“What’s New” for Payment Services

04/05/24	Reminder – Authorization for Warrant Pickup Due Reminder – Authorization for Warrant Pickup Due Every two years, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts requires all state agencies and institutions of higher education to renew their Agency Authorization for Warrant Pickup form (74-189). Return the completed, signed form by close of business April 15. All authorization forms on file terminate at 5 p.m. on April 30. New forms are effective May 1. See Authorization for Warrant Pickup for the form and more information.
03/22/24	DDEP Web Application Updates DDEP Web Application Updates Daily agency reports will be available for download effective March 11 for reversals and reclamations processed in the Direct Deposits – Reversals and Reclamations (DDEP) web application. To help prevent fraud, the account numbers will be masked and only the last four digits will display. See Daily Reversals/Reclamations Agency Reports on TexPayment Resource for details and sample reports. TINS ACR 60608 unmasks account numbers on DDEP effective March 11. User security is required to access DDEP, so full account numbers are only accessible to users with the proper security. See Instructions for the DDEP Web Application for more information.
03/22/24	Warrant Distribution on Friday, March 29 Warrant Distribution on Friday, March 29 The Comptroller’s office will be closed March 29 to observe Good Friday; however, Payment Services will distribute warrants from 9 – 11 a.m. The warrants will be from the March 28 processing cycle. See Payment Distribution for warrant pickup requirements.
03/15/24	Authorization for Warrant Pickup Due Authorization for Warrant Pickup Due Every two years, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts requires all state agencies and institutions of higher education to renew their Agency Authorization for Warrant Pickup form (74-189). Return the completed, signed form by close of business on April 15. All authorization forms on file terminate at 5 p.m. on April 30. New forms are effective May 1. See Authorization for Warrant Pickup for the form and more information. Contact Payment Services with questions.
02/23/24	Encrypt Confidential Emails to Fiscal Management Encrypt Confidential Emails to Fiscal Management State agencies and institutions of higher education sometimes send documents with confidential information to Fiscal Management. An unencrypted email is not a secure transmission. Agencies must send confidential information in an encrypted email or as an encrypted email attachment as prescribed by your agency’s information security policy. See Confidential Information Must Be Encrypted Before Emailing to Fiscal Management (FPP D.004) for details.
02/09/24	Deadline to Request Unclaimed Funds Deadline to Request Unclaimed Funds Unclaimed property transferred to the state includes property that might belong to state agencies or institutions of higher education. Money not claimed by May 31 will be deposited into unappropriated general revenue. See Unclaimed Property Annual Notification for more information, including contact information for the Comptroller’s Unclaimed Property Division.
02/02/24	Direct Deposit Fraud Direct Deposit Fraud Agencies must continue to guard against fraud with direct deposit payments. The Comptroller’s office lists Fraud Prevention Recommendations on TexPayment Resource. Agencies can also: Encrypt or password-protect internal and external emails that include account and routing numbers. Require the existing account and routing numbers on file for change requests before making those changes to ensure the requests are from legitimate payees. Use daily direct deposit reports to verify your agency’s direct deposit setups and changes. Contact Payment Services with questions about direct deposits.
01/26/24	USAS and CAPPS Confidentiality Indicator USAS and CAPPS Confidentiality Indicator To make payment information available to the public promptly, the Comptroller’s office must be able to distinguish between confidential and nonconfidential payments. State agencies and institutions of higher education must mark confidential transactions to protect payee confidentiality, per USAS and CAPPS Confidentiality Indicator (FPP E.045). The agency or institution submitting a transaction is responsible for determining confidentiality. Transactions are legally considered public unless specifically excluded by the Public Information Act (Texas Government Code, Chapter 552). An agency or institution that marks a transaction as confidential should be prepared to cite the law or attorney general opinion that excludes the payment from public disclosure.
01/16/24	Warrant Distribution Delayed Due to Inclement Weather Warrant Distribution Delayed Due to Inclement Weather Due to inclement weather, warrant pickup will be available on Tuesday, Jan. 16 from noon – 2 p.m. Agencies may call the Payment Services help desk at (512) 936-8138 to confirm that warrants are available for distribution.
01/12/24	Reminder – Request Form 1099 by Jan. 30 Reminder – Request Form 1099 by Jan. 30 Jan. 30 is the last day to adjust the 1099-reportable data and request 1099s in USAS. Payments of $600 or more to a non-corporate payee for services or interest during a calendar year must be reported to the Internal Revenue Service on on Form 1099-MISC (miscellaneous), Form 1099-NEC (nonemployee compensation) or Form 1099-INT (interest income). See USAS Procedures for 1099 Reporting for Calendar Year 2023 (FPP E.001) for more information.
12/15/23	Reminder – New TINS Reversal/Reclamation Web App Reminder – New TINS Reversal/Reclamation Web App A Direct Deposits – Reversals and Reclamations (DDEP) web application and the automation of direct deposit returned money were implemented in phases via Application Change Request (ACR) 60027 and ACR 60227 when the final phase migrated in January 2023. Effective Jan. 2, 2024, agencies must process their own reversals and reclamations via DDEP. See ACR 60027 for more information, the DDEP Web Application for step-by-step instructions, and Direct Deposit Payments Made in Error for DDEP policy and procedure updates. Contact Payment Services with questions.
12/15/23	Reminder – Holiday Warrant Distribution Reminder – Holiday Warrant Distribution Monday, Dec. 25, and Tuesday, Dec. 26: The Comptroller’s office will be closed; no warrants will be distributed. Warrants from the Dec. 22 and Dec. 26 cycles will be available Dec. 27. Monday, Jan. 1: The Comptroller’s office will be closed; no warrants will be distributed. Warrants from the Dec. 29 cycle will be available Jan. 2. See Payment Distribution or warrant pickup requirements and the System Outages and Holidays calendar for more information.
12/15/23	Reminder – USAS/TINS File Submission Reminder – USAS/TINS File Submission If you need to submit a USAS or TINS batch file on a weekend or holiday, see the USAS/TINS Input Record File Submission Schedule.
12/15/23	Reminder – Direct Deposit Settlement Dates Reminder – Direct Deposit Settlement Dates To determine the direct deposit settlement date of a payment, exclude state and federal holidays listed on the System Outages and Holidays calendar. Since financial institutions are closed, no direct deposit activity occurs on those days. Agencies must consider these dates when determining when to submit their payments to ensure prompt payment and avoid late payment interest.
