How to Test in SandBox — A Complete Guide
In the complex world of software development and system integration, where a single line of code can make or break an entire system, the importance of thorough testing and simulation is inevitable.
Now, how about having a virtual playground where you can test, tinker, simulate, and trigger error cases in your software without creating any impact on the live environment? This is exactly what Sandbox offers!
With TaxBandits API, you’re going to deal with the taxes, and obviously, you can’t test the filing process in a live environment without impacting the real world. This is when TaxBandits API Sandbox enters the scene!
Read through this blog to understand the whats, whys, and hows of sandbox testing and simulation with TaxBandits API.
Sandbox Environment — An Overview
As described earlier, the Sandbox environment provides you with a secure and isolated environment to develop and test the programs on the application without worrying about creating any impact in the real world.
It’s more like a mirrored version of the actual software that is solely developed and used for development and testing purposes.
TaxBandits API Sandbox Testing
TaxBandits offers some exclusive tools and resources to make sure the API integration process is as seamless as possible. One such tool is its Sandbox environment, which enables you to efficiently develop and test the integration before moving your application to the live environment.
By setting up your free Sandbox account with TaxBandits API, you will have the ability to simulate the end-to-end e-filing process, right from the form creation to receiving status updates via Webhooks.
How does it work?
Here is an example. Let’s say you need to e-file a 1099-NEC Form. Here is how you can simulate the process:
- Using the applicable endpoints of TaxBandits API, you can create your form, update the details, and transmit it in the Sandbox environment.
- Once transmitted, a submission ID, i.e., a unique identifier of each transmission, will be generated against the respective form in your Sandbox console. The status of this submission will initially be ‘transmitted’.
- You can then set up Webhook notifications for different events. The event types available are,
E-file Form Status Change — This will trigger a webhook notification when the status of the forms you transmitted is changed.
PDF Complete — Enabling this will allow you to receive the downloadable PDF link of the transmitted form via Webhooks.
Postal Sent — You’ll be notified when the form copies you sent via Postal Mail are delivered.
- Now, the status of the forms you e-filed will remain as ‘transmitted’. You don’t have to wait for the status to get updated, as you can manually get it done using the Form Status Simulator. Based on the type of form you transmitted, you’ll have a different set of statuses to choose from. For 1099/W-2 Forms, the available options will be UnderProcess, SentToAgency, Accepted, Rejected, and Postal sent.
- Once you change the form status, a webhook notification will be sent to the callback URL you provided.
Not just the e-filing of tax forms, TaxBandits API Sandbox also allows for simulating the W-9 collection process and the TIN Matching as well. Here is how:
- Configure the Form W-9 Status Change webhook in Settings.
- Then, complete a Form W-9 and Submit it.
- You will receive a Webhook notification with the W-9 status as ‘Completed’ and the TIN Matching status as ‘Pending’.
- After 15 minutes, you will receive another webhook notification with the TIN Match status as ‘Success’ or ‘Failed’, which depends on the pattern of the TIN you provided.
If the TIN number entered on the W-9 ends with “000”, the TIN Matching status will be shown as Failed. If not, the status will be shown as ‘Success’.
With this, you will be able to test the end-to-end form completion or e-filing flow. Now, let’s understand how you can simulate the Webhooks process.
- Log in to the developer control panel. Navigate to Settings >> Webhooks.
- Enter the Webhook Callback URL and click on the ‘Submit’ button. It’s important that you ensure that the callback URL is valid, as the API will post a sample JSON.
- The callback URL is expected to return an HTTP 200 response code in order to remain active. If not, then the callback URL will become inactive. You can retry posting the sample data again by clicking the ‘Send Test Notification’ button to activate the callback URL.
To generate the URLs for Webhooks simulation, you can use sites like Webhook.site, PostBin, RequestBin, etc.
Conclusion
By providing a risk-free and secure space for you to test the e-filing process, TaxBandits API Sandbox is nothing short of a virtual tax preparation playground. Besides, having a complete understanding of the workflow beforehand helps you handle the tax preparation and filing process efficiently through the API.