Affordable Care Act (ACA) information returns and transmittals are electronically filed through the ACA Information Return system, also known as AIR.
Scheduled Maintenance
Affordable Care Act Information Returns Assurance Testing System (AATS)
AATS will be unavailable beginning Sunday, 10/24/2021, midnight Eastern time through Tuesday, 11/02/2021, 7:00 a.m. Eastern time. IRS will update AATS programming for Filing Season 2022/Tax Year 2021 during that time.
AATS will be available beginning Tuesday, 11/02/2021, 7:00 a.m. Eastern time, for Filing Season 2022/Tax Year 2021 testing, which includes Tax Years 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015. Beginning 11/02/2021:
- Tax Year 2021 will be the current year in AATS
- Tax Years 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015 will be accepted as prior year returns in AATS
Please do not attempt to access the AATS environment via the Application to Application (A2A) and User Interface (UI) Channels during the maintenance period.
Production
Production is still available during the AATS downtime except for the normal maintenance window on Sundays from midnight Eastern time to noon Eastern time.
- Tax Year 2020 is still the current year in Production.
- Tax Years 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015 are still accepted as prior year returns in Production.
Web Service Description Language (WSDLs)
A2A Channel filers:
The WSDLs for Filing Season 2022/Tax Year 2021 are available. If you plan to test on or after 11/02/2021 and have not received the Filing Season 2022/Tax Year 2021 WSDLs, a Responsible Official, or an official identified as a Contact on the ACA Application for TCC, may send an email to the AIR Mailbox to request the WSDLs. Use "WSDLs for Filing Season 2022/Tax Year 2021” as the subject line. The email request must include your company name and ACA TCC. The WSDLs will be emailed to you upon confirmation of the contact information in the ACA Application for TCC.
UI Channel filers do not use WSDLs.
|
Production |
AATS (test) | |
|---|---|---|
| System Status | Operational* |
Operational* |
| Tax Years Available | 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 | 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 |
*Scheduled Maintenance Build:
A routine maintenance build is scheduled every Sunday. The system will be unavailable from 12:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern time.
For more information regarding AIR, please see the AIR page on IRS.gov.