12/14/23	Security Alert: Avoid Email Confirmation Security Alert: Avoid Email Confirmation Fiscal Management urges all agencies to review and further strengthen internal processes and procedures for requesting system or security changes. To avoid security threats, it is best to validate requests by a method other than email. In the past, hackers harvested credentials such as user IDs, passwords, email addresses, etc., then used the credentials to access systems and gather data or other sensitive information. Now, hackers target the credential with the most transparency — email addresses. They hijack an email account, change the password, then use the email address to request the agency to provide sensitive information or make detrimental changes to the user’s profile, such as changing direct deposit instructions. This is what makes these hacks so dangerous. Everything about the email appears legitimate, because it is. Since the email account is compromised, the traditional strategy of training users to identify illegitimate email will not work. Only a second level of validation will ensure the instructions received were from the intended user. See Fraud Prevention Recommendations for more tips, or contact your agency’s information security office for more information and/or to discuss and implement security improvements for your agency.
12/01/23	Holiday Systems Scheduling and Warrant Distribution Holiday Systems Scheduling and Warrant Distribution Monday, Dec. 25, and Tuesday, Dec. 26: The Comptroller’s office will be closed; no warrants will be distributed. Warrants from the Dec. 22 and Dec. 26 cycles will be available Dec. 27. Monday, Jan. 1: The Comptroller’s office will be closed; no warrants will be distributed. Warrants from the Dec. 29 cycle will be available Jan. 2. See Payment Distribution for warrant pickup requirements and the System Outages and Holidays calendar for more information.
12/01/23	USAS/TINS File Submission USAS/TINS File Submission If you need to submit a USAS or TINS batch file on a weekend or holiday, see the USAS/TINS Input Record File Submission Schedule.
12/01/23	Direct Deposit Settlement Dates Direct Deposit Settlement Dates To determine the direct deposit settlement date of a payment, exclude state and federal holidays listed on the System Outages and Holidays calendar. Since financial institutions are closed, no direct deposit activity occurs on those days. Agencies must consider these dates when determining when to submit their payments to ensure prompt payment and avoid late payment interest.
12/01/23	Reminder – New TINS Reversal/Reclamation Web App Reminder – New TINS Reversal/Reclamation Web App A Direct Deposits – Reversals and Reclamations (DDEP) web application and the automation of direct deposit return money were implemented in phases via Application Change Request (ACR) 60027 and ACR 60227 when the final phase migrated in January 2023. Effective Jan. 2, 2024, agencies must process their own reversals and reclamations via DDEP. See ACR 60027 for more information, the DDEP Web Application for step-by-step instructions, and Direct Deposit Payments Made in Error for DDEP policy and procedure updates. Contact Payment Services with questions.
11/10/23	Direct Deposit – Reversals and Reclamations (DDEP) Webinars Direct Deposit – Reversals and Reclamations (DDEP) Webinars Effective Jan. 2, 2024, all agencies must process their own reversals and reclamations via the new DDEP web application. Employees who monitor direct deposit payments for their agencies and submit direct deposit reversals and reclamations should attend a DDEP webinar. Webinars cover step-by-step instructions for processing, editing and deleting direct deposit reversals, and for using payment search functions. No registration is required. For webinar dates and access information, see DDEP Training Webinars. Contact Payment Services for more information.
11/10/23	Reminder – Warrant Distribution on Nov. 22 Reminder – Warrant Distribution on Nov. 22 The Comptroller’s office will be closed for business on Wednesday, Nov. 22; however, Payment Services will distribute warrants from 9–11 a.m. for the Nov. 21 processing cycle. There will be no warrant distribution on Nov. 23 or 24. Warrants from the Nov. 22 and Nov. 24 processing cycles will be available for distribution on Monday, Nov. 27. See Payment Distribution for warrant pickup requirements.
11/10/23	Reminder – Direct Deposit Settlement Dates Reminder – Direct Deposit Settlement Dates When determining the direct deposit settlement date of a payment, exclude state and federal holidays that are listed on the System Outages and Holidays calendar. Since financial institutions are closed, no direct deposit activity occurs on those days. Agencies must consider these dates when determining when to submit their payments to ensure prompt payment and avoid late payment interest.
11/10/23	Reminder – USAS/TINS File Submission Reminder – USAS/TINS File Submission If you need to submit a USAS or TINS batch file on a weekend or holiday, see the USAS/TINS Input Record File Submission Schedule.
11/03/23	New TINS Reversal/Reclamation Web App New TINS Reversal/Reclamation Web App A Direct Deposits – Reversals and Reclamations (DDEP) web application and the automation of direct deposit returned money were implemented in phases via Application Change Request (ACR) 60027 and ACR 60227 when the final phase migrated in January 2023. Effective Jan. 2, 2024, agencies must process their own reversals and reclamations via DDEP. See ACR 60027 for more information, the DDEP Web Application for step-by-step instructions, and Direct Deposit Payments Made in Error for DDEP policy and procedure updates. Contact Payment Services with questions.
11/03/23	Warrant Distribution on Nov. 22 Warrant Distribution on Nov. 22 The Comptroller’s office will be closed for business on Wednesday, Nov. 22; however, Payment Services will distribute warrants from 9–11 a.m. for the Nov. 21 processing cycle. There will be no warrant distribution on Nov. 23 or 24. Warrants from the Nov. 22 and Nov. 24 processing cycles will be available for distribution on Monday, Nov. 27. See Payment Distribution for warrant pickup requirements.
11/03/23	Direct Deposit Settlement Dates Direct Deposit Settlement Dates When determining the direct deposit settlement date of a payment, exclude state and federal holidays that are listed on the System Outages and Holidays calendar. Since financial institutions are closed, no direct deposit activity occurs on those days. Agencies must consider these dates when determining when to submit their payments to ensure prompt payment and avoid late payment interest.
11/03/23	USAS/TINS File Submission USAS/TINS File Submission If you need to submit a USAS or TINS batch file on a weekend or holiday, see the USAS/TINS Input Record File Submission Schedule.
