Certified software · U.S. Department of Labor EFAST2

Form 5500 filing, checked before it's filed.

Prepare Form 5500, 5500-SF, 5500-EZ and Form 5558, see every EFAST2 edit test explained in plain English, sign and e-file — from a web app, or straight from your own software through our API.

Start filing See how it works

No password: give your email, type the six-digit code we send, and you are in.

EFAST2-certified filing software Filing preparation ID 100182784 · Transmission ID 100182785
ClayDesk LLC, form year 2026 — full approval

Form 5500-SF · Acme 401(k) PlanPlan year 2026

Schema validationPassed

DOL edit tests1 to review

Line 9a — plan characteristic codes. A plan with a 401(k) feature normally reports code 2J. Add it, or confirm it doesn't apply.

SignaturesPlan administrator · pending

Ready to fileAfter review

Certified by the U.S. Department of Labor for EFAST2 Filing preparation · Software ID 100182784 Transmission · Software ID 100182785 All eight government test cases passed

Every Form 5500 series return, in one place

Our filing software holds full approval for form year 2026 — every form and schedule, not a subset.

Small plans

Form 5500-SF

Short form for small plans, including Schedule SB for defined benefit plans.

One-participant

Form 5500-EZ

Owner-only and partners-only retirement plans.

Extensions

Form 5558

Up to 2½ more months to file, in minutes. No signature required.

Large plans & DFEs

Form 5500

With Schedules A, C, D, DCG, G, H, I, MB, MEP, R and SB.

How filing works

The same five steps whether you file one plan or a thousand.

Prepare

Answer plain-language questions, import a spreadsheet, or send data by API.

Check

Every active DOL edit test runs as you work, with the fix explained.

Review

A print-ready copy on the official government forms, before anyone signs.

Sign

Plan administrators and sponsors sign with their own EFAST2 credentials — invite co-signers by link.

File & track

We transmit to EFAST2 and follow the filing through to its final status and acknowledgement.

Built for the people who file

One engine, three ways in.

Sponsors & CPAs

Web app

File a single plan without learning EFAST2. Clear questions, clear errors, a copy for your records.

TPAs

Workspace

All your clients and deadlines in one pipeline. Bulk import, invite-to-sign links, batch transmission.

Platforms

API

Validate and file from your own product. Idempotent requests, webhooks for every status change.

An API for Form 5500

For record-keepers, payroll providers and 401(k) platforms that want filing inside their own product.

Read the API reference

Validate without filing — the same schema and edit tests EFAST2 applies, returned as structured findings.
File safely twice — idempotency keys mean a retry never creates a duplicate filing.
Know what happened — signed webhooks from submission to final status.
Test first — a sandbox against the government's own test system.

# Check a filing before it goes anywhere
POST /v1/filings/validate
{
  "form": "5500-SF",
  "form_year": 2026,
  "plan": { "ein": "12-3456789", "number": "001" },
  "data": { … }
}

# 200 OK
{
  "transmittable": true,
  "findings": [
    { "test": "…", "severity": "WARNING",
      "field": "SF/TypePensionBnftCode",
      "explanation": "…" }
  ]
}

Security and certification

Filing on someone's behalf is a position of trust. Here is exactly where we stand.

Your PIN is never stored. Signers type their EFAST2 PIN at the moment of signing; it is used once and never saved, shown or printed.
Signatures can't go stale. Any change to a signed filing removes every signature, with a warning first.
Attachments are scanned for malware before anything is transmitted.
You decide. Edit-test findings are explained, never hidden — and the decision to file stays with the filer.

Certified software, not a claim we made up The Department of Labor certified both products after our filings passed its Participant Acceptance Testing System.

CertifiedFiling preparation software, form year 2026

CertifiedTransmission software

All 8Government test cases passed

Software IDs 100182784 (filing preparation) and 100182785 (transmission). The U.S. Department of Labor does not endorse or warrant any software vendor, product or service.

Questions

When can I file?

Software certified for form year 2026 can file in the EFAST2 production system from January 1, 2027. We are onboarding early-access customers now so their accounts, plans and data are ready before then.

Who signs the return?

The plan administrator and/or plan sponsor, using their own EFAST2 signer credentials, exactly as the Department of Labor requires. You can invite a co-signer by link; they see the filing and sign — nothing else.

Do I need EFAST2 credentials?

Anyone who signs a Form 5500 series return needs an EFAST2 account with the Filer Signer role. Form 5558 extensions need no signature. We'll walk you through it during onboarding.

Can I file with warnings?

Yes. The Department of Labor allows a filer to submit with edit-test findings if they choose. We show each one, explain it, and leave the decision to you.

Is this IFILE?

No. IFILE is the government's own free filing tool. 5500API is independent software from ClayDesk LLC, approved to prepare and transmit filings to the same EFAST2 system — with explained checks, multi-client workflows and an API.

How much does it cost?

Pricing is per filing for individual filers, with plans for TPAs and volume pricing for API customers. Early-access customers get launch pricing — tell us about your volume below.

Filing a lot of returns?

Tell us what you file and we will set your organisation up with you — plans imported, colleagues invited, API keys issued.

A named contact from day one
Launch pricing for early customers
API sandbox keys for platforms

Or just start filing