Information Returns Intake E-File Tax Reporting Support Service

The Washington State Department of Retirement Systems in Tumwater, Washington, requires a vendor to provide information returns intake e-file tax reporting support services. The agency needs to ensure compliant electronic submission of its tax files and Record Keeper information return files to the Internal Revenue Service. This one-year initiative in 2027 solves the problem of validating, preparing, and transmitting complex tax data while adhering strictly to federal specifications. The scope of work requires the vendor to receive, validate, prepare, and electronically submit the agency's files in compliance with all applicable Internal Revenue Service publications, technical specifications, and security requirements. The vendor must treat all incoming data as read-only and is not authorized to update or change any received information. The vendor must validate file structures, identify file-level or record-level errors, and promptly notify the agency of any issues requiring correction. To support these tasks, the agency will provide 1099-R files formatted according to Publication 1220 for 2025 as text files, 1042-S files formatted according to Publication 1187 for 2025 as text files, and Record Keeper-generated files in compliant formats. The vendor must maintain active status as an authorized electronic file provider with the federal government, including completing all required testing and renewals. Transmission must occur through the appropriate federal platforms, such as FIRE, IRIS, or successor systems, supporting all required formats including Application-to-Application and XML. The vendor must provide confirmation of successful transmission and federal acknowledgment files within one business day of submission. Eligible bidders must perform all work offsite and must be located onshore within the United States. The agency is seeking budget proposals for this contract, which will run for a period of one year.