E-file ID

The program automatically assigns an E-file ID when a return is e-filed. It appears under the E-file ID column in the E-file Manager.

Submission ID

A Submission ID is a 20-digit number assigned to an e-file when it is first created. It has become the most widely accepted E-filing identifier since the inception of Modernized E-file (MeF).

The following table identifies the component parts of a sample Submission ID:

Preparer’s EFIN (6 digits)	Processing Year (4 digits)	Julian Day (3 digits)	Unique Alphanumeric Number (7 digits)
999999	20XX	014	1a2b3c4

 

The Federal and State e-files will be assigned unique Submission IDs.

Some Federal and state products use neither an E-file ID nor a Submission ID. Examples include 5500, W-2, 1099, and 94X.

DCN (Declaration Control Number)

Only Massachusetts uses the DCN as an E-file number.

The DCN is a 14-digit number assigned by during the initial e-filing process. It was the predecessor of the Submission ID, and is only used in Massachusetts.

Every DCN is unique, but they all share the same structure:

Fixed Value	Preparer’s EFIN (6 digits)	Batch/Serial Counter (5 digits)	Processing Year (1 digit)
00	011182	02050	X (for Processing Year 201X)

E-file ID Errors

The calculations used to create Submission IDs and DCNs are designed to prevent duplication. However, if a duplicate Submission ID or DCN is generated, simply re-creating the e-file will generate a new Submission ID or DCN.