acris-faq-etax

Department of Finance


Property Tax BillsBenefitsAssessmentsTax Maps


ACRIS E-TAX FORMS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’s)

General Questions about E-Tax

1. My E-Tax session has timed out. Was my information saved?

E-Tax information is saved for the tax screens that are fully completed before your session timed out. However, the data on the page that you were working on may not have saved. To continue working on your tax transaction, you can retrieve it from the ACRIS Main menu. Note that an E-Tax session times out when it is left idle for more than 20 minutes.

2. I can’t edit my tax forms; my tax form status is “In Use.”

“In Use” means that you may have already copied the information on to a Cover Page.

In order to make any changes on the tax form, you will need to release the data from the Cover Page.

Follow the steps below to release the data from the cover page:

Click on Retrieve Cover Page transaction.

Click on Show unrecorded transactions.

Then, select the transaction that needs to be corrected and click edit.

On the new window, delete the information in the Tax Transaction ID, Borough/county, Block, and Lot fields.

Then, Click the retrieve/release data button.

To make sure that the data was removed, click on the Property or Parties tab and make sure that the grids are now blank.

Go to the Print tab and click the “Next” button. When the Cover Page transaction screen appears, click the Finish and Print payment cover page button.

Close out the cover page.

Click on Retrieve Tax Transaction.

Enter the Tax Transaction ID and click edit.

You should now be able to edit your tax forms.

Reminder: After you make your changes, print out the new final versions of the tax forms and the revised cover page. (Take the hyphen off)

3. Can I use a future date when I create my tax forms?

Yes, you can enter a future Date of Transfer when you create your tax forms. However, your future date of transfer cannot be more than 45 days in the future.

4. Why is my tax form status Incomplete?

You have not completed all required tabs and fields.

Go back into the tax form by clicking the “Edit” button in the tax transaction screen.

Look at the checklist for any items that are not checked off.

Complete these tabs and return to the tax transaction screen.

The status should now change to “Not Printed.”

5. What if I prepaid my taxes?

If you have already prepaid both the RPTT and TP-584 you do not need to create new E-Tax forms. When you create your Cover Page, select Pre-paid at City Register from the pull-down menu in the RPTT Fees & Taxes tab. Enter the CRFN Reference No. and the amount paid. Select either Pre-paid at City Register or Pre-paid elsewhere from the pull-down menu in the RETT Fees & Taxes tab. Enter the CRFN Reference No. and the amount paid if Pre-paid at City Register or the Reference No. from your receipt and the amount paid if Pre-paid elsewhere.

If you have prepaid either the RPTT or the TP-584, you will need to create an E-Tax form for the tax form that was not prepaid.

When you create your Cover Page, enter your Tax Transaction ID, BBL and then click the Retrieve/Release Data button.

The information from the E-Tax form will copy over.

For the other tax form that you prepaid, for RPTT select Pre-paid at City Register from the pull-down menus in the RPTT Fees & Taxes tab and enter the CRFN Reference No. and the amount paid or for RETT select either Pre-paid at City Register or Pre-paid elsewhere from the pull-down menu in the RETT Fees & Taxes tab and enter the CRFN Reference No. and the amount paid if Pre-paid at City Register or the Reference No. from your receipt and the amount paid if Pre-paid elsewhere.

6. How can I get multiple grantees, grantors, or properties to show up on my tax form?

When you look through your tax forms, you should see a rider listing the additional entries that did not display on the main pages of the tax forms. These riders should be submitted along with your tax forms to the City Register.

Multiple Parties
Multiple Properties

RPTT
Additional grantors and grantees print out on Schedule 3.
Additional properties will print out on a rider.

RP-5217
While all grantor and grantee information is saved, only the 1st two grantors and grantees will print on the form.
Additional properties will print out on a rider.

TP-584/RETT
Additional grantors and grantees print out on a rider.
Additional properties will print out on a rider

7. Why don’t the Social Security Number and Employee Identification Number display on my tax form?

The SSN and EIN do not print on the draft copy; they only print out on the final copy.

8. I have a Condo property, but I can’t get FIND in the Property Information screen to return the unit number.

Enter the address of the property with a unit number of “residential” or “commercial” and click the find BBL button in the property information screen.

After the BBL is retrieved, you can edit the unit number field so that it indicates the correct property. You can then add the property to the grid.

If the property information is not retrieved with a unit number of “Residential”, contact the ACRIS Help Desk as further research may be required.

Questions about the RPTT

9. I need to complete a NYC HPD in Lieu of Registration Form. Where is this in E-Tax?

Currently, the NYC HPD in Lieu of Registration Form is included in ACRIS E-Tax if it pertains to:

A commercial building

A one or two family dwelling whose owner or family member resides in the dwelling

A condominium unit in a multiple dwelling

Cooperative corporation shares relating to a single residential unit in a multiple dwelling.

Mineral, gas, water, air or other similar rights not affecting a multiple dwelling

Lease of commercial space in a multiple dwelling

Vacant land

10. Why won’t my alpha schedules check off?

If your alpha schedules won’t check off, then you have not completed all of the supplemental schedules that are required based upon your Condition of Transfer selections.

If you believe that you are not required to complete the unchecked alpha schedule, review your selections in the ”Condition and Transfer“ screen. Go to the Alpha Schedule that will not check off and make sure that you did not enter any information; click the” Clear” button at the bottom of the alpha schedule.