11/03/23	CBA and CLIBA Payment Procedures CBA and CLIBA Payment Procedures Entering procurement and travel card transactions in USAS or CAPPS Financials requires special considerations for timely payment reconciliation. Agencies should review the procedures for entering credit card information in the USAS and CAPPS invoice number fields as detailed in the section on central billed account (CBA) and corporate liability individual billed account (CLIBA) numbers in USAS and CAPPS Financials Invoice Number Field Requirements (FPP E.023). See Processing Third-Party Transactions in USAS for Payment/Travel Cards, Direct Bill Payments and Reimbursements (FPP A.043) (login required) for more information. Contact Expenditure Assistance with questions.
10/27/23	1099 Reporting for Tax Year 2023 1099 Reporting for Tax Year 2023 The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Department of the Treasury have issued final regulations for the Taxpayer First Act, reducing the electronic filing threshold from 250 information returns to 10 or more returns beginning in 2024, for tax year 2023. State agencies and universities filing 10 or more information returns for tax year 2023 are required to file electronically with the IRS. Agencies filing electronically for the first time must request a Transmitter Control Code from the IRS as soon as possible. For more information about the regulations and the reduced threshold to file electronically, see the IRS’ and Treasury’s final regulations on e-file and Filing Information Returns Electronically (FIRE). See USAS Procedures for 1099 Reporting for Calendar Year 2023 (FPP E.001) for instructions on requesting 1099 data from USAS.
10/27/23	USAS and CAPPS Invoice Number and Description Fields USAS and CAPPS Invoice Number and Description Fields Transaction entry screens in USAS and CAPPS let state agencies and institutions of higher education enter payment information in the invoice number and description fields. Never enter confidential or sensitive information such as complete or partial Social Security numbers or information covered by the protected health information prohibition. See USAS and CAPPS Financials Invoice Number Field Requirements (FPP E.023) for more information and to review your agency’s procedures for compliance with field requirements.
09/29/23	Direct Deposit Fraud Direct Deposit Fraud Agencies must continue to guard against fraud with direct deposit payments. The Comptroller’s office lists Fraud Prevention Recommendations in TexPayment Resource. Agencies can also: Encrypt or password protect internal and external emails that include account and routing numbers Require the existing account and routing numbers on file for change requests before making those changes to ensure the requests are from legitimate payees Use daily direct deposit reports to verify your agency’s direct deposit setups and changes Contact Payment Services with questions about direct deposits.
09/28/23	Reminder – Complete Our Customer Service Survey by Sept. 29 Reminder – Complete Our Customer Service Survey by Sept. 29 If you already completed our Fiscal Management customer service survey, thank you! If you haven't had a chance to take our online survey, it will be available until the close of business Friday, Sept. 29. We appreciate your feedback. If you have any questions about the survey, email us at fiscal.documentation@cpa.texas.gov.
09/15/23	Fiscal Management Customer Service Survey Fiscal Management Customer Service Survey How well are we meeting your customer service expectations? Please let us know by completing the online survey by Friday, Sept. 29. We appreciate your feedback. Email us at fiscal.documentation@cpa.texas.gov with any questions.
08/25/23	Emergency Leave Reporting Due Emergency Leave Reporting Due Agencies and institutions must report emergency leave use by Oct. 1 for employees granted more than 32 hours of emergency leave during the prior fiscal year. See Emergency Leave Reporting Requirements (FPP F.040) for details on the Emergency Leave Reporting web application and the required statement for agencies and institutions not sending a report.
08/25/23	Reminder – Salary Supplement Report Due Reminder – Salary Supplement Report Due State agencies and institutions must report certain salary supplements to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, the State Auditor’s Office and the Secretary of State by Sept. 15. See Salary Supplements Paid From Sources Other Than Appropriated Funds (FPP F.031) for instructions and the online report form.
08/18/23	Comptroller-Assigned 3 TINs Comptroller-Assigned 3 TINs Agencies must comply with the policies and procedures in TexPayment Resource (FPP P.007) when requesting and processing Comptroller-assigned 3 TINs (temporary Texas identification numbers). All 11 digits of a 3 TIN must be used as assigned and must not be altered by using the middle nine digits as a temporary Social Security number (SSN). Those nine digits could be the valid SSN of an individual who is not the intended foreign payee, so using that number would be misuse of an SSN. Such unauthorized use also creates invalid payee setups in TINS, inaccurate payment records in USAS, and could result in an audit finding. When an agency receives a Comptroller-assigned 3 TIN, it must be set up in TINS to prepare for a payment through USAS. A Comptroller-assigned 3 TIN may not be requested as a temporary SSN or as a temporary number to be used solely within an agency’s internal system. Contact Payment Services with questions.
08/11/23	88th Legislature GAA Updates 88th Legislature GAA Updates The 88th Legislature updated Article IX of the General Appropriations Act (GAA); changes take effect Sept. 1. See Changes to Article IX of the GAA and Other Bills of Interest to State Agencies (FPP F.008) for a summary of GAA changes and other legislation that affects state agencies.
08/11/23	RTI End Dates RTI End Dates Reminder: When coding on the USAS Recurring Transaction Profile (55), do not set an effective end date until after Sept. 26 on certain recurring transaction indexes (RTIs) used during the interagency reconciliation process for the annual financial report (AFR). Interagency transaction vouchers (ITVs) must process successfully during the interagency reconciliation process for the AFR. An RTI (receiving) agency that sets an effective end date on the 55 profile will prevent a transaction (paying) agency from processing any ITV transactions past that effective end date. Agencies should leave the effective end dates on RTIs blank unless there is an explicit need to include one. See RTI Tables for Interfund/Interagency Transactions and the ITV/RTI Process USAS FAQs for more information.
08/11/23	Reminder – Systems Unavailable During Year-End Close Reminder – Systems Unavailable During Year-End Close The USAS annual cash-basis close for fiscal 2023 occurs Aug. 31. The fiscal year-end close process requires shutting down the statewide fiscal systems. See Master Schedule of Year-End Close Events for more information, including: Processing deadlines System maintenance dates and times Support contacts
08/10/23	Reminder – Annual Certification of Estimated ORP State Contributions Due Reminder – Annual Certification of Estimated ORP State Contributions Due Junior/community colleges must certify estimates of state matching contribution funds for employees participating in the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) by Aug. 15. See Annual Estimate of Optional Retirement Program (ORP) State Contributions (FPP A.003) for complete information including instructions and forms.
