Free IRIS tool
IRIS errors and statuses, decoded
Rejected upload? "Accepted with Errors"? An S1H code you've never seen? Find out what it means, whether your forms count as filed, and exactly what to do next.
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Short answer
IRIS reports each transmission as Accepted, Accepted with Errors, Partially Accepted or Rejected. Accepted with Errors means the forms are filed but some records broke business rules: fix those with a correction. Rejected (or the rejected submissions in a Partially Accepted transmission) means nothing was filed: send a replacement within 60 days to keep the original filing date. Most portal CSV rejections come from spreadsheet formatting: numbers in scientific notation, dates not in MM/DD/YYYY, dashes in ZIP codes, line breaks or extra spaces in cells, periods or # in names, $0.00 instead of blank, or more than one tax year in a file.
- Only one file-level error shows at a time; all field-level errors show together
- Save as CSV UTF-8 with cells formatted as Text
- A2A error codes name the rule and its XPath location
- A duplicate UTID is never accepted, even after a rejection
Last reviewed against IRS Publication 5717 (Rev. 9-2026) and Publication 5718.
What does my status mean?
CSV upload checker Paste or open the CSV you tried to upload to the IRIS Taxpayer Portal.
Business rule ID decoder A2A acknowledgments name the rule each error broke.
IRIS statuses at a glance
| Status | Counts as filed? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Received by IRS / Processing | Not yet decided | Wait (allow up to 7 days). Don't resubmit. |
| Accepted | Yes | Nothing. |
| Accepted with Errors | Yes | File corrections for the records in error. |
| Partially Accepted | Only the accepted submissions | Replace the rejected submissions within 60 days. |
| Rejected | No | Fix and replace the whole transmission within 60 days. |
Find the errors in the portal by opening View Submitted Forms, then the Receipt ID, then each Record ID. The downloadable acknowledgment is a JSON file. Step-by-step fixes are in the IRIS corrections wizard.
Why IRIS CSV uploads get rejected
Upload errors come in two kinds: file-level errors (the template or formatting can't be read; only one shows at a time) and field-level errors (a value is wrong; all of them show at once). The IRS's list of common causes (Pub 5717, section 3.5.3.1):
| If | Then |
|---|---|
| Long numbers show as 1.35E+03 | Format the column as Text before entering numbers. |
| Dates in the wrong format or with a 2-digit year | Use MM/DD/YYYY. |
| ZIP codes with a dash | Digits only, formatted as Text. |
| A line break inside a cell (Alt+Enter) | Keep every cell on one line; the second address line goes in Address Line 2. |
| Leading, trailing or double spaces | Delete them, including spaces in cells that should be empty. |
| Periods or # in names or address lines | Remove them. |
| More than one tax year in a file | Use a separate template for each tax year. |
| Money cells showing $0.00 | Leave them completely blank. |
| Empty check box fields | Enter Y or N. |
Save as CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) with cells formatted as Text, and fix problems in a text editor: reopening the CSV in Excel can strip that formatting. Don't copy and paste from an old CSV into a fresh template. Build clean rows with the IRIS CSV builder.
A2A errors before you get a Receipt ID
These come back as HTTP 400 Bad Request (or an initial schema error) and nothing is stored. Fix the problem and resend with the same transmission type.
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| Duplicate UTID | Generate a new UTID; IRIS never accepts one it has seen, even on a rejected file. |
| TestCd "T" sent to production | Use "P" in production, "T" only in ATS. |
| TestCd that isn't "T" or "P" | Set a valid test code. |
| Manifest missing | Include the transmission manifest. |
| No submissions | Include at least one submission. |
| Initial schema validation error | Validate the XML against the current schema before sending, and keep it under 100 MB. |
Business rule errors after the Receipt ID
- Errors name the rule broken and its location (an XPath). The rules themselves are in the IRS's IRIS schemas and business rules. The prefix shows the level: TMFST/FTMFST manifest, SMF submission and manifest, S1H/S2H/S3H submission headers, shared form rules, and F plus the form number for form rules.
- A manifest failure, or every submission failing, rejects the whole transmission. Submission or form failures reject just that submission (Partially Accepted).
- Rules marked "Report Error and Reject if Over Threshold" can reject a whole submission if they're broken too many times; you'll see a "Threshold Rule" error.
- Schema validation errors found after the Receipt ID can't be replaced: resend as an original.
Building A2A? See the IRIS A2A developer guide and the IRS's IRIS known issues and solutions.
Related tools
- Fixing the forms: IRIS corrections.
- Clean CSV rows from a spreadsheet: the IRIS CSV builder.
- Catch bad names and TINs first: the vendor list checker.
Sources
Questions
IRIS error questions
What does "Accepted with Errors" mean in IRIS?
The IRS accepted your forms, so they count as filed, but some records had errors, often a recipient name and TIN that don't match IRS records. Look up the errors by Receipt ID and Record ID, then file corrections for those records. Don't replace or refile them.
What should I do if my IRIS transmission is rejected?
Nothing in a rejected transmission or submission counts as filed. Fix the errors in the acknowledgment and file a replacement with all of its records. An acceptable replacement within 60 days of the rejection is treated as filed on the original date.
How long does IRIS take to process a file?
Statuses usually update quickly, but the IRIS Taxpayer Portal says to allow up to 7 days while a transmission shows Received by IRS.
Why was my IRIS CSV upload rejected?
The IRS's most common reasons are spreadsheet formatting problems: numbers turned into scientific notation, 2-digit-year dates, dashes in ZIP codes, line breaks inside cells, extra spaces, periods or # in names and addresses, $0.00 instead of blank, and empty check box fields. File-level errors appear one at a time; field-level errors all appear together.
What do IRIS business rule codes like S1H or F1099NEC mean?
The prefix tells you where the problem is: TMFST or FTMFST for the manifest, SMF for submission-versus-manifest checks, S1H, S2H and S3H for the submission headers, a shared form rule, or F plus the form number for a specific form. The number after it is the rule's sequence number.
Is anything I paste here sent to EFileForMe?
No. The checker reads your CSV inside your browser; nothing is uploaded or saved. Even so, consider testing with a copy that has the TINs removed.
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