E-Filing of returns Where Taxpayers' state driver licenses have or will expire

[Uncle Sam]

I was just on phone with Drake support.
It just occurred to me that NYS DMV is closed "until further notice". People with upcoming renewal dates are SOL.
Yet - we are expected to e-file taxpayer returns requiring current driver license information during this time. Currently - there is no workaround the expired date reject.
I called this to Drake's attention.
I asked that the programmers engineer a checkoff box be available in that screen to override the reject possibility.

[TAXNJ]

Why override if it’s a question that NYS requires to be answered to fie a return?

Have you contacted NYS Dept. of Tax?

would think if a driver’s license expired that means that one does not have driver’s license.

So from the NYS website it states the following:

“If your client does not have a driver license or non-driver ID (or is deceased), you can indicate that within the software to fulfill this requirement.“

Also, in the case you post,

“What we accept“
We accept information from your client’s most recent driver license or non-driver ID. The ID can be active or expired. If your client’s ID is expiring, we will not reject the return.

see link below for reference:

https://www.tax.ny.gov/tp/driverlicense.htm

[New York Enrolled Agent]

It just occurred to me that NYS DMV is closed "until further notice". People with upcoming renewal dates are SOL.
Yet - we are expected to e-file taxpayer returns requiring current driver license information during this time. Currently - there is no workaround the expired date reject.

Your assertion is simply not true. Review the facts on the NYS DTF site. There is no "expired date" reject.

[Uncle Sam]

Obviously - you didn't read or understand the situation. NYS DMV is NOW CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. People have expiring licenses coming up SOON - hasn't expired YET and haven't filed 2019 tax return yet.
In NYS at least - in order to obtain an Enhanced Driver LIcense (to enable flying a domestic flight after 6/30/2020 you need to make a physical appearance at DMV.
And why would NYS Tax Department have decision making authority over a DMV issue?

[New York Enrolled Agent]

Obviously, you wish to pontificate rather than read the facts on the NYS DTF site - an expired driver licenses is not a barrier to efiling.

[New York Enrolled Agent]

in order to obtain an Enhanced Driver LIcense (to enable flying a domestic flight after 6/30/2020

BTW, this is a tax message board but you have this wrong also.

There was a requirement set for October 1, 2020 (not June) in which a traveler was required to have a Real ID. That date has been postponed by the TSA until October 1, 2021. The enhanced driver license is a version of Real ID but there is no requirement to possess an enhanced driver license to board a domestic flight.

[TaxGuyBill]

an expired driver licenses is not a barrier to efiling.

Are you specifically referring to Drake (the OP's software)? If not, it might be a barrier.

I don't know about Drake, but I do know that some software companies give an error for an expired license, which may cause the software company to reject the e-file (or not accept the e-file) before it is sent to the IRS and State. My interpretation is that is what the OP is referring to. There are could be ways to get around that (for example, in ProSeries, you can disable error-checking), but I'm not familiar enough with Drake to know if that is possible or how to do it.

[dtlee]

Are you specifically referring to Drake (the OP's software)? If not, it might be a barrier.

I don't know about Drake, but I do know that some software companies give an error for an expired license, which may cause the software company to reject the e-file (or not accept the e-file) before it is sent to the IRS and State. My interpretation is that is what the OP is referring to. There are could be ways to get around that (for example, in ProSeries, you can disable error-checking), but I'm not familiar enough with Drake to know if that is possible or how to do it.

Drake does not impose their will in this situation. The license numbers can be expired. At least, I have never seen a reject. I think we are just having a prolonged discussion about the meaning of life.

In a worst case scenario, Drake does allow a "does not have one" option which is not necessarily wrong if they have one that it is no longer valid due to its expiration date.

[TaxGuyBill]

I think we are just having a prolonged discussion about the meaning of life.

If we are talking about the meaning of life, we need to start talking about eating cheesecake. :-)

[dtlee]

My wife and I wanted to go to Cheesecake Factory but could not due to the latest pandemic. For Mother's day, I have ordered takeout meals with cheesecake. Please don't spoil her surprise.

[TAXNJ]

Drake does not impose their will in this situation. The license numbers can be expired. At least, I have never seen a reject. I think we are just having a prolonged discussion about the meaning of life.

In a worst case scenario, Drake does allow a "does not have one" option which is not necessarily wrong if they have one that it is no longer valid due to its expiration date.

Good points.

Facts are stated on NYS Tax website (see reply post) to avoid a rejection by NYS Tax. Based on the facts there is no reason not to file tax return and no reason for an override, etc.

Think your point of “I think we are just having a prolonged discussion about the meaning of life.“ Is beginning to make sense. Thanks for the humor.

[Uncle Sam]

OK folks - my purpose of the OP was to warn people of issues that COULD crop up in the process of the 7/15 extension date with VARIOUS state governments (not only NY) being shut down. I know that I get a Drake warning note that I can't e-file if the current driver license isn't up to date. I acknowledge I probably didn't state that correctly in the OP.
I know this board has a code of conduct regarding hostile nasty responses to posts that lately have been quite obvious. It's only a few that spoil it for the others.
So if this is going to be the acceptable conduct - you won't see me posting until the attitude changes.

[dtlee]

OK folks - my purpose of the OP was to warn people of issues that COULD crop up in the process of the 7/15 extension date with VARIOUS state governments (not only NY) being shut down. I know that I get a Drake warning note that I can't e-file if the current driver license isn't up to date. I acknowledge I probably didn't state that correctly in the OP.
I know this board has a code of conduct regarding hostile nasty responses to posts that lately have been quite obvious. It's only a few that spoil it for the others.
So if this is going to be the acceptable conduct - you won't see me posting until the attitude changes.

I am definitely not getting a reject from Drake. I have two green check marks. I am awaiting signatures and the client has been asked to send front and back photos of both licenses, but I right now have old license information (both expired, one in 2019, and one in 2018). I am certain the older one was expired last year but not yet renewed when we e-filed the return. So, two points:

1. Not even a "NOTE" from Drake, no less an error message which would prevent me from attempting to e-file the return.
2. Last year was accepted by New York with an expired Drivers License.

How old is this expired license?

I sent documentation to the client last week and just updated the software today. I have never seen a note or error message generated by the software related to the expired Drivers License information. This has been the case all year as far as I recall. I started this return in February.

[dtlee]

I know that I get a Drake warning note that I can't e-file if the current driver license isn't up to date.

Can you please post the precise verbiage either here or in the other thread you started. Thank you.

[Rapid Robert]

I don't know about Drake, but I do know that some software companies give an error for an expired license, which may cause the software company to reject the e-file (or not accept the e-file) before it is sent to the IRS and State.

Yes, in my software, if you put in any Driver's license or state-issued identification info, the expiration date must be later than both the issue date and current date (today), or a hard efile diagnostic is generated. However, you are not required to put in any such info for either federal or most other state filings. New York apparently is one of the few exceptions, along with their ridiculous (IMO) requirement for a wet ink signature on the efile authorization form (most other states will accept a KBA-based e-signature that is acceptable for the federal return).

I filed two NY returns so far this season, one resident and one non resident. In both cases, I simply selected (without override) the option in my software to indicate "no applicable identification" and the efile went through. (I also had a choice of "identification not provided" but didn't try it). It seems like with an officially expired license, "no applicable identification" would be accurate.

Further, I do not see where this information is part of the actual tax return, so I don't worry about signing the jurat, even if the client actually has an unexpired state-issued driver's license. That's just me, not advice I'm providing to anyone else.