08/04/23	Late Payment Interest Rate for Fiscal 2024 Late Payment Interest Rate for Fiscal 2024 The interest rate the state pays on a late payment to a vendor under the state’s prompt payment law will be 9.25 percent for fiscal 2024. The interest calculation is one percentage point higher than the prime rate published in the Wall Street Journal on the first business day of July. See Interest Rate on eXpendit (FPP I.005) for more information.
07/21/23	Outstanding Warrants Void Aug. 31 Outstanding Warrants Void Aug. 31 The Outstanding Warrants Control Report (DAFR8171) runs on the first Friday of each month (e.g., July 7 and Aug. 4). Agencies should monitor their report before warrants become void on Aug. 31. See USAS Annual Close Process (FPP Q.004) for more information, including details on generating agency-customized reports via the Report Request Profile, USAS 91 screen. Also see Void Warrants. Contact your appropriation control officer with questions.
07/21/23	Salary Supplement Report Due Salary Supplement Report Due State agencies and institutions of higher education must report certain salary supplements to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, the State Auditor’s office and the Secretary of State by Sept. 15. See Salary Supplements Paid From Sources Other Than Appropriated Funds (FPP F.031) for instructions and the online report form.
07/18/23	Annual Certification of Estimated ORP State Contributions Due Annual Certification of Estimated ORP State Contributions Due Junior/community colleges must certify estimates of state matching contribution funds for employees participating in the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) by Aug. 15. See Annual Estimate of Optional Retirement Program (ORP) State Contributions (FPP A.003) for complete information including instructions and forms.
07/14/23	New TINS Edits and Enhancements New TINS Edits and Enhancements TINS ACR 60547 implemented new system edits to prevent invalid transactions from processing, and to allow agencies to process certain transactions without submitting forms to Payment Services. Contact Payment Services for questions.
07/14/23	Reminder – USAS/TINS Modernization Initiative Survey Reminder – USAS/TINS Modernization Initiative Survey As part of our statewide Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) project, the Comptroller’s office is beginning the process of replacing USAS and TINS with a modernized software solution. Input from users of USAS and TINS is critical for the success of this project. To help us identify the best solution, please complete this online survey by July 21. Email Shelly Arnold or Laurel Mulkey with questions about the survey.
06/30/23	Fiscal Year-End Close Schedule Fiscal Year-End Close Schedule See the 2023 Master Schedule of Year-End Close Events for: Processing deadlines. Support contacts. System maintenance dates and times.
06/23/23	Holiday Warrant Distribution Holiday Warrant Distribution Monday, July 3: The Comptroller’s office will be closed; Payment Services will distribute warrants 9–11 a.m. Tuesday, July 4: The Comptroller’s office will be closed; no warrants will be distributed. See Payment Distribution for warrant pickup requirements and the System Outages and Holidays calendar for more information.
05/19/23	Direct Deposit Checklist Direct Deposit Checklist State agencies and institutions of higher education should follow the Direct Deposit Checklist before setting up, changing or cancelling direct deposit instructions. If your agency creates its own online direct deposit authorization, Payment Services must approve your agency’s form before it is implemented. See Approval Required for Alternative Methods.
05/19/23	Current Forms Always Available on FMX Current Forms Always Available on FMX Check the Forms page on FMX to ensure you use the current version. Previously downloaded forms might be outdated. The top of every FMX page has a link to the Forms page. Topic pages (such as Appropriations and Payment Services link to their specific forms on the Forms page. Note: Payment Services forms on FMX are secured and require login to prevent unauthorized users from accessing them and submitting them to state agencies. If it is necessary to maintain any of these forms on your agency’s website, ensure the forms require login and are the most current version.
05/12/23	Fiscal 2024 Payroll Due Dates and Direct Deposit Schedule Fiscal 2024 Payroll Due Dates and Direct Deposit Schedule For state agencies and institutions of higher education, the monthly and twice-monthly payrolls are due by the seventh workday before payday. Submitting payrolls to the Comptroller’s office on or before the due dates ensures adequate processing time for direct deposits and warrant distribution. See Payroll Due Dates and Direct Deposit Schedules (FPP E.030) for more information, including the fiscal 2024 payroll due dates and direct deposit schedule.
05/04/23	Reminder – Deadline to Request Unclaimed Funds Reminder – Deadline to Request Unclaimed Funds Unclaimed property transferred to the state includes property that might belong to state agencies or institutions of higher education. Money not claimed by May 31 will be deposited into unappropriated general revenue. See Unclaimed Property Annual Notification for more information, including contact information for the Comptroller’s Unclaimed Property Division.
04/28/23	New Reason Codes for Warrant Hold Release New Reason Codes for Warrant Hold Release TINS ACR 60019 created new reason codes for the release of held warrants, and updated the descriptions of each code to better define the disposition of a held warrant that is released. Updated reason codes display on TINS warrant release screens. See Warrant Hold Release Reason Codes on TexPayment Resource for the updated list of codes. Contact Payment Services with questions.
04/28/23	Promote Direct Deposit Month Promote Direct Deposit Month May is Direct Deposit Month, a yearly reminder that direct deposit payments save the state money and offer a safe, convenient method of payment to the state's payees. Each agency should review its direct deposit practices to protect itself and its customers. See Promoting Direct Deposit/Pay Cards for more information.
03/31/23	Warrant Distribution on Friday, April 7 Warrant Distribution on Friday, April 7 The Comptroller’s office will be closed April 7 to observe Good Friday; however, Payment Services will distribute warrants from 9 – 11 a.m. The warrants will be from the April 6 processing cycle. See Payment Distribution for warrant pickup requirements.
03/17/23	Direct Deposit Reversal/Reclamation Reports and Funds Direct Deposit Reversal/Reclamation Reports and Funds TINS Application Change Request (ACR) 60227 created new agency reports that notify agencies when: Direct deposit funds are received from successful reversals and reclamations. Direct deposit funds are received from returned money items. Reversal and reclamation requests are rejected. See Reversal/Reclamation Reports for more information. Agencies also now have the option of requesting their USAS direct deposit funds to be deposited using the payment’s original coding block instead of the default USAS Fund 0980. See Reversal Requests for more information. Contact Payment Services with questions.
02/24/23	Encrypt Confidential Emails to Fiscal Management Encrypt Confidential Emails to Fiscal Management State agencies and institutions of higher education sometimes send documents with confidential information to Fiscal Management. An unencrypted email is not a secure transmission. Agencies must send confidential information in an encrypted email or as an encrypted email attachment as prescribed by your agency’s information security policy. See Confidential Information Must Be Encrypted Before Emailing to Fiscal Management (FPP D.004) for details.
