ACR 60547 – TINS Implements New Edits and Enhancements
Effective July 10, 2023

Introduction

Application Change Request (ACR) 60547 for the Texas Identification Number System (TINS) implemented new edits for TINS maintenance on the payee master and mail code records as well as direct deposit transactions. Three TINS edits are implemented as enhancements for the agencies, and the description of an error message was updated. This ACR is effective July 10, 2023.

Issue 1

Payment Services manually monitors payee maintenance transactions processed by agencies. Queries are run daily to identify invalid TINS records that process successfully due to missing system edits. Invalid records result in Payment Services staff inactivating the payee records the day after they are set up by the agencies. This requires manual processing and notifying each agency of the inactivated TINS records and the reasons for inactivation.

Solution 1 – New Edits

Implement TINS edits to prevent invalid TINS records from processing. Generate error messages and include non-processed records with error codes and descriptions on the agencies’ daily TINS reports and CSV File: Processed, Non-Processed and Dropped Transactions (login required). See Exception (Error) Messages on TexPayment Resource for a list of error codes and descriptions.

The new edits include the following:

• Disallow agencies from submitting payee master and mail code setups and updates on Comptroller taxpayer numbers, TNN and UNN mail codes. Generate error messages:
  • 003 – TP# PREFIX 30,32,38,39. SETUP/CHANGE ONLY ALLOWED FOR AGY 304 OR 902.
  • 126 – MAIL CODE PREFIX TNN ONLY ALLOWED FOR AGY 304 OR 902.
  • 127 – MAIL CODE PREFIX UNN ONLY ALLOWED FOR AGY 902.
• If a payee master record is set up with an EIN-based TIN and the ownership type is S=sole owner, the sole owner SSN or ITIN field must not equal the EIN-based TIN. Generate error message 038—SOLE OWNER SSN OR ITIN CANNOT EQUAL EIN-BASED TIN. The same edit applies if the ownership type is changed to S.
• If a payee master record is set up with ownership type P=partnership, the SSN, ITIN or EIN field of Partner 1 and Partner 2 must not equal the partnership’s EIN-based TIN. Generate error message 039—PARTNERS’ SSN, ITIN OR EIN CANNOT EQUAL PARTNERSHIP’S TIN. The same edit applies if the ownership type is changed to P.
• For batch transactions, the Employing Agency field on a mail code is not allowed if the ownership type on the payee master record is not E=state employee. Generate current error message 125—EMP AGY IS ONLY VALID FOR OWNERSHIP TYPE E-EMPLOYEE. For online transactions, the Employing Agency field is only available for entry if the ownership type on the master record is E.
• Edit for invalid charter number when required for ownership types T=Texas corporation, L=Texas limited partnership, A=professional association or C=professional corporation. Generate error message 029—INVALID CHARTER NUMBER. An invalid charter number is identified if it:
  • Includes the 9-digit EIN of the entity’s EIN-based TIN.
  • Includes all zeros.
  • Equals 1234567890.
  • Equals 0123456789.
  • Includes repeated 10 digits 1111111111 – 9999999999.
• Disallow a payee setup if the ownership type is T, L, A or C and the required 10-digit charter number is already on file on a different TIN. Generate error message 041—SUBMITTED CHARTER NUMBER ALREADY ON FILE WITH TIN ########### (where # is the 11-digit TIN on file with the submitted charter number).
• Disallow direct deposit setups and changes on a mail code that is inactive. This prevents direct deposit account information from becoming stale as no payments can be issued to an inactive mail code. Preventing a direct deposit change to an inactive mail code allows the account information to purge as scheduled due to no payment activity. Generate error message 346—DIRECT DEPOSIT SETUP OR CHANGE NOT ALLOWED ON INACTIVE MAIL CODE.

Issue 2

A TINS system limitation prevents agencies from submitting a payee setup and direct deposit setup for the same TIN on the same day’s batch file. Only the online process allows both transaction types to be processed on the same day.

When a mail code address is set up or changed online and the address is not available on the TINS validation software, the agency must submit forms to Payment Services to process their transactions with an address override.

If at least one mail code is secured on a TIN and the securing source agency is not the agency attempting to update the ownership type, agencies must submit a form to Payment Services to process the transaction.

A vague online error message is generated that does not provide enough information for the reason a payee setup fails.

Solution 2 – Enhancements

Enhance the direct deposit batch process to allow a payee setup and direct deposit setup on the same file. Minimize the need for agencies to submit forms to Payment Services by providing agencies access to the address override indicator and updates to the master record ownership type. Update an error message with a more descriptive message.

• Allow a direct deposit setup via the batch process on the same batch file as the payee master and mail code setup. Prior to this system change, a batch payee setup had to process through a nightly cycle and post in TINS before the direct deposit setup could be submitted via batch or online on a later date.
• Allow agencies access to the address override indicator via the online process. This does not apply to batch transactions.
  • Enter the address on the Payee Mail Code Setup (PMCTUP) – Continuation from PMSTUP, Payee Mail Code Setup (PMCTUP) – Existing Payee or Payee Mail Code Change (PCHGMC) screen.
  • If the address fails validation, an error message is displayed online. The OVERRIDE field is displayed above the ADDRESS IND field. Enter Y=Yes.
  • TINS sets the ADDRESS IND value to M=manual when the transaction is processed.
  • During each nightly cycle, all mail codes with the ADDRESS IND of M are edited against the address validation software. If the address is found after an update to the software, the system attempts to standardize the address and, if found, updates the M to S=standardized. If not found, the indicator remains an M, and TINS will continue to attempt validation during each nightly cycle.

    Note: Agencies are responsible for determining when to use the address override indicator. The agency should confirm with its payees that the address being set up or changed in TINS is a deliverable address. Invalid use of the address OVERRIDE may result in returned mail.

• Allow agencies to change the ownership type via both online and batch when at least one of the mail codes is secured by a different agency. Prior to this change, agencies were required to submit a Payee Change Request form to Payment Services to change the ownership type.
  • All related edits associated to a specific ownership type are invoked, such as those for sole owners, partnerships and T, L, A or C.
  • Comptroller taxpayer numbers, TNN and UNN mail codes are excluded.
  • TINs with mail codes secured by the payroll systems (SPS or SPR) are excluded.
• Replace the current online error message NUMBER ENTERED IS NOT VALID to provide a more descriptive message of the error when setting up ownership type S=sole owner on the Payee Master Level Setup (PMSTUP) Step 2 screen.
  • If an SSN is entered on Step 1, the same SSN must be entered in the SSN field on Step 2. If the SSN is entered in the ITIN field on Step 2, display error message 128—MUST ENTER THE SAME SSN IN THE SSN FIELD. ITIN FIELD MUST BE BLANK.
  • If an SSN is entered on Step 1 but the value entered in the SSN field on Step 2 does not match Step 1, display error message 128—MUST ENTER THE SAME SSN IN THE SSN FIELD. ITIN FIELD MUST BE BLANK.
  • If an ITIN is entered on Step 1, the same ITIN must be entered in the ITIN field on Step 2. If the ITIN is entered in the SSN field on Step 2, display error message 129—MUST ENTER THE SAME ITIN IN THE ITIN FIELD. SSN FIELD MUST BE BLANK.
  • If an ITIN is entered on Step 1 but the value entered in the ITIN field on Step 2 does not match Step 1, display error message 129—MUST ENTER THE SAME ITIN IN THE ITIN FIELD. SSN FIELD MUST BE BLANK.

Contact Payment Services for questions.