​​​​Certain excise tax registrants and/or their representatives may now transmit Wisconsin Cigarette, Tobacco, and Vapor Products Tax Returns electronically. This process is intended for participants who have technical expertise to create and validate an XML document or are using software that provides that service for them.

This program implements the FTA - Cigarette and Tobacco Uniformity Committee approved schedules included in the filing of the Wisconsin Cigarette Forms CT-100, CT-105, and the Tobacco Form TT-100.

Program Overview

The transmission method is via DOR's Secure FTP server. The return data must be​ formatted using Extensible Markup Language (XML). The format of the XML is based on the FTA eFile standard for state e-f​ile programs. It uses standard building blocks and standard packaging.

Each submission receives an acknowledgement (acceptance or rejection notice),​ generally within a day. If the return is rejected, the acknowledgment will list the reasons why​.

Payment and refund options: We offer refund direct deposit capabilities and multiple options for making payments.

General Information

Filing Returns through My Tax Account ​(MTA)

The MTA filing method cannot be used for returns with more than 32,000 transaction rows. If your return has more than 32,000 transaction rows of data, you will be required to file via XML.

Perfection Period for Rejected Returns​

If a timely submitted return is rejected, but corrected, resubmitted,​ and accepted within 5 days, the resubmitted return will be considered timely.

Payment Methods

Payment and refund options: We offer refund direct deposit capabilities and multiple options for making payments.

• Include direct debit information along with your electronic return. You may warehouse this payment until the due date of the return
• We offer credit card payments through our vendor site​​
• Debit payments at our website through My Tax Account​
  
• ACH Credit​
  

Data Requirements

Zero or Blank Fields - You do not need to transmit any optional element that has a zero or is blank. Send data elements only if they contain data values. Do not send empty data elements (i.e., zero financial fields, unused elements, etc.).

Timestamp Format

The Timestamp represents an absolute moment in time when the file is created. It contains a reference to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The format is: ccyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss-hh:mm.

ccyy-mm-dd is the date followed by "T," hh:mm:ss is the time (hours, minutes, seconds) and -hh:mm represents the offset from GMT in hours and minutes.

Excise XML File T​​​​​ransmission

• Uses secure process, sFTP, for receiving formatted electronic transmissions of listed excise tax returns in XML language
• Allows for Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) debit and credit payment processes
• Has the ability to attach binary pdf files

Developer Guide

Wisconsin V2.3 XML User Guide – Please review the Developers Guide V2.3 for detailed information regarding the Wisconsin implementation of the Uniformity Cigarette V2.1 and Tobacco V1.3 schemas.

V2.3 Schema Change Log

Acknowledgments

The department will generate an acknowledgement of acceptance or rejection for all returns received. The acknowledgement schema is in the Extended Common folder and is named Acknowledgment.xsd for the Cigarette and Tobacco schema packages. Transmitters and software developers should allow one business day to receive the state acknowledgement before contacting the department. Most acknowledgements will be available within an hour.

Acknowledgment analysis

Common Errors

• File naming convention not being followed - your file will not process without the proper file name. It will go into quarantine. For zipped files, the inner file and outer file must have the same name. The inner file must have a .xml extension and the outer file must have a .zip extension.
• Each file must have a unique name, if you need to resend a file, it must be renamed.
• Ampersand (&) in the file, usually in a business name. An ampersand is a special reserved character in XML, it can still be used but must appear as "&" in the XML file.
• Timestamp format is incorrect, it MUST be ccyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss-hh:mm where the final -hh:mm represents the GMT offset (number of hours behind GMT).
• Date format - XML date formats are always ccyy-mm-dd (January 8, 2019 = 2019​​-01-08)
• The values in most text fields in XML are variable length and will not allow leading or trailing spaces (you will need to trim these off before writing to XML).
• WI Permit Numbers (also known as Wisconsin Tax Number (WTN), or Tax Account Number (TAN) are 15 digits WITHOUT the dashes).
• The StateEIN is not required in the Transaction Document nodes of both the Cigarette and Tobacco SchTransaction. Do not enter all 9's if you do not have the 15 digit Wisconsin Tax Account Number. Omit this element if you do not have this value.