02/03/23	Reminder – Deadline to Request Unclaimed Funds Reminder – Deadline to Request Unclaimed Funds Unclaimed property transferred to the state includes property that might belong to state agencies or institutions of higher education. Money not claimed by May 31 will be deposited into unappropriated general revenue. See Unclaimed Property Annual Notification for more information, including contact information for the Comptroller’s Unclaimed Property Division.
02/02/23	Warrant Distribution Delayed Due to Inclement Weather Warrant Distribution Delayed Due to Inclement Weather Due to inclement weather, warrant pickup will be available on Friday, Feb. 3, from noon – 2 p.m. Agencies may call (512) 475-5329 to confirm that warrants are available for distribution. On days the LBJ building is closed but warrant pickup is available, your authorized representative must have photo identification and a cell phone to call (512) 475-5329 on arrival at the LBJ building if no front desk personnel are present.
02/01/23	Warrant Distribution Canceled Due to Inclement Weather Warrant Distribution Canceled Due to Inclement Weather Due to inclement weather, warrants will not be distributed Thursday, Feb. 2. Additional Comptroller office building closures or delayed openings will be announced on FMX. Contact Payment Services at (512) 936-8138 for more information.
01/31/23	Warrant Distribution Canceled Due to Inclement Weather Warrant Distribution Canceled Due to Inclement Weather Due to inclement weather, warrants will not be distributed Wednesday, Feb. 1. Additional Comptroller office building closures or delayed openings will be announced on FMX. Contact Payment Services at (512) 936-8138 for more information.
01/30/23	Warrant Distribution Canceled Due to Inclement Weather Warrant Distribution Canceled Due to Inclement Weather Due to inclement weather, warrants will not be distributed Tuesday, Jan. 31. Additional Comptroller office building closures or delayed openings will be announced here on FMX. Contact Payment Services at (512) 936-8138 for more information.
01/27/23	USAS and CAPPS Confidentiality Indicator USAS and CAPPS Confidentiality Indicator To make payment information available to the public promptly, the Comptroller’s office must be able to distinguish confidential and nonconfidential payments. State agencies and institutions of higher education must properly mark confidential transactions to protect payee confidentiality, per USAS and CAPPS Confidentiality Indicator (FPP E.045). The agency or institution submitting a transaction is responsible for determining confidentiality. Transactions are legally considered public unless specifically excluded by the Public Information Act (Texas Government Code, Chapter 552). An agency or institution that marks a transaction as confidential should be prepared to cite the law or attorney general opinion that excludes the payment from public disclosure.
01/20/23	Deadline to Request Unclaimed Funds Deadline to Request Unclaimed Funds Unclaimed property transferred to the state includes property that might belong to state agencies or institutions of higher education. Money not claimed by May 31 will be deposited into unappropriated general revenue. See Unclaimed Property Annual Notification for more information, including contact information for the Comptroller’s Unclaimed Property Division.
01/13/23	Reminder – Request Form 1099 by Jan. 30 Reminder – Request Form 1099 by Jan. 30 Jan. 30 is the last day to adjust the 1099-reportable data and request 1099s in USAS. Payments of $600 or more to a non-corporate payee for services or interest during a calendar year must be reported to the Internal Revenue Service on Form 1099-Miscellaneous (MISC), Form 1099-Nonemployee Compensation (NEC) or Form 1099-Interest Income (INT). See USAS Procedures for 1099 Reporting for Calendar Year 2022 (FPP E.001) for more information.
12/30/22	Current Forms Always Available on FMX Current Forms Always Available on FMX Check the Forms page on FMX before submitting a form to ensure you submit the current version. Previously downloaded forms or stored links might be outdated. The top of every FMX page has a link to the Forms page. Topic pages (such as Appropriations or Payment Services) link to their specific forms on the Forms page.
12/09/22	Reminder – Holiday Warrant Distribution Reminder – Holiday Warrant Distribution Friday, Dec. 23: The Comptroller’s office will be closed; Payment Services will distribute warrants 9–11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 26: The Comptroller’s office will be closed; no warrants will be distributed. Monday, Jan. 2: The Comptroller’s office will be closed; Payment Services will distribute warrants 9–11 a.m. See Payment Distribution for warrant pickup requirements and the System Outages and Holidays calendar for more information.
12/09/22	Reminder – USAS/TINS File Submission Reminder – USAS/TINS File Submission If you need to submit a USAS or TINS batch file on a weekend or holiday, see the USAS/TINS Input Record File Submission Schedule.
12/09/22	Reminder – Direct Deposit Settlement Dates Reminder – Direct Deposit Settlement Dates When determining the direct deposit settlement date of a payment, exclude state and federal holidays that are listed on the System Outages and Holidays calendar. Since financial institutions are closed, no direct deposit activity occurs on those days. Agencies must consider these dates when determining when to submit their payments to ensure prompt payment and avoid late payment interest.
12/02/22	Warrant Distribution in December Warrant Distribution in December The Comptroller’s office will be closed Friday, Dec. 23; however, Payment Services will distribute warrants 9–11 a.m. on that day. The Comptroller’s office will also be closed Monday, Dec. 26; no warrants will be distributed. See Payment Distribution for warrant pickup requirements and the System Outages and Holidays calendar for more information.
12/02/22	USAS/TINS File Submission USAS/TINS File Submission If you need to submit a USAS or TINS batch file on a weekend or holiday, see the USAS/TINS Input Record File Submission Schedule.
12/02/22	Direct Deposit Settlement Dates Direct Deposit Settlement Dates When determining the direct deposit settlement date of a payment, exclude state and federal holidays that are listed on the System Outages and Holidays calendar. Since financial institutions are closed, no direct deposit activity occurs on those days. Agencies must consider these dates when determining when to submit their payments to ensure prompt payment and avoid late payment interest.
11/18/22	USAS 1099 Reporting Procedures USAS 1099 Reporting Procedures State agencies and institutions of higher education must file electronically with the IRS or mail 1099 forms with form 1096 to the IRS and mail postmarked 1099 forms to recipients by Jan. 31, 2023. Forms will be available for pickup at the Comptroller’s office each business day from Jan. 3–31 in the LBJ Building, room G17. See USAS Procedures for 1099 Reporting for Calendar Year 2022 (FPP E.001) for instructions on requesting 1099 data from USAS.
