What does e-file transmit?

[Yepper22]

After completing my returns, when I go to the Print Center’s Form Selection screen and select “All official forms required for filing,” can I assume what prints out are the only pages -- no more and no less -- that are needed by and transmitted to the IRS and California Franchise Tax Board when I e-file both returns?  I’m a little surprised that federal Form 1099-R is not printed out. 

(I like to know specifically what data is provided to those tax entities by TurboTax when I e-file.  I know exactly what the government is getting when I mail in a hard copy return, but I am not so sure what is transmitted when I e-file.)

Thanks.

[JulieS]

When an E-file is transmitted, the official forms needed for filing are transmitted, as well as a small amount of personal information about each person on your tax return. This includes:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Social Security Number or tax ID number.
• IP PIN, if you have one. 
• Last year's AGI, if you filed. 
• Direct deposit information, if you requested direct deposit. 

Forms like 1099-R and W2 are reported to the IRS by the payer, so they are not a part of your tax return. The information that you entered, or imported, for these forms is part of the e-file and the IRS uses computers to match the figures on your 1099s and W2s to the tax return you filed.