Form TR-2658: Standards for Computer-Generated CT-2658-ATT, IT-2658-MTA, and IT-2658-NYS Forms

Form TR-2658 isn’t a tax return you file with your personal or business taxes. It’s a technical specifications document published by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance that tells software developers and forms vendors exactly how to build computer-generated versions of three specific forms: CT-2658-ATT, IT-2658-MTA, and IT-2658-NYS. If you’ve never heard of it, that’s because it’s aimed at a narrow audience — not the average filer sitting down to pay estimated taxes.

The three forms referenced in TR-2658 all relate to estimated tax payments made on behalf of nonresident partners, members, and shareholders. CT-2658-ATT is an attachment used by partnerships and S corporations to report additional partners or shareholders when the main form doesn’t have enough space. IT-2658-MTA deals with the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Mobility Tax portion of these estimated payments, while IT-2658-NYS covers the New York State estimated tax obligation itself. Together, these forms let pass-through entities make estimated tax payments for nonresident partners and shareholders who might otherwise not pay New York tax directly.

Who Actually Needs to Use TR-2658

The people who need to reference this document are payroll companies, tax software developers, accounting firms that print their own versions of state forms, and any vendor who produces computer-generated substitutes for official New York State tax forms. If your business creates software that generates these three forms for clients, TR-2658 lays out the formatting rules, barcode requirements, paper stock specifications, and layout standards you’re required to follow so that the forms you produce are accepted by the Department of Taxation and Finance.

If you’re a partnership, S corporation, or individual nonresident partner who simply needs to file CT-2658-ATT, IT-2658-MTA, or IT-2658-NYS, you don’t need TR-2658 at all — you just need the actual forms themselves, which your tax preparer or software should generate correctly if it’s already compliant with these standards.

When This Document Gets Used

TR-2658 comes into play whenever a software company updates its tax preparation products for a new filing season, or when a new vendor wants to start producing New York State estimated tax forms for pass-through entities. The department periodically revises these standards — the version numbered 9/14 reflects a September 2014 revision — to account for changes in form design, processing technology, or filing requirements. Developers check this document before releasing updated software to make sure their computer-generated forms still meet current specifications.

It’s worth understanding the broader context here. New York requires specific technical standards for computer-generated forms across many of its tax documents, not just these three. If your work touches other New York filings — say, reviewing Form MT-15 for mortgage recording tax or handling reportable transactions under Form DTF-686-I — you’ll notice the state consistently publishes detailed guidance documents alongside its actual tax forms, and TR-2658 fits that same pattern for the 2658 series.

How to Get and Use the Form

TR-2658 is available directly from the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance website as a PDF. It doesn’t have fillable digital fields — there’s nothing to type into and submit electronically. Instead, you download the PDF, print it, and read through the specifications, since this is a reference document rather than something you fill out and return.

Because this is a technical standards document rather than a form you submit to the state, there’s no filing deadline attached to it the way there is with an actual tax return. Developers and vendors simply need to consult the most current version before finalizing their computer-generated forms for a given tax year. If you’re unsure whether your software or printed forms already comply, checking with your vendor or the Department of Taxation and Finance directly is the fastest way to confirm.

For taxpayers who are more concerned with their rights during an audit or notice process rather than form specifications, it may help to also review Form DTF-996, the Notice of Taxpayer Rights, which explains what New York State taxpayers are entitled to when dealing with the department on any tax matter, including estimated payments tied to the 2658 series.