11/10/22	Fraud Prevention Webinar Fraud Prevention Webinar If you generate or monitor your agency’s direct deposit payments, learn how you can help avoid fraud and safeguard state resources by attending a fraud prevention webinar on Nov. 15, 10:30 a.m. – noon. Topics include: Biggest threats to agencies. Business email compromise. Check fraud. Best practices to prevent fraud. This webinar is offered by the state’s direct deposit vendor, J.P. Morgan Chase. Registration is not required. Visit the web-based training calendar on FMX for login information.
11/10/22	Reminder – Warrant Distribution on Nov. 23 Reminder – Warrant Distribution on Nov. 23 The Comptroller’s office will be closed for business on Wednesday, Nov. 23; however, Payment Services will distribute warrants from 9–11 a.m. for the Nov. 22 processing cycle. There will be no warrant distribution on Nov. 24 or 25. See Payment Distribution for warrant pickup requirements.
11/10/22	Reminder – Direct Deposit Settlement Dates Reminder – Direct Deposit Settlement Dates When determining the direct deposit settlement date of a payment, exclude state and federal holidays that are listed on the System Outages and Holidays calendar. Since financial institutions are closed, no direct deposit activity occurs on those days. Agencies must exclude these dates when determining when to process their payments to ensure prompt payment and avoid late payment interest.
11/10/22	Reminder – USAS/TINS File Submission Reminder – USAS/TINS File Submission If you need to submit a USAS or TINS batch file on a weekend or holiday, see the USAS/TINS Input Record File Submission Schedule.
11/04/22	Warrant Distribution on Nov. 23 Warrant Distribution on Nov. 23 The Comptroller’s office will be closed for business on Wednesday, Nov. 23; however, Payment Services will distribute warrants from 9–11 a.m. for the Nov. 22 processing cycle. There will be no warrant distribution on Nov. 24 or 25. See Payment Distribution for warrant pickup requirements.
11/04/22	Direct Deposit Settlement Dates Direct Deposit Settlement Dates When determining the direct deposit settlement date of a payment, exclude state and federal holidays that are listed on the System Outages and Holidays calendar. Since financial institutions are closed, no direct deposit activity occurs on those days. Agencies must exclude these dates when determining when to process their payments to ensure prompt payment and avoid late payment interest.
11/04/22	USAS/TINS File Submission USAS/TINS File Submission If you need to submit a USAS or TINS batch file on a weekend or holiday, see the USAS/TINS Input Record File Submission Schedule.
10/21/22	CBA and CLIBA Payment Procedures CBA and CLIBA Payment Procedures Entering procurement and travel card transactions in USAS or CAPPS Financials requires special considerations for timely payment reconciliation. Agencies should review the procedures for entering credit card information in USAS and CAPPS invoice number fields as detailed in the section on central billed account (CBA) and corporate liability individual billed account (CLIBA) numbers in USAS and CAPPS Financials Invoice Number Field Requirements (FPP E.023). See Processing Third-Party Transactions in USAS for Payment/Travel Cards, Direct Bill Payments and Reimbursements (FPP A.043) (login required) for more information. Contact Expenditure Assistance with questions.
10/14/22	USAS and CAPPS Invoice Number and Description Fields USAS and CAPPS Invoice Number and Description Fields Transaction entry screens in USAS and CAPPS let state agencies and institutions of higher education enter payment information in the invoice number and description fields. Never enter confidential or sensitive information such as complete or partial Social Security numbers or information covered by the protected health information prohibition. See USAS and CAPPS Financials Invoice Number Field Requirements (FPP E.023) for more information and to review your agency’s procedures for compliance with field requirements.
09/23/22	Reminder – Fiscal Management Customer Service Survey Reminder – Fiscal Management Customer Service Survey How well are we meeting your customer service expectations? Please let us know by completing the online survey by Friday, Sept. 30. We appreciate your feedback. Email us at fiscal.documentation@cpa.texas.gov with any questions.
09/23/22	Reminder – Emergency Leave Reporting Due Reminder – Emergency Leave Reporting Due Agencies and institutions must report emergency leave use by Oct. 1 for employees granted more than 32 hours of emergency leave during the prior fiscal year. See Emergency Leave Reporting Requirements (FPP F.040) for details on the Emergency Leave Reporting web application and the required statement for agencies and institutions not sending a report.
09/16/22	2022 Fiscal Management Customer Service Survey 2022 Fiscal Management Customer Service Survey How well are we meeting your customer service expectations? Please let us know by completing the online survey by Friday, Sept. 30. We appreciate your feedback. Email us at fiscal.documentation@cpa.texas.gov with any questions about the survey.
09/09/22	New Pay Card Program New Pay Card Program State agency employees can now choose to receive their payroll and travel reimbursement on a pay card as an alternative to receiving payments by warrant or direct deposit. The vendor will load the pay cards with the payment on payday or on the day a travel reimbursement is paid. Employees can contact their agency payroll office to choose this option. Payroll stuffers to promote the pay card program are available. See TexPayment Resource – Promoting Direct Deposit/Pay Card. Pay card setup procedures are available for payments issued via USAS, USPS, SPRS and CAPPS. See Pay Cards for Payroll/Retirement Net Pay (FPP P.004).
08/26/22	Emergency Leave Reporting Due Emergency Leave Reporting Due Agencies and institutions must report emergency leave use by Oct. 1 for employees granted more than 32 hours of emergency leave during the prior fiscal year. See Emergency Leave Reporting Requirements (FPP F.040) for details on the Emergency Leave Reporting web application and the required statement for agencies and institutions not sending a report.
08/12/22	RTI End Dates RTI End Dates Reminder: when coding on the USAS Recurring Transaction Profile (55), do not set an effective end date until after Sept. 26 on certain recurring transaction indexes (RTIs) used during the interagency reconciliation process for the annual financial report (AFR). Interagency transaction vouchers (ITVs) must process successfully during the interagency reconciliation process for the AFR. An RTI (receiving) agency that sets an effective end date on the 55 profile will prevent a transaction (paying) agency from processing any ITV transactions past that effective end date. Agencies should leave the effective end dates on RTIs blank unless there is an explicit need to include one. See RTI Tables for Interfund/Interagency Transactions and the ITV/RTI Process USAS FAQs for more information.
