Prepare Form Data Files and Manifest for Submission

ACA Forms Preparation for IRS Submission

All ACA Information Returns filed electronically with the IRS must include the Form Data File(s) that are downloaded from UKG Pro. Each Form Data File must have an accompanying Manifest file that you create.

After you download the Form Data Files from UKG Pro, the extracted Form Data Files may require additional data updates to meet IRS reporting requirements and recommendations, including, but not limited to:

Renaming the Form Data Files (XML) (recommended)
Applying any late-breaking IRS reporting requirements to ensure compliance

Additionally, after the Manifest file is created according to IRS requirements, the Manifest must also be updated with information specific to the associated Form Data File(s).

Note

To edit the Form Data Files (XML) or create/edit the Manifest file, an XML editor is required.

Form Data File (XML) Naming Conventions

The Form Data File (XML) exported from UKG Pro is automatically assigned a filename that enables you to identify the associated ALE, tax year, and date and time of file generation. For filing, the IRS recommends a different Form Data File filename to easily locate the Form Data File in cases where errors must be corrected.

The transmitter is responsible for renaming the XML file based on the naming convention recommended by the IRS. Refer to the IRS publication, AIR Composition and Reference Guide, for naming convention information (Section 3.3).


Source	File Naming Convention	Example
UKG Pro	A static indicator (PPACA), the ALE Name, the Tax Year, and the Date and Time (in GMT time) the file is generated	PPACA-UEL Corporate-2015-03222016063848
IRS	The form type, a static indicator (Request), the Transmitter's TCC, the Date and Time (in GMT time) the transmitter submits the file	1094C_Request_BY02G_20140101T010102000Z.xml

Manifest File Creation and Updates

Transmitters must create and upload the Manifest file that accompanies the Form Data File (XML). All ACA Information Returns must include these two required files.

Refer to the latest versions of the following resources on the IRS.gov website for more information regarding the requirements of the Manifest file:

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Information Returns - AIR Submission Composition and Reference Guide
Affordable Care Act Information Returns AIR Schemas Business Rules

After creating the Manifest file, the Manifest file must be updated with required information specific to the vendor (UKG) and the associated Form Data File. These required elements include:

UKG Vendor Information (VendorInformationGroup)
UKG's Vendor ID (SoftwareId)
The Form Data File's SHA256 Checksum (ChecksumAugmentationNum)
The Form Data File's total byte size (AttachmentByteSizeNum)

Enter this required information in the Manifest file before filing with the IRS.

Note

The Manifest file must also contain the UTID, which uniquely identifies the transmission. For information on the UTID, refer to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Information Returns - AIR Submission Composition and Reference Guide (Section 3.4.2).

Required Vendor and Software ID Information for the Manifest File

The elements in the <VendorInformationGrp> section and <SoftwareId> section must be completed in the Manifest file.

These elements relate specifically to UKG as the vendor. The UKG vendor contact is Christina Johnson; the UKG SoftwareId for the 2023 Software ID: 23A0017140.

Note

UKG's SoftwareId is subject to change each tax year.

VendorInformationGrp Section on the Manifest

Use the information as follows to update the <VendorInformationGrp> section of the Manifest file.


<VendorInformationGrp> Elements	UKG Field Values
VendorCd	V
PersonFirstNm	Christina
PersonLastNm	Johnson
ContactPhoneNum	8004321729

Generate the Form Data File's SHA256 CheckSum for the Manifest File

The Manifest file requires the SHA256 checksum of the Form Data File. This value must be entered in the <ChecksumAugmentationNum> element, located near the bottom of the Manifest file.

The SHA256 checksum is a unique identifier associated with actual Form Data File (XML) and it is used to verify data integrity. After you save the Form Data File to your computer, you can obtain the SHA256 checksum of the Form Data File. The steps to obtain the SHA256 checksum depend on whether you use a Windows or Mac computer.

Copy the Form Data File (XML) file to your Windows Desktop.
Navigate to the Windows Command Processor by selecting Start and typing 'cmd.exe' in the Search field.
Press Enter. The cmd.exe window appears.
Type the command: cd Desktop and press Enter on your keyboard.
Type the command: certutil -hashfile "FILENAME" SHA256
Replace FILENAME with the name of your file. The image contains an example.
Press Enter on your keyboard. The checksum appears in the second line of the results but it has spaces in it that must be removed.
Copy the second line of the results by selecting the top left corner of the window and selecting Edit > Mark.
Select the second line of the results and press Enter on your keyboard.
Open Notepad and paste the copied string.
Remove all spaces between the numbers. The resulting value is the checksum.
In the Manifest file, copy and paste the checksum into the <ChecksumAugmentationNum></ChecksumAugmentationNum> element.
Repeat for every file.

