IRS AIR Test Scenario XML ISS-UI Sample Files Tax Year 2016

*Note: This post references older test files. Newer XML files are located here:

As part of our commitment to give back to the community, we have decided to open source our IRS AIR Test Scenario XML sample files that can be used for the ISS-UI system.

What are these files?

These files are XML files that are required by the IRS before you can start submitting your data to their production system. Unfortunately, the IRS hasn’t released these to the public, so it’s extremely difficult to figure out how to change your output to match a format you can’t see. With these files, you will be able to diff the output of your system to verify that your XML file format is correct.

Who needs these files?

Anyone who wants to file their own ACA information returns starting in January 2016 will need to pass AATS testing. Testing requires that you correctly file these test XML files, and have the IRS helpdesk manually verify that you have passed testing.

Let us handle it!

If you file your forms through BoomTax, you won’t need to worry about getting a TCC, software id, or worrying about creating the complex XML file, validating the XML against XSDs, keeping track of receipt ids, or following a special correction procedure.

With BoomTax, all you need to do is simply upload your XML file and click ‘E-file’. We take care of sending your filing to the IRS, and we will email you real-time notifications as your filing is processed.

E-File Your 1095-Cs Now

IRS AIR Test Scenario XML Sample Files

Complete IRS Test Scenarios

Useful Tools

XML Notepad 2007 – Good for validating your XML files against the AIR XSDs, and running XML diffs.

XVI32 – Any hex editor will work. You just want to make sure your UTF-8 output doesn’t have a BOM before your XML root element.

Visual Studio – Let Visual Studio generate all of the code you’ll need (over 14k lines of code from the most recent XSD package)

BoomTax, The Boom Post, and its affiliates do not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors prior to engaging in any transaction.

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23 thoughts on “IRS AIR Test Scenario XML ISS-UI Sample Files Tax Year 2016”

    • Hi,

      The IRS doesn’t require vendors that have passed the previous tests to re-test against the new January scenarios, so we haven’t updated these.

    • Hi,

      We currently don’t cover the B scenarios, but the manifest for this should be similar and the process for generating your XSDs and validating should be similar as well.

    • Hi,

      Your best bet would be to contact the IRS helpdesk for a software id. You can always run your forms through BoomTax as we recognize the process for getting a TCC, corrections, and approval is a bit tedious.

  1. Thanks for the samples but the Manifest file generates the error below when I use this March 2016:

    1 error has occurred. See below for more information. If the problem continues, please contact us.
    [TPE 1105] Our system has detected a potential threat in the Manifest file you are attempting to transmit and it cannot be transmitted. This may be due to malformed XML. Please review the XML standards outlined in Section 3 of the AIR Submission Composition and Reference Guide located here, correct any issues on the Manifest file, and try again.

    What should I do please?

  2. Thank you for posting these files! Very helpful. On the manifest for test scenarios, should we use our actual data (business name, EIN, address) or the data from the test scenarios?

    • Yes, you use your actual data for the manifest file. We have filled in dummy data, but you will want to replace this with your information.

  3. We experienced the following error.

    AIRMF3002 – Rejected transmission – unable to process your request because validation failure occurs in the Attachment Byte Size Number

    Anyone else have this problem, and if so, had did you resolve?

      • Mark,
        Did you add the bytes from the 1094 request file with no comma and change the transmission?

    • Check the file size again in different PC. We had similar problem last year and we noticed that file size is showing different value in my PC.

  4. I am getting the following error when i am testing with more that 10 employees in the form file.
    [TPE1204] Our system has detected a potential threat in the Form file and it cannot be transmitted.

  5. I am getting TPE 1106. the manifest file does not match our schema.

    is anyone else getting this error?

    Boomtax, can you help? the format is in the exact format as your file, except I am using our company info. please help

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