08/12/22	Reminder – Systems Unavailable During Year-End Close Reminder – Systems Unavailable During Year-End Close The USAS annual cash-basis close for fiscal 2022 occurs Aug. 31. The fiscal year-end close process requires shutting down the statewide fiscal systems. See Master Schedule of Year-End Close Events for more information, including: Processing deadlines. System maintenance dates and times. Support contacts.
08/11/22	Reminder – Annual Certification of Estimated ORP State Contributions Due Reminder – Annual Certification of Estimated ORP State Contributions Due Junior/community colleges must certify estimates of state matching contribution funds for employees participating in the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) by Aug. 15. See Annual Estimate of Optional Retirement Program (ORP) State Contributions (FPP A.003) for complete information including instructions and forms.
07/29/22	Late Payment Interest Rate for Fiscal 2023 Late Payment Interest Rate for Fiscal 2023 The interest rate the state pays on late payments to vendors under the state’s prompt payment law will be 5.75 percent for fiscal 2023. The interest calculation is one percentage point higher than the prime rate published in the Wall Street Journal on the first business day of July. See Interest Rate on eXpendit (FPP I.005) for more information.
07/22/22	Outstanding Warrants Void Aug. 31 Outstanding Warrants Void Aug. 31 The Outstanding Warrants Control Report (DAFR8171) runs on the first Friday of each month. Agencies should monitor their report before warrants become void on Aug. 31. See USAS Annual Close Process (FPP Q.004) for more information, including details on generating reports via the Report Request Profile, USAS 91 screen. Also see Void Warrants. Contact your appropriation control officer with questions.
07/19/22	Annual Certification of Estimated ORP State Contributions Due Annual Certification of Estimated ORP State Contributions Due Junior/community colleges must certify estimates of state matching contribution funds for employees participating in the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) by Aug. 15. See Annual Estimate of Optional Retirement Program (ORP) State Contributions (FPP A.003) for complete information including instructions and forms.
07/01/22	Fiscal Year-End Close Schedule Fiscal Year-End Close Schedule See the 2022 Master Schedule of Year-End Close Events, which includes: Processing deadlines. Support contacts. System maintenance dates and times.
06/24/22	New Warrant Distribution Hours New Warrant Distribution Hours Beginning Friday, July 1, Fiscal Management Division’s warrant distribution window will be open 9 – 11 a.m. The Room G17 location remains the same. See Authorization for Warrant Pickup. Contact Payment Services for questions.
06/24/22	Reminder – Direct Deposit Fraud Increasing Reminder – Direct Deposit Fraud Increasing State agencies continue to report fraud attempts to the Comptroller’s office, especially for direct deposit payments. Agencies must be vigilant when setting up and/or changing direct deposit account information for employees and vendors. Review the Fraud Prevention Recommendations on TexPayment Resource, which include Don’t Be a Target of Fraud, Vendor Impersonation Fraud and Payment Processing Tips.
06/03/22	New Texas Identification Number (TIN) Request Policy New Texas Identification Number (TIN) Request Policy Payment Services implemented a new policy when requesting Comptroller-assigned TINs. Agencies that issue payments to foreign entities and non-resident aliens who do not have an employer identification number (EIN), Social Security number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) may need to request a Comptroller-assigned 3 TIN. Contact Payment Services with questions.
05/20/22	Direct Deposit Checklist Direct Deposit Checklist State agencies and institutions of higher education should follow the Direct Deposit Checklist before setting up, changing or cancelling direct deposit instructions. If your agency creates its own online direct deposit authorization or custom form, Payment Services must approve your agency’s form before it is implemented. See Approval Required for Alternative Methods.
05/13/22	Fiscal 2023 Payroll Due Dates and Direct Deposit Schedule Fiscal 2023 Payroll Due Dates and Direct Deposit Schedule For state agencies and institutions of higher education, the monthly and twice-monthly payrolls are due by the seventh workday before payday. Submitting payrolls to the Comptroller’s office on or before the due dates ensures adequate processing time for direct deposits and warrant distribution. See Payroll Due Dates and Direct Deposit Schedules (FPP E.030) for more information, including the fiscal 2023 payroll due dates and direct deposit schedule.
05/06/22	Reminder – Deadline to Request Unclaimed Funds Reminder – Deadline to Request Unclaimed Funds Unclaimed property transferred to the state includes property that might belong to state agencies or institutions of higher education. Money not claimed by May 31 will be deposited into unappropriated general revenue. See Unclaimed Property Annual Notification for more information, including contact information for the Comptroller’s Unclaimed Property Division.
04/29/22	Promote Direct Deposit Promote Direct Deposit May is Direct Deposit Month, a yearly reminder that direct deposit payments save the state money and offer a safe, convenient method of payment. This is a good time for each agency to review its direct deposit practices to protect itself and its customers. See Promoting Direct Deposit for more information.
04/27/22	Deadline Extended – Authorization for Warrant Pickup Deadline Extended – Authorization for Warrant Pickup The deadline to renew the Agency Authorization for Warrant Pickup form (74-189) has been extended to close of business May 20. All authorization forms on file terminate at 5 p.m. on May 31. New forms are effective June 1. Warrants will not be distributed as of June 1 without an updated renewal form on file. See Authorization for Warrant Pickup for the form and more information. Contact Payment Services with questions.
04/08/22	Warrant Distribution on Friday, April 15 Warrant Distribution on Friday, April 15 The Comptroller’s office will be closed April 15 to observe Good Friday; however, Payment Services will distribute warrants from 8-10 a.m. The warrants will be from the April 14 processing cycle. See Payment Distribution for warrant pickup requirements.
04/08/22	Payment Search Instructions Updated Payment Search Instructions Updated The TexPayment Resource Payment Search instructions for both agency and state payee payment search applications have been updated to include security access requirements and details for setting up a Texas Identification Number (TIN) for Search State Payment Issued (SSPI) searches.
04/08/22	Reminder – Authorization for Warrant Pickup Due Reminder – Authorization for Warrant Pickup Due Every two years, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts requires all state agencies and institutions of higher education to renew their Agency Authorization for Warrant Pickup form (74-189). Return the completed, signed form by close of business April 15. All authorization forms on file terminate at 5 p.m. on April 30. New forms are effective May 1. See Authorization for Warrant Pickup for the form and more information. Contact Payment Services with questions.
