This announcement provides updated information to Publication 1187, Specifications
                              for Filing Form 1042-S, Foreign Person’s U.S. Source Income Subject
                              to Withholding, Electronically or Magnetically.  This information
                        is general in nature.  There are no legislative or format changes.  Information
                        provided in Rev. Proc. 2004-63, 2004-45 I.R.B. 795 (dated November 8, 2004),
                        is still valid with the exception of the following items:
                     
                     
                        
                           - 
                              The Martinsburg Computing Center was renamed the Enterprise Computing
                                 Center-Martinsburg (ECC-MTB).
                               
- 
                              IRS/ECC-MTB now offers an Internet connection at http://fire.irs.gov for
                                 electronic filing.  The FIRE System will be down from December 23, 2005, through
                                 January 3, 2006, for upgrading.  It is not operational during this time for
                                 submissions.
                               
- 
                              Beginning in Tax Year 2006, processing year 2007, IRS/ECC-MTB will no
                                 longer accept 31/2-inch
                                 diskettes for filing 1042-S information returns.
                               
- 
                              Additional special characters were added (e.g.,
                                 period, apostrophe, pound sign and forward slash).  The special characters
                                 can be used in the ”W” record, fields 14-133 Withholding Agent’s
                                 Name Line 1-3; fields 134-213 Withholding Agent’s Street Line 1 &
                                 2; ”Q” record, fields 94-213 Recipient’s Name Line 1-3;
                                 and, fields 214-293 Recipient’s Street Line 1 & 2.
                               
- 
                              IRS/ECC-MTB strongly encourages all electronic or magnetic media filers
                                 to submit a test.  Testing dates will be November 1, 2005 through December
                                 15, 2005.
                               
- 
                              The following change was made to the Withholding Agent ”W”
                                 Record, field position 13, field title Withholding Agent’s EIN Indicator:
                               
                                 
                                    - 
                                       Note:  Use EIN indicator 1 only if
                                          the Withholding Agent’s EIN begins with ”98” and the
                                          Withholding Agent’s City, State and Country Code fields indicate that
                                          the Withholding Agent is not a U.S. Withholding Agent.
                                        
 
 
 
                     Publication 1187 is available through the IRS Website www.irs.gov.
                     
                   
               
               
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