Site Help and System Requirements

Many of the files on our site are offered in PDF format. PDF files are marked with an icon that looks like this:

You will need to have the latest version of Adobe Reader installed on your computer to view and print these files. You can download a free copy of Reader from Adobe's web site. Please note: Clicking this link will take you directly to the Adobe web site.

Questions or comments about the site?

If you have a question or comment or are experiencing problems using the site please send an e-mail to: DORWeb.Comm@state.mn.us.

System requirements

Compatible browsers
To use our Web applications, you’ll need a browser that supports 128 bit encryption technology. Browsers supporting this encryption technology include:

The Minnesota Department of Revenue supports:

• Internet Explorer 8.0 or higher

• Firefox 3.0 or higher
• Chrome
• Safari 5.X
• Mobile devices: At this time some mobile device browsers may not support this website.

To get the latest version of either browser:

• Microsoft’s Internet Explorer click here: Download the latest version of Internet Explorer   
• Mozilla Firefox  click here: Download the latest version of Firefox

You may also need to install the following:

(To use these, your system will need to meet the minimum system requirements listed above)

NOTE: The Department of Revenue's online systems is moving away from Microsoft Silverlight. Some of our functionality still relies on Silverlight but our plans are to eliminate Silverlight in the near future. For those applications that still require Silverlight and your computer does not automatically download the latest version, you may be asked to download and install the free plug-in.

• Microsoft Silverlight 4 or above
  Microsoft Silverlight is an application framework for writing and running rich Internet applications with emphasis on multimedia, animations, and graphics, with features and purposes similar to those of Adobe Flash.
  Click here to download Silverlight
• Adobe Flash Player  10.1
  Adobe Flash (formerly Macromedia Flash) is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages.
  Click here to download Flash Player

Browser settings

Check the following settings on your browser:

• Your browser must have 128-bit encryption. Encryption is the ability of the browser to scramble the contents of a Web site so that no one else can see the information being entered. Our Web applications need 128-bit encryption to operate properly.
• Your browser must be set to accept “session” cookies. Cookies help the application work on your computer. E-FILE Minnesota only uses session cookies, so they are deleted as soon as you exit the application.
• Your browser should be set to refresh every visit to a page. Because the screens within our Web applications could change slightly at any time, it’s best to have your computer set to refresh on each visit to a page to ensure that you are always seeing the latest version.
• If you have a firewall server, it must be set to allow you access to this site. Some companies have a firewall server that protects their computers from invasion and leaks. Depending on how your firewall server’s settings are applied, it could hinder your use of our Web applications.
• You must be set to use SSL 2.0 and SSL 3.0 security. SSL = Secure Socket Layer, a high-level method of making sure the data you’re transmitting is kept safe and secure.
• If you are connecting to our Web applications via cable modem, you may encounter problems accessing the site. This is usually due to a firewall. Please contact your service provider or system administrator to adjust your firewall settings.

Checking your browser settings on a PC

Internet Explorer

1. Click on “Help” at the top of the browser screen. Then click “About Internet Explorer”. The version must be 5.5 or higher. The cipher strength is listed just below the version and should say 128 bit.
2. Click on “Tools” at the top of the browser screen. Then click “Internet Options”.

• To check how often you are refreshing pages: Select the “General” tab and click the “Settings” button. “Every visit to the page” should be selected.
• To check for accepting cookies:
• For IE version 5.5: Select the “Security” tab, click on the “Internet” symbol, and click “Custom level”. Scroll down to the section called “Cookies”. “Enable” should be selected.
• For IE version 6: Select the “Privacy” tab, click on the “Advanced” button. Either “Accept third party cookies” or “Always allow session cookies” should be selected. To change the setting, click “Override automatic cookie handling”.
• To check for security level: Select the “Advanced” tab. Scroll down to the section titled “Security”. Make sure that “Use SSL 2.0” and “Use SSL 3.0” are selected.
• To check for firewall or LAN settings: Select the “Connections” tab, and click on “LAN Settings”. If any of the following options are checked, you may experience difficulty using our Web applications depending on how your firewall is set. Talk to your computer expert to have this reviewed and adjusted if necessary.
• Automatically detect settings.
• Use automatic configuration script.
• Use a Proxy server.

Checking your browser settings on a Macintosh

Firefox

1. Open browser
2. Click on “Firefox” at the top of the screen. Then click on “Preferences”.

• Click on “Advanced” then “Network tab”
• Look at the cache section.
• Clear the cache
• Set the cache size to (50 MB).
• Click on “Privacy”
• Make sure that “Accept cookies from sites” is selected.
• Keep until: “They Expire” is selected.
• Click on “Advanced” then “Encryption”
•  Make sure that SSL 3.0 and TLS1.0 are enabled.

NOTE: If you cannot e-file because your computer doesn't meet the system requirements for Microsoft Silverlight, please contact us to discuss your tax filing options.