

2) Navigate to the 'Manage Recipients' screen, by clicking on the 'Manage Recipients' item, on the left hand navigation menu.

3) Select the form you wish to create a recipient for, and click the 'New' button.

4) Enter the recipients detail in the form section below.

5) Save the recipient record, by clicking on the 'Save' button located below the 'New' button.

Your finished. You can navigate to the 'Validate Recipients' screen and check your entry for errors and/or navigate to the 'Print Recipients' screen to print your entered form. If you just want to 'Quick Print' your recipient form, you can click the 'Print Recipient Form' button, on the 'Manage Recipients' screen. The software will print 'Copy B' for the selected recipient.

 

How do I generate a 1096?

E-File Magic requires that your information is e-filed electronically with the IRS through our processing bureau. The E-File transmittal takes the place of the 1096. Thus, you are not required to submit a 1096 form to the IRS.

How does E-File Magic handle IRS Corrections?

The IRS defines corrections into two distinct categories. 1) Corrections that involve a mistake with a form amount field and/or description, etc and 2) Corrections that involve a mistake with the Recipients Name, Address, or TaxID.

Depending on the correction type that is outlined above, the IRS requires either an Identifying and Correcting transaction to be issued, or just a Correcting transaction to be issued. When you click the ‘Mark Corrected' button on the ‘Manage Recipient' screen in  E-File Magic 2.X, for a record that has already been transmitted for processing, E-File Magic will review the adjustments you make and determine the appropriate transactions to issue for you. This simplifies the process of issuing corrections and helps mitigate any potential errors.

What type of envelope are the E-File Magic recipient forms designed for, and how do I fold the pages?

First, our forms have all been intentionally designed to be mailed in double windowed Number 9 (3 7/8 x 8 7x8) or standard number 10 double windowed envelopes. If you like to purchase your office supplies from Staples, you can buy/order Item Number: 266759.

Second, we print fold lines on all recipient forms to simplify your job of folding. Simply fold using the 'Z Fold' layout and stuff in the envelopes. We also print a PostNet barcode on each recipient form to help ensure a clean and consitent mailing process with the post office.

Don't forget, for a very reasonable cost E-File Magic can print and mail your forms for you! Simply check the 'Print and Mail' check box when transmitting your order file, or select 'Y' when uploading your Excel/CSV file, and we'll take care of the rest!

Can multiple users use E-File Magic at once and if so does this cost extra?

Yes, Multiple users can edit the same database at no additional cost

How do I know you encrypt my data when I transmit it to your website?

The answer to this question is two fold:

1) As a security precaution, when you generate the order transmittal file from E-File Magic 2.0, we encrypt this data using both symmetric and asymmetric encryption techniques utilizing two separate encryption algorithms. The first encryption technique utilizes key pairs. This ensures that even if our software was decompiled, it would be impossible to discover a *secret key* to unlock the transmittal data. Second, the actual bulk data is encrypted utilizing a randomly generated key, that is only known to somebody(us) that can decrypt the first message.

2) When you actually transmit the data to us, your web browser will encrypt the data transfer utilizing SSL.

We believe this multi-tiered approach helps ensure the utmost care is taken in securing your information.

You can verify that we are in fact encrypting your data by navigating to the E-File Magic installation directory, opening the ‘XMLTrans' folder, and reviewing one of the generated XML files(You must first have generated a file for transmission to us, via the Transmit screen.). You can also review a secure transmittal file example screenshot which details what an encrypted transmittal file looks like.

What is Misc. Data?

The E-File Magic software and our print/mail facilities will accept and process miscellaneous information to be printed on your recipient forms. You can customize up to 12 individual lines of data containing dates, content, and amount information. This is useful if you wish to print a history of payments, add a customized thank you note to your recipients, or input special instructions for them to follow once they’ve received your forms.

Where do I put my TCC number?

When you transmit your data to our servers, we automatically transmit that information to the IRS using OUR TCC Number. You DO NOT need a TCC Number in order to use our service.

Why can't I print Copy A from E-File Magic?

E-File Magic requires that you transmit your e-file data through our online processing servers.

What version of Microsoft Windows does E-File Magic run on?

E-File Magic officially supports Windows 2000, XP, VISTA, and Windows 7. However, it will likely run on Windows 98/ME, though we do not provide support for those versions of Windows.

Will E-File Magic conflict with SQL?

SQL stands for “Structured Query Language” and is a language that provides an interface to relational database systems. SQL is not an application. E-File Magic will not conflict with any of your existing applications that use SQL on your hard drive.

Can I import data from Microsoft Excel?

E-File Magic supports importing from Excel in both the native XLS format AND CSV format. In general, most proprietary software applications you might use to generate your filing information support exporting into a CSV or XLS file.

How much does E-File Magic cost?

The software and e-mail based technical support are completely free. The E-File Magic software will NOT print IRS copy A, and requires that you e-file your recipient data with our online e-file processing system. There is a fee associated with e-filing your data, however, we designed our pricing structure to help ensure you receive the highest quality of service while incurring a low out of pocket expense. Please click the price quote button on our website to get of an idea of your end to end cost. We're confident you'll be happy with the results.

What IRS Forms does E-File Magic Support?

Currently E-File Magic 2.4+ Supports the following forms:

  • 1097BTC
  • 1098
  • 1098C
  • 1098E
  • 1098T
  • 1099A
  • 1099B
  • 1099C
  • 1099CAP
  • 1099DIV
  • 1099G
  • 1099H
  • 1099INT
  • 1099K
  • 1099LTC
  • 1099MISC
  • 1099OID
  • 1099PATR
  • 1099Q
  • 1099R
  • 1099S
  • 1099SA
  • 3921
  • 3922
  • 5498
  • 5498ESA
  • 5498SA
  • W2G

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