ACA Application for a Transmitter Control Code (TCC Number)
The IRS states:
“Providers that file 250 or more information returns during the calendar year must file
the returns electronically.”
This 250 threshold applies to IRS Forms 1095-B and/or 1095-C. If you have less than 250 employees, you can print and mail the forms to the IRS along with the respective 1094 transmittal summary. If you have 250 or more employees, you must efile.
The first step to efiling is getting a transmitter control code or TCC number. Here is what you need to know to attain the TCC number. The IRS states in Publication 5164:
“The application must include a minimum of one Responsible Official and minimum of two Contacts.”
This is important. You need 2 contacts to go through the application process. Specifically, that means you need to people to complete this first step which is applying for an e-services account.
- E-services
E-services is a link on the IRS website that provides a variety of online tools for tax professionals. The link is here
http://www.irs.gov/Tax-Professionals/e-services—Online-Tools-for-Tax-Professionals
One nifty online tool is Bulk TIN Matching. You can upload a file with the TIN TYPE, NAME and TIN up to 100,000 records at a time and within a day the IRS will return the file letting you know which names match that specific a TIN and which names don’t. It’s a great free service for cleaning up your data before electronically filing.
E-services also is where you can submit an application for a transmitter control code for the new ACA forms. You need 2 people to go to the above E-services link and click on “Login or Register” and then click on “Register” and go through the online registration process which is below:
You need the name, SSN and date of birth for the applicant, but you also need the adjusted gross income which is line 37 on Form 1040 for the prior year.
You need 2 people to complete this registration.
- Verify E-services within 28 days
At the end of the online registration, it says:
Your initial registration information has been received and successfully processed. In the next few days, you should receive a letter via US Mail from the IRS. This letter will contain a confirmation code and instructions for completing the e-services confirmation process.
All that work in registering is just the beginning. You wait now for the letter from the IRS with a code. When you have that code, you log back into the IRS site and type in that code to complete the registration. It takes about 14 days to get the letter with the confirmation code.
- Log back in and fill out the ACA Application for TCC number
When you have finished registering for e-services, log back into e-services and you get to a screen that looks like this:
There is an option to select Individual and the Business you registered (we registered Ruth Technology). To find the ACA Application for the TCC number, you must click Individual. An individual can apply for a TCC number to file the 1095 forms electronically; a business can not. I learned this the hard way by clicking on the Business (here Ruth Technology) and searching everywhere for the ACA Application and not finding it. When I called the IRS, the agent explained clearly that individuals efile not businesses so individuals only can apply for a TCC number.
At the main menu, Click on Application. And then ACA Application for TCC. Click Start. One responsible official fills out this ACA Application and within the application, you select yourself as a contact and another contact who has completed the e-services application (you can have more, but must have at least 2 contacts).
If you have any questions, call us at 608-444-6575.
by 
Erich J. Ruth
Erich J. Ruth provides technical support for National Software which is the parent company for 1099FIRE. 1099FIRE develops and markets a comprehensive range of products that enables any size of business or institution to effectively manage and comply with year-end filing requirements. 1099FIRE is an employee-owned company located in Phoenix, Arizona.
If you have any questions or comments about our software, feel free to contact us at any time.
We are considered an Aggregate ALE and purchased the Multiple Employer version of 1099Fire to be able to submit ACA forms for 6 employers. Do we need to register each employer with IRS?
No. You get a TCC number or transmitter and you can transmit for as many employers and employees as
you like. One TCC number is all you need and you use the same TCC number year after year.
No. You can apply for one (1) TCC number or transmitter control code and with that one TCC number, you can
efile for as many employers and employees as you like. You dont need multiple TCC numbers.
Our parent company is already setup with IRS e-services so our accounting firm can electronically file our form 1120-H. When I attempt to register our company for submitting our 1095-Cs and 1094-Cs, at the top of the page where I enter my personal information is the following statement:
NOTE: Large Taxpayers inputting an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) in the SSN field on this page will be limited to e-filing Form 1120-F returns only.
On another page e-file Application: Firm/Organization Business there’s a sentence that says “This is the Form 8633 on-line application..”
Am I in the wrong place to get our company registered for electronic submission of these forms.
Am I in the right place while trying to get set-up for electronic filing for a business and it asks for my personal gross income for the prior year? If so, just curious as to why it would ask for my personal income while setting up a company.
Thanks
Not only that, but you need 2 people from that company to apply
for an E-Services account. Those 2 people eventually both apply for the TCC number.
If something happens to one of the employees, the other employee can remove that person
for the TCC and add another.
Its different. The site 1099fire.com can efile on your behalf. They do charge for that
service for they can efile 1095 forms using their TCC number.
I am trying to register so I can apply for a TCC. the form I download is not in recognizable format and when I can open, it is in Latin. Is there another place to register so I can apply for a TCC?
You need 2 people to apply through IRS e-services first. That initial application
takes about 3 weeks because the IRS eventually mails you a postcard with a code on it
that you go back to the site to type in. This verifies that your mailing address is
correct.
There is only one link that I know of to apply for e-services. If the IRS site is
down right, check again later in the day.
You state “you will get to a screen that looks like this”. How do I get to it?!!! I have not been able to get to it.
Which part have you gotten past? The first step is getting an e-services account. Do
you have e-services?
Hi Erich,
We have generated ACA TEST file using 1099FIRE. We have submitted this file to IRS website and received a receipt id.
When we have tried to access IRS using receipt id to download report. we are getting following error message.
Header-001 TCC within the ‘UniqueTransmissionId’ must match a TCC within the IRS database.
Please let us know how to resolve this issue.
I have never seen that error. Are you sure the TCC matches the one in the IRS database?
Are you sure the Receipt ID and TCC match?
It appears I’m in the same situation as Burhan Tanweer, any new developments on error Header-001?
The other person (Burhan Tanweer) was submitting a test file. Are you trying to submit a test or production? Please let me know.
I am getting the same error “The TCC within the Header ‘UniqueTransmissionId’ must match a TCC within the IRS database” when trying to submit a test file (your file “Test Scenario 3 TY17.xls”). I only encounter the error when submitting the 1094C. I have no problems submitting test or production files for the 1094/95B. I also tried both of my TCC’s (Issuer and Transmitter).
When you initially applied for the TCC number, did you apply for a TCC for both the 1095-C and 1095-B forms? Its possible your TCC is just set up to efile 1095-C forms and not the 1095-B forms.
The TCC within the Header ‘UniqueTransmissionId’ must match a TCC within the IRS database”
getting same error using same TCC as last year. any advice?
We can efile on your behalf using our TCC number. We do charge for that service. Just call sales at 480-460-9311.
If you have the data ready, we can efile today.
what should I do if both responsible officials are no longer with the company?
You have to get the responsible officials who are no longer with the company to
remove themselves from the TCC application and add two new responsible officials.
Only a responsible official can log into E-services and take people off and add them.
You have another option. Our ACA service bureau can efile on your behalf. We do
charge for that service but if you have the data ready, we can print, mail and/or efile
when your ready. Just call our sales office at (480) 460-9311.