11. Why don’t the dates and the names of the grantor and grantee print out on Page 5 of the RPTT?

This information is in the signature section of the RPTT. Therefore, this information should be written in when the forms are signed and dated.

Questions about the TP-584 (RETT)

12. How can I get to Part III of Schedule B of the TP-584?

First, check off the Exemption Claimed box in Parts I & II of Schedule B, (or select Condition P as condition of conveyance).

Questions about the RP-5217

13. Why can’t I create a RP-5217?

In order to create RP-5217 forms you must select “Yes” from the “Do you intend to record a deed related to this transfer” in the Condition of Transfer screen in the RPTT.

14. Why doesn’t the attorney information print out on the RP-5217?

The attorney information is in the signature section of the RP-5217. Therefore,this information should be written in when the forms are signed.

Questions about using Cover Page with E-Tax

15. How do I copy my tax information into Cover Page?

In order for the tax forms to have a Completed status, you must print out Final copies of ALL your tax forms. Then, you can copy the tax information into Cover Page.

To link the tax forms to your cover page follow the steps below:

Click on New Cover Page.

On the new screen, select the document class and type.

Then, click on Document Page count box.

Enter your Tax Transaction ID (This number should be on the bottom right hand corner the tax forms.

Enter the FIRST BBL listed in your tax forms.

Click the Retrieve/Release button.

To make sure that tax data copied into the Cover Page, click on the Property, Parties, and Fees & Taxes tabs. The tax information should be listed in the grids. Make sure that no one else is editing the same tax form.

16. Why can’t I delete my Cover Page?

Make sure that you have released all tax data from the Cover Page before you delete it.

In your Cover Page, delete out the information in the Tax Transaction ID, Borough, Block, and Lot fields and click the Retrieve/Release Data button. This step should remove the tax form data from the Cover Page.

To make sure that the data was removed, click on the Property or Parties tab and make sure that the grids are now blank.

You should now be able to delete your Cover Page.

17. When I try to put my E-Tax information into Cover Page, I get “Tax Numbers do not agree.”

Make sure that you are entering the Tax Transaction ID number generated in E Tax and the BBL of the first property listed in your tax forms.

18. When I try to put my E-Tax information into Cover Page, I get “Tax Transaction is not complete.”

In order to pull tax information into a Cover Page, you must first complete and print out a Final copy of all of your tax forms; all of your E-Tax forms should have a status of “Complete.” If any of your tax forms have a status of “Not Printed,” printing out a final copy of these forms will then allow you to enter your tax information into Cover Page.

19. Do I have to complete a tax form for an Agreement Cover Page? Why do I have Tax Transaction ID and BBL fields for an Agreement Cover Page?

For Agreements, the Fees & Taxes information is optional. Therefore, if you are not submitting a TP-584, RPTT or RP-5217 with the Agreement, you may ignore these four fields. However, if you are submitting tax forms with your Agreement, then you should create online tax forms in E-Tax before creating your Cover Page. Then you will be able to pull all of the tax information directly into your Cover Page.

ACRIS Technical Issues

20. If you are having software problems with ACRIS:

If the E-Tax software is freezing or you are getting error messages follow the instruction below:

Step 1: Check your Internet Browser:

Go to Help

Select About

The window that opens should display the version number of the Internet Browser

You should have Internet Explorer 8 and up or Firefox 15 and up (Note: The built-in Firefox PDF viewer has some known issues with display of dynamic forms. For completed forms (e.g. tax forms) to display correctly, please ensure Firefox is configured to utilize Adobe Reader). Chrome users should go to System Requirements on the ACRIS Jump Page and click where indicated. To get the latest version of Microsoft Internet Explorer https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/internet-explorer.aspx

Session Cookies enabled

JavaScript enabled

Pop-up blockers disabled

Step 2: Clear temporary Internet files and cookies

In the Internet window:

Go to Tools

Select Options

Select Delete Cookies (Click OK)

Select Delete Files and check off Delete all Offline Content (Click OK)

After you have deleted all of these files, click OK at the bottom of the Internet Options screen

Close out of ALL Internet windows

Go back into the Internet and try again.

If you do not have the Tools Option in your Internet Browser:

Go to the Start Menu

Select Settings

Select Control Panel

Select Internet Options

Select Delete Cookies (Click OK)

Select Delete Files and check off Delete all Offline Content (Click OK)

Select Clear History (Click OK)

After you have deleted all of these files, click OK at the bottom of the Internet Options screen

Close out of ALL Internet windows

Go back into the Internet and try again.

21. If you are having problems displaying or printing E-Tax Forms or Cover Pages:

Step 1: Check the Internet Browser and clear out any temporary Internet files. (These steps are listed out above in Question 2 1-2.)

Step 2: Update Adobe Reader Properties:

Go to the Start Menu at the bottom of the screen

Select Programs

Select Adobe Acrobat Reader. You should have Adobe 6.0 or higher.

If you need to upgrade, you can get the latest version of the Adobe Reader from www.adobe.com. (This is a free software download).

Once you have opened Adobe Acrobat Reader, select Edit from the pulldown menu.

Select Preferences.

Select Internet from the side menu in the Preferences screen.

Ensure all 4 boxes are checked.

Click OK in the Preferences screen.

Close out of the Adobe Reader.

Close out of ALL Internet windows.

Go back into the Internet and try again.