🖥️Here's what's happening:
1. Retirement of FIRE: The IRS have announced the planned retirement of the FIRE intake system, to be replaced with the new IRIS system.
2. Masked Emails Replacement: You can now send emails from the Calculus platform from an official institute email address, with all replies going to your own inbox.
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1. FIRE System Retirement Update
Update:
The IRS has announced that the current FIRE (Filing Information Returns Electronically) system will be retired, with the change scheduled to take effect from Tax Year 2026, impacting the 2027 Filing Season.
In its place, the IRS will require electronic submissions through the new Information Returns Intake System (IRIS), which will be the only intake system for tax year 2026 and going forward.
As the FIRE retirement date approaches, we will provide you with regular updates and clear guidance to help you seamlessly adapt to this upcoming change in filing procedures.
You can find more information from the IRS here.
IRIS Intake System:
The IRS Information Returns Intake System (IRIS) is the new platform that will replace the FIRE system beginning with Tax Year 2026 (Filing Season 2027). IRIS is designed to modernize how information returns are filed, offering a secure, web-based system with built-in validations to help reduce errors. Unlike FIRE, IRIS does not require separate transmission software and provides immediate confirmation of filing status.
IRIS offers two main filing options depending on the filer’s needs: the Taxpayer Portal (User Interface) and the Application-to-Application (A2A) method.
The Taxpayer Portal is designed for small to mid-size filers. It allows users to manually enter information returns directly into the platform or upload data using a Comma-Separated Values (CSV) file to pre-populate forms. Filers can submit up to 100 forms through this method after applying for an IRIS Transmitter Control Code (TCC) using ID.me. This option is especially helpful for taxpayers who do not use specialized software and want a straightforward, web-based interface.
For high-volume filers, the A2A method provides a more advanced solution. It allows organizations to transmit bulk information returns directly from their internal system to IRIS in XML format. This method reduces manual steps, increases efficiency, and is best suited for institutions managing large data volumes.
It’s important to note that the IRS now requires electronic filing if you have 10 or more information returns. With the FIRE system scheduled for retirement after Tax Year 2026 (Filing Season 2027), all institutions will need to transition to IRIS, selecting the method that best aligns with their filing requirements.
You can find more information from the IRS here.
2. Emails from Calculus Update
Current Procedure:
All emails sent from the Calculus system are automatically sent from noreply@sprintax.com
Currently, this email address can be changed upon request, for example to institutename@sprintax.com
Previously, this has caused issues whereby the email is delivered to an unmonitored Sprintax inbox leaving any replies from Calculus users unanswered.
Update:
We can now set a “reply to” address, which will be owned by your institution.
This means that when we mask the sender address, we can set a response route that will deliver the email to your institutions inbox.
Result:
Calculus individuals will be able to reply to emails sent from the Calculus system and these replies will be delivered to you, the admin, instead of a Sprintax inbox.
Where to find this update:
If you wish to set up a “reply to” address that redirects to your institutes inbox, please contact your Sprintax account manager