Returns Processing

Navigate: Personal Property Appraisal > Bulk Processing > Returns Processing

Description

Use the Returns Processing task to process a stack of personal property filing returns to record the date they were received. You can process returns manually by entering each PIN, or automatically by using a standard bar code reader.

Steps

1. On the Process Returns screen, ensure that the Tax year is correct for the process. The default year is based on the year specified in the functional calendar.

2. Ensure the Receipt date is correct. The default is today's date. You can change it by either entering a date or using the date picker to select the date. The date you select will be placed into each personal property account's Date filed field, which can be viewed on the Maintain Personal Property Accounts screen.

3. Select a Filing status. This status is assigned to each PIN you process and is placed in the personal property account's Cycle status field, which can be viewed on the Maintain Personal Property Accounts screen. The status indicates where in the work flow cycle the return currently resides (such as Received, Not Received, Worked). The choices that appear in the list are maintained in the systype, PPA-Filing Cycle Status. See Maintain Personal Property Systypes.

4. Define the Return Processing Options as applicable, including:

   • Action

   • Class Code

   • Flag

5. Currently, Search for defaults to PIN. Enter the PIN from the return or use an OCR reader to scan it.

6. Click Process to immediately update the personal property account's Date filed and Cycle status. If you are using an OCR reader to scan the PINs, you do not have to perform this step. Instead, the OCR reader will automatically execute Enter, which starts the process.

   If the PIN is found in the database, the Primary owner, Address, and PIN display for confirmation. If an error is encountered, a message displays at the top of the screen.

IMPORTANT: When this step runs, the personal property account's Date filed and Cycle status fields are immediately updated.

7. If necessary, click Undo  to reset the personal property account's Date filed and Cycle status back to the values they contained before this process ran.

   IMPORTANT: This can only be done before you process the next PIN. The updates are immediate, so you must Undo before you process another PIN. Another way to correct a mistake is to search for the account using the PIN and manually update the date filed and/or cycle status fields on the Maintain Personal Property Accounts screen.

   • Repeat the previous applicable steps for each filing return in the stack.

8. Optionally, click the Sticky Notes button if adding notes to attach the note to all items related to this particular object, and click Notes to add a note to the personal property account.

9. When you are finished processing the returns, click Close to end the task.

Error Messages

If the PIN cannot be processed, an appropriate error message displays.

Error Message	Description
No account cycle exists for XXXX	The PIN is valid and found in the database, but not for the tax year you are using to process the returns. No data is updated in the account. View the account using the Maintain Personal Property Accounts screen.
PIN not found	An invalid PIN was entered in the search for field. That is, the PIN was not found in the Aumentum database. Ensure the correct PIN is entered.
No account exists for XXXXXXXXXX	A valid PIN was entered, but it is not a personal property account. It could be a PIN for a real property account (parcel data). The returns processing feature is only valid for personal property PINs.
Filing data already set to XXXXXX	The date filed or cycle status fields in the personal property account are already set to different values from those entered on the Returns Processing screen. Click CONFIRM UPDATE to replace the existing values with the values from this processing run. Otherwise, proceed with the next PIN.
Account locked by another task.	The PIN cannot be updated because another user or task has it open. Place this return on the bottom of the stack and reprocess it again in a few minutes. If it is still locked, you can determine which user or process has the account locked by navigating to Configuration > Concurrency (Record Locking), or ask your System Administrator for assistance.

Tips

As each return is processed, the following fields are immediately updated in the personal property account:

• Date Filed - The date the taxpayer filed the return. During returns processing, the user sets the date in the receipt date field.

• Cycle Status - This indicates where in the work flow cycle the return currently resides (such as Received, Not Received, Worked). During returns processing, the user selects the status to assign in the filing status field.

You can view these on the Maintain Personal Property Accounts screen in the Filing Annual Return panel.

The Returns Processing task has been enhanced to apply a late filing penalty when manually checking in a file if the property owner submits their filing late. If the late filing penalties are not configured, they are not applied during bulk returns processing. A late filing penalty is triggered when:

• Manually changing the date filed on the account, and the assets inherit the penalty, or

• Entering a late file date on the asset so that the penalty applies only to the asset.