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USAS Reference: Date Definitions

The dates included in this list are related to USAS financial transactions. Understanding these dates can help users understand transaction processing and assist in researching issues related to USAS financial transactions.

Dates related to USAS financial transactions can be:

Unless stated otherwise, these dates can be found:

Approval Date (System Generated Only)
The approval date is located on the AE and can be seen on the Accounting Event Record Inquiry (84) screen. This date represents the calendar date that the transaction reached final approval status. It is not updated for any subsequent approvals or actions. This date is called the final approval date on the HX.
Batch Date

The batch date is intended to represent the date that the batch was submitted into USAS. No system processing occurs with respect to the batch date. This date becomes part of the unique identifier for the batch. The batch date is also part of the transaction ID, which is the unique identifier for each transaction within a batch. The transaction ID contains the batch agency, batch date, batch type, batch number, and batch sequence number.

For batches entered online, the user may enter this date or leave it blank to default to the current system date. For batches submitted to USAS via FTP, this date may be supplied on the file or left blank to default to the current system date.

Date Written to History (System Generated Only)
The date written to history is the system management date on which a transaction was posted to the history file and appears on the HX.
Discount Date
The discount date is not used by the system. Users may use it as an informational field to represent the last date a discount is available.
Document Date
The document date is determined based on the type of transaction.
If the transaction is for … Then the document date …
Goods and services (other than payroll) is used to report the order date.
Payroll must be the payroll period end date and is edited against the Payroll Date Profile (D62) to determine the type of payroll (for example, monthly, bimonthly or supplemental).
Non-goods or services typically identifies the date the document was created and is not edited against the Current Date Profile (D61) or Payroll Date Profile (D62).

Note: For payroll transactions processed using document type 5 or document type 7, document date is limited to 45 days from the Current Effective Date per the System Management Profile (97). Document date is edited against the Current Date Profile (D61) to verify the date entered is valid.

Effective Date (Batch Level)
The effective date for the batch header can be either entered or left blank to use the default of the current system management date. This date determines the date the batch is edited for processing and will be used as the default effective date for the transactions in the batch. If the batch effective date is postdated, none of the transactions within the batch will be accessed for processing until the system management date equals that date. The effective date defaulted from the batch header to transactions in the batch can be overwritten at the transaction level.
Effective Date (Transaction Level)

The transaction effective date can be the effective date defaulted from the batch header, or a different effective date may be entered on each transaction within a batch to override the batch header effective date for that transaction.

The transaction effective date determines:

  • The initial date the transaction can be accessed for processing in USAS
    • If the Payment Due Date or Requested Payment Date fields are populated on a transaction, the transaction effective date is ignored.
  • The fiscal month and fiscal year the transaction will post.
    • If a month or year is closed or future or prior month/year postings are not allowed, the system edits against the effective date to determine if the transaction can be posted.

Note: USAS will not allow cash transactions to be postdated. If a cash transaction is entered with an effective date not equal to the current date, USAS will automatically update the effective date to the current system management date.

Final Approval Date (System Generated Only)
The final approval date is located on the HX. This date represents the calendar date that the transaction reached final approval status. It is not updated for any subsequent approvals or actions. This date is called the approval date on the AE.
Invoice Date
The invoice date references the date of the invoice related to a payment transaction. Generally, no system processing occurs with respect to the invoice date, and this field is not edited against the Current Date Profile (D61) or Payroll Date Profile (D62).

For IRS deduction payments, the invoice date is used to determine the payment date for IRS payments.
Last Process Date (System Generated Only)
The last process date is located on the AE and can be seen on the Accounting Event Record Inquiry (84) screen. This date represents the calendar date that the transaction was posted to USAS. It is not updated by the payment processing cycle or actions subsequent to posting. This date is called the process date on the HX.
Original Payment Date

Note: This field is used only for payments to replace a lost or stolen warrant.

The original payment date is the date that the warrant was originally issued. This field is restricted to transactions for replacement warrants and requires a payment distribution type of V. The original payment date is used when a payment has been canceled and the payment is being reissued.

The date that the warrant was originally issued can be found on the:

  • HX,
  • Single Payment Cancellation (44) screen in the issue date field, and
  • Accounting Event Record Inquiry (84) screen in the payment date field.

For original payment transactions that included automated late payment interest, the original payment date provides the system look-up to determine the original payment distribution date. The original payment distribution date is used as the end date for the replacement interest calculation, and the payment due date on the replacement transaction is used as the start date. For replacement warrants, the payment due date should be the same as on the original transaction. This ensures that the amount of interest calculated for the replacement warrant is the same as on the original warrant.

Payment Date (System Generated Only)
The payment date is located on the AE and can be seen on the Accounting Event Record Inquiry (84) screen. This date represents the calendar date of the USAS cycle that generated the payment. It is called payment written date on the HX.
Payment Distribution Date (System Generated Only)
The payment distribution date is the date the payment was available for pickup at the Comptroller's office. This date represents the end date for the automated late payment interest calculation for warrants. It is generally one working day later than the payment written date. The payment distribution date is located on the HX and AE, and can be seen on the Accounting Event Record Inquiry (84) screen.
Payment Due Date

The payment due date is used by the system to determine when to generate payments and if interest is owed on a transaction. The payment due date is used to decide when to generate a payment only if the requested payment date is blank on an expenditure transaction. For automated late payment interest, the payment due date determines when payment for a transaction becomes late and the start date for calculating automated late payment interest.

For replacement warrants, the payment due date should be the same as on the original transaction. For original warrant transactions that included automated late payment interest, the payment due date is used as the start date for the replacement interest calculation. The original payment distribution date, as determined by the original payment date, is used as the end date. This ensures that the amount of interest calculated for the replacement warrant is the same as on the original warrant.

Note: For document type 5 – Payroll (Reimbursements and Adjustments) and document type 7 – Annuitant Payroll transactions, Payment Due Date is limited to 45 days from the Current Effective Date per the System Management Profile (97). Payment due date is edited against the Current Date Profile (D61) to verify the date entered is valid.

Payment Written Date (System Generated Only)
The payment written date is located on the HX. This date represents the calendar date of the USAS cycle that generated the payment. It is called payment date on the Accounting Event Record Inquiry (84) screen.
Penalty Date
The penalty date is not used by the system. Users may use it as an informational field to represent the first day penalty is assessed for a late voucher payment.
Process Date (System Generated Only)
The process date is located on the HX. This date represents the calendar date that a transaction was posted to USAS. It is called the last process date on the AE.
Requested Payment Date
The requested payment date is used to force a payment to generate on a date other than the payment due date. This date may be earlier or later than the payment due date. The requested payment date will override the payment due date only for payment distribution. The requested payment date does not affect the automated interest computation. If there is a requested payment date, the system will attempt to pay the expenditure based on that date, not the payment due date.
Service Date
The service date identifies the date for which goods or services are received or rendered, and is required by the Comptroller's office when entering purchase and travel vouchers.
  • For purchased items, the service date should be the day the merchandise was received.
  • For recurring expenses such as rent, the service date should be the last day of service.
  • This date is edited against the Current Date Profile (D61) to verify the date entered is valid.
  • Typically this field is not edited against the Payroll Date Profile (D62).
  • Additionally, the service date is used to edit against the final post date on the Project Control Profile (27) and Grant Control Profile Maintenance/Inquiry (29) screens if the service date control indicator in the related profile is Y.
  • The service date is also used to edit against the Contract Profile (30) to ensure contract payments are within the contract start and end dates.