File Naming Convention and Submission Id

Submission Id - The submission Id is a unique number used to track a return. It is made up of several components, as follows: WTN (the 10 digit Wisconsin Tax Number, remove the 3 digit prefix and the 2 digit suffix from the 15 digit WTN) + ccyy + jjj + Char(3), where ccyy is the 4 digit year, jjj is the 3 digit Julian date (January 31 is 031) plus 3 alpha numeric characters that must be unique for the day (for a total of 20).

SubmissionId: 12345678902019116a05

The submission ID is used in two places in naming files for submission. The XML​​​​ return is named using the three char prefix UC0, UC5, or UT0 plus the submission ID with an .xml extension.

Wisconsin is updating the file naming prefix for filings using the Uniformity based schemas. Beginning with the January 2019 period the prefix will be as shown below. This will be followed by our standard 20 character Submission ID.

• CT-100 = UC0
• CT-105 = UC5
• TT-100 = UT0

File Name: Form CT105 using the Submission ID in the above example would be named UC512345678902019​116a05.xml. This file can be transferred to the sFTP server if you do not have any attachments.

Attachments: Production submissions may contain attachments, but may be filed without them. If you have attachments, the return must be zipped with the folder containing 1 XML return file and any attachment files. There should be no subdirectories within the ZIP file.

The XML​​ return and if present the attachments are zipped into a zip archive folder named UC512345678902019​​116a05.zip. This zip file is what is transferred to the sFTP server.

WARNING: Improperly named or constructed files will be ignored/quarantined by our system.

Header Detail

Developer Tips

Schedule TT-101 Schedule Transaction

• The department will calculate the Extended Taxable Amount to the benefit of the filer (the lesser of 71% of manufacturer's established list price or $0.50 per cigar). Our calculation will use either (stick * quantity) or (value * quantity). We will use the lesser of $0.50 * the number of sticks, or value * quantity * 0.71. This value will be set as the Extended Taxable Amount. With the implementation of WICigaretteTobaccoV2.3 the State Code of WI-CGR1 will be used for $.50 per cigar and WI-CGR2 will be used for 71% of manufacturer's established list price of cigars.

Testing and Approval

We are currently accepting test files

General Note - You will want to test all of the forms you normally use. In the initial stages it is best to limit the number of invoices and other iterations of detail transaction to 5 - 20 transactions. Once you have the format correct, then start to add larger number of transactions.

Attachments - Test submissions cannot contain attachments. Test submissions should contain only the XML file or a ZIP file containing the XML file.

File Naming - Review the file naming conventions to be sure you properly name your submission files. Improperly named files will fail our validation.

Submitting test files - Test files may be sent to your testdropoff folder if you are currently set up for sFTP with the department, or by email attachment to DORDeveloperRelations@wisconsin.gov. If you drop it in the sFTP testdropoff folder, please notify DORDeveloperRelations@wisconsin.gov using a subject of Uniformity Cigarette/Tobacco Testing.

Step 1) Manual Format testing - We will review the XML to make sure it is well-formed and valid. We will give you feed back in an email. This phase of testing may begin at any time.

Step 2) Auto format testing - Once you are to the point where the XML seems to be consistently well formed and valid, we will set up for automatic testing. With automatic testing you should receive an acknowledgement within a few minutes. It will be placed in the testpickup folder for you to retrieve. This test system will always be available, and you may test as often as you like. The department is actively testing files as submitted.

Step 3) Content review. At the time we set you up for Auto format testing, we will load your test returns into our processing system and have someone from our business area review your return for content. You will receive an email approving you to commence filing returns in production (the dropoff folder).

The department will announce any official changes via email using the Excise Tax e-File Developer listserv. Subscribe to department listservs here​​​.

August 20​, 2020