Generate The Form Data File's SHA256 Checksum On A Mac Computer

If you are using a Mac computer, follow these steps to generate the Form Data File's SHA256 checksum.

Copy the Form Data File (XML) to your Mac Desktop.
Open the terminal: Command+Space, type "Terminal" and press Return on your keyboard.
Type the command: cd Desktop
Type the command: SHA256 "FILENAME"
Replace FILENAME with the name of your Form Data File. The image contains an example.
Press Return on your keyboard. The checksum appears to the right of the equal sign.
In the Manifest file, copy the checksum into the <ChecksumAugmentationNum></ChecksumAugmentationNum> element.
Repeat for every Form Data File.

Obtain the Form Data File's Byte Size on a Windows Computer

The Manifest file requires the Form Data File byte size. This value must be entered in the <AttachmentByteSizeNum> element, located near the bottom of the Manifest file.

Copy the Form Data File (XML) to your Windows Desktop.
Right-click on the file and select Properties. The Size field displays the total bytes in parenthesis.
In the manifest, enter the total bytes (without commas) in the <AttachmentByteSizeNum></AttachmentByteSizeNum> element.

Obtain The Form Data File's Byte Size On A Mac Computer

If you are using a Mac computer, follow these steps to generate the Form Data File's byte size on a Mac computer.

Copy the Form Data File (XML) to your Mac Desktop.
Control-click on the file and select Get Info. The Size field displays the total bytes.
In the manifest, enter the total bytes (without commas) in the <AttachmentByteSizeNum></AttachmentByteSizeNum> element.

Submit the ACA Form Data File (XML) to the IRS

The IRS website provides a UI Channel that enables a Transmitter to upload the Manifest file and the associated Form Data File.

The number of records that can be included in the Form Data File is limited to a 100-MB file size. UKG Pro generates the files below the IRS size threshold for individual upload, as needed. Through the ISS-US channel, the transmitter must provide a Unique Transmission Identifier (UTID) in the transmission's Manifest file along with the Transmission file(s).

After you upload the Manifest and transmission files successfully and the IRS validates the files, the IRS displays a Receipt ID to the transmitter. Employers use the Receipt ID to retrieve the acknowledgment after the IRS processes the transmission. The Receipt ID is used with other identifiers to uniquely identify records within a transmission.

Note

See applicable IRS documentation for the validation process, validation failure, and error messages.

Filing Process Outline for Self-Filers

This table contains an outline of the filing process, including the original filing cycle for self-filers.


Original Filing Cycle
Step #	Task	Description
Step 1	Generate and download original Form Data File in UKG Pro	Each time the user generates a Form Data File for an ALE, new unique identifiers (submission ID and record ID) are created. IDs used in the Form Data File are not stored.
Step 2	Create original Manifest file manually	Refer to the latest Affordable Care Act (ACA) Information Returns - AIR Submission Composition and Reference Guide on the IRS.gov website for more information regarding the requirements of the Manifest file.
Step 3	Log into the IRS UI Channel to upload original Manifest and Form Data File	Upon successful transmission of XML, the IRS returns a Receipt ID. Maintain the Receipt ID with the transmission and protect it from loss or deletion.
Step 4	Log in to UKG Pro and manually change the status to FILED on the Self-Filing and History page.	Self-filer must manually update UKG Pro with the current IRS filing status.
Step 5	Log into IRS UI Channel and retrieve the status of the transmission.	Retrieve the status of the transmission.
Step 6	If status is Accepted, update the filing Status on the Self-Filing and History page to Accepted.	Self-filer must manually update UKG Pro with the current IRS filing status. No further action is needed unless an error is found or an additional record must be added to the filed ALE. (Refer to the Correction Process for Self-Filers Guide for more information.)
Step 7	If the IRS status is Rejected, resubmit the file. Depending on the error, proceed with one of the options noted in the Description.	The self-filer must correct the cause of the error. If the transmission is rejected, the file can be regenerated to include new data, if needed. If data changes, the ALE can be unlocked to complete updates. A rejected file is not yet filed with the IRS. The self-filer may also need to modify the Manifest file and populate the element, OriginalReceiptID, with the receipt ID received from the rejected transmission. If the submission is rejected, the error must be corrected. The self-filer must correct data in UKG Pro and regenerate the Form Data File. Edit the regenerated Form Data File and enter the element, OriginalUniqueSubmissionId, with the submission ID of the rejected file.
Step 8	If status is Accepted with Errors, complete the Correction process to create corrected Forms to file.	Refer to the Correction Process for Self-Filers guide for more information.

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