Rhode Island Annual E-file Production Shutdown and Switchover is November 21

That is when Rhode Island will stop accepting e-filed personal, business returns for tax year 2014

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Rhode Island Division of Taxation is scheduling its annual electronic filing shutdown and switchover for November 21, 2015.

“Each year, we temporarily close our system to e-filing in order to prepare the system for the upcoming filing season, just as the Internal Revenue Service and many other jurisdictions do at
this time of year,” said Rhode Island Tax Administrator David M. Sullivan. This year, the shutdown will occur on Saturday, November 21, 2015, he said.

“To ensure that all e-filed Rhode Island returns for tax year 2014 on Form RI-1040, Form RI-1120C, Form RI-1120S, and Form RI-1065 are processed in a timely manner, transmitters must abide by the schedule,” Sullivan said. “All e-filed returns for tax year 2014 will have a transmission deadline of 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on November 21, 2015. To avoid any lastminute logjams, preparers and taxpayers should get their electronic submissions to their transmitters well in advance of the deadlines,” he said.

For e-file purposes, Rhode Island accepts only current-year returns. Thus, November 21, 2015, is
the deadline for e-filing Rhode Island personal and business tax returns for the 2014 tax year.
When the switchover is complete and the Division of Taxation reopens to e-filing in January
2016, it will be only for returns for the 2015 tax year, Sullivan noted.

Fiscal year filers

The Tax Division’s current-year e-filing rule means that some fiscal-year filers can e-file, but
only if they are willing to e-file early.

For example, a taxpayer with a fiscal year ended September 30, 2015, waiting to the original due
date in December 2015 to file will have to file a paper return – but that taxpayer can e-file
instead if willing to file early (by the November 21, 2015, shutdown and switchover date).