NY e-File Mandate

[cparke3]

NYS Tax Dept. touts that all NY tax returns prepared with tax preparation software must be e-filed, and there is no additional cost to do so.  But ... that's really not true, particularly as many tax preparation packages offer federal filing at no charge but state filing additional cost.  Furthermore, once e-filing is closed for the tax season (usually in November), e-filing is no longer possible.

So, what happens if I print and mail a NY tax return anyway?  Do I have to wait until December to do it?  The issue is there is a federal statement of election attachment needed on my return that the tax software does not seem to be generating, so I am mailing in the federal return instead, and I cannot e-file a NY return without also e-filing federal return. 

[xmasbaby0]

NY will accept a mailed return when you have to mail the federal return.

https://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/file/return_assembly_mail.htm

[cparke3]

Yes, but it's not that I have to e-file the federal return.  It's that I don't want to and choose not to, even though it has been prepared by tax software and could be e-filed.  Is that alone sufficient grounds to opt out of the NY e-file mandate?