License EFAST2-Approved Software from BLAZE SSI now!
Call 800-292-3688 or email sales@blazessi.com
FORM 5500, SCHEDULES AND ATTACHMENTS
EFAST2 is the U.S. Department of Labor system that has been created to receive electronically-prepared, Form 5500 filings. EFAST2 began accepting filings on January 1, 2010. The DOL has established a website that provides comprehensive information, including an FAQ and tutorials about EFAST2 to help TPAs and Plan Sponsors with the requirement to file 5500 forms electronically.
All pension and welfare plans and DFEs that are required to submit an annual return/report under Title I of ERISA (Form 5500 or Form 5500-SF) must do so electronically for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2009. Any person who signs Form 5500 for 2009 will be required to obtain an electronic signing credential via the Internet from the DOL's EFAST2 web service. Instead of printing and mailing the annual return/report to EFAST, the plan administrator must electronically sign it and then submit it via the Internet to EFAST2.
BLAZE SSI has received DOL/EFAST2 Certification for its EFAST2 Filing Preparation and EFAST2 Filing Transmission software.
Advantages of using BLAZE SSI EFAST2 Software:
- Easy-to-understand and well-documented user interface.
- 'Continuous scrolling' of form or schedule offers easier user editing and verification as opposed to the cumbersome section tabs used by the IFILE.
- Work on a filing can be shared among any number of users until the decision is made to submit the filing.
- Applicable information from the prior year's filing is used to fill the appropriate fields in the current year's filing.
- Users of the BLAZE SSI EBPII System can export valuation calculations and administration information to the appropriate fields in the filing.
- Users of the BLAZE SSI EBPII System can export system-prepared Form 5500 attachments which can be made part of the submission.
- Form instructions are integrated into the system.
- System initiates the request to sign for parties required to sign the filing and supports email correspondence.
- Single and batch submissions of filings are supported.
- Checking status of a submission to EFAST2 is simple.
- Checking the status of a filing submitted to EFAST2 is simple.
- Supports creation of multiple Schedule A EFAST2-format electronic files.
The DOL supports two methods to facilitate interaction with EFAST2:
- A free, 'no-frills' web-based DOL IFILE system for filing preparation and submission of filings to EFAST2.
- An approved non-government vendor, such as BLAZE SSI, who creates a system with features analogous to that of IFILE and with additional helpful features to improve and simplify the user interface. Information about the BLAZE SSI Government Forms software is available on our web site or by clicking the Gov't Forms button on this page.
Not all forms will be supported by EFAST2, for example, Form 5500-EZ is not supported. Under some circumstances, a "one-participant" plan that is eligible to file Form 5500-EZ may elect to file Form 5500-SF electronically with EFAST2 rather than filing a Form 5500-EZ on paper with the IRS. However, since EFAST2 filings will be made publicly available on the DOL EFAST website, a plan sponsor of a "one-participant" plan may prefer to file with the IRS rather than use EFAST2. For more information on filing the Form 5500-EZ, see the instructions for Form 5500-EZ, go to www.irs.gov , or call 1.877.829.5500.
BLAZE SSI will continue to support forms preparation and filing for IRS and PBGC forms, in addition to EFAST2 filings and transmission, with its GOVFORMS software. See our web site for more information.
Licensing the BLAZE SSI GOVFORMS Systems
A GOVFORMS license
is cost-effective for any size user regardless of the number of plans or system users. Single user, multiple user, multiple site and corporate licenses are available for GOVFORMS. Multi-year agreements are available that make
the system even more affordable. Contact BLAZE SSI for license information.
EFAST and EFAST2: Background
The DOL introduced EFAST to
support 2D bar-coded 5500 Forms and optional electronic filing for plan years 1999-2008. EFAST has been replaced by EFAST2, which began accepting filings on January 1, 2010. Beginning with the 2009 plan year the DOL requires
electronic filing for Form 5500 and 5500-SF Annual Returns/Reports, schedules and attachments for most ERISA plans.
The EBSA filing system for the DOL/EBSA Form 5500, called the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) Filing Acceptance System, or EFAST, requires that forms software vendors apply for annual approval of their software. EFAST2 Certified Software Vendors are listed on the DOL website. BLAZE SSI was the first vendor to receive approval from EFAST for the 1999 plan year and has been approved each year since then. BLAZE SSI is one of the first vendors to receive EFAST2 approval for filing transmission and filing preparation software. The DOL has established a website that provides comprehensive information about EFAST2.
If you have questions about EFAST, the DOL has established a web site at www.efast.dol.gov.