03/25/22	Direct Deposit Fraud Increasing Direct Deposit Fraud Increasing State agencies are reporting more fraud cases to the Comptroller’s office, especially for direct deposit payments. Agencies must be vigilant when setting up and/or changing direct deposit account information for employees and vendors. Review the Fraud Prevention Recommendations on TexPayment Resource, which include Don’t Be a Target of Fraud, Vendor Impersonation Fraud and Payment Processing Tips.
03/18/22	Encrypt Confidential Emails to Fiscal Management Encrypt Confidential Emails to Fiscal Management State agencies and institutions of higher education sometimes send documents with confidential information to Fiscal Management. Email is not a secured transmission. Agencies must send confidential information as an encrypted email attachment as prescribed by your agency’s information security policy. See Confidential Information Must be Encrypted Before Emailing to Fiscal Management (FPP D.004) for details.
03/11/22	Authorization for Warrant Pickup Due Authorization for Warrant Pickup Due Every two years, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts requires all state agencies and institutions of higher education to renew their Agency Authorization for Warrant Pickup form (74-189). Return the completed and signed form by close of business April 15. All authorization forms on file terminate at 5 p.m. on April 30. New forms are effective May 1. See Authorization for Warrant Pickup for the form and more information. Contact Payment Services with questions.
03/04/22	New ITIN Renewal Notice Policy New ITIN Renewal Notice Policy The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has published the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) groups it expired on Dec. 31, 2021. The SSN/ITIN/EIN Validation Rules on TexPayment Resource were updated to reflect the current valid ITIN ranges. In addition, Payment Services implemented a new policy to define the acceptable dates on an IRS renewal notice when an ITIN group is expired and the individual needs to be set up in TINS. Contact Payment Services with questions.
02/24/22	Warrant Distribution Delayed Due to Inclement Weather Warrant Distribution Delayed Due to Inclement Weather Due to inclement weather, warrant pickup will be available Thursday, Feb. 24, from 10 a.m. - noon. Agencies may call Payment Services at (512) 936-8138 to confirm that warrants are available for distribution. On days the LBJ building is closed but warrant pickup is available, your authorized representative must have photo identification and a cell phone to call (512) 475-5329 upon arrival at the LBJ building if no front desk personnel is present.
02/04/22	USAS and CAPPS Confidentiality Indicator USAS and CAPPS Confidentiality Indicator To make payment information available to the public promptly, the Comptroller’s office must be able to distinguish confidential and non-confidential payments. State agencies and institutions of higher education must ensure confidential transactions are properly marked to protect payee confidentiality as specified in USAS and CAPPS Confidentiality Indicator (FPP E.045). The agency or institution submitting a transaction is responsible for determining confidentiality. Transactions are legally considered public unless specifically excluded by the Public Information Act (Texas Government Code, Chapter 552). An agency or institution that marks a transaction as confidential should be prepared to cite the law or attorney general opinion that excludes the payment from public disclosure.
02/04/22	Bailment Contract Violations Defined Bailment Contract Violations Defined A bailment contract allows agencies to receive payroll warrants before payday to permit timely distribution. Violations of the contract can result in its revocation, and postdated warrants would not be available for distribution from the Comptroller’s office until payday. The Bailment Contract page on TexPayment Resource now defines contract violations for presenting warrants before their issue dates.
02/02/22	Warrant Distribution Canceled Due to Inclement Weather Warrant Distribution Canceled Due to Inclement Weather Due to inclement weather, warrants will not be distributed Thursday or Friday. Warrants printed on Thursday and Friday will be available on Monday, Feb. 7, from 8 – 10 a.m. Contact Payment Services at (512) 936-8138 for additional information.
01/28/22	Reminder – Deadline to Request Unclaimed Funds Reminder – Deadline to Request Unclaimed Funds Unclaimed property transferred to the state includes property that might belong to state agencies or institutions of higher education. Money not claimed by May 31 will be deposited into unappropriated general revenue. See Unclaimed Property Annual Notification for more information, including contact information for the Comptroller’s Unclaimed Property Division.
01/21/22	Reminder – Request Form 1099 by Jan. 28 Reminder – Request Form 1099 by Jan. 28 Jan. 28 is the last day to adjust the 1099-reportable data and request 1099s in USAS. Payments of $600 or more to a non-corporate payee for services or interest during a calendar year must be reported to the Internal Revenue Service on Form 1099-Miscellaneous (MISC), Form 1099-Nonemployee Compensation (NEC) or Form 1099-Interest Income (INT). See USAS Procedures for 1099 Reporting for Calendar Year 2021 (FPP E.001) for more information.
01/14/22	Deadline to Request Unclaimed Funds Deadline to Request Unclaimed Funds Unclaimed property transferred to the state includes property that might belong to state agencies or institutions of higher education. Money not claimed by May 31 will be deposited into unappropriated general revenue. See Unclaimed Property Annual Notification for more information, including contact information for the Comptroller’s Unclaimed Property Division.
01/03/22	Current Forms Always Available on FMX Current Forms Always Available on FMX Check the Forms page or appropriate topic page on FMX before submitting a form to ensure you submit the current version. Previously downloaded forms or stored links might be outdated. You’ll find a link to the Forms page at the top of any FMX page. Also, FMX topic pages such as Appropriations or Payment Services feature links to related forms.
12/10/21	Reminder – Warrant Distribution in December Reminder – Warrant Distribution in December Payment Services will distribute warrants from 8-10 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 23. There will be no warrant distribution Dec. 24. Payment Services will also distribute warrants from 8-10 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 31. See Payment Distribution for warrant pickup requirements and the System Outages and Holidays calendar for more information.
12/10/21	Reminder – Direct Deposit Reversal Request Deadline Changed Reminder – Direct Deposit Reversal Request Deadline Changed Due to the New Year’s Day holiday, the deadline to submit Direct Deposit Reversal Request form (74-191) for payroll reversals has been changed to 10 a.m. on Dec. 31.
12/10/21	Reminder – USAS/TINS File Submission Reminder – USAS/TINS File Submission If you need to submit a USAS or TINS batch file on a weekend or holiday, see the USAS/TINS Input Record File Submission Schedule.
12/10/21	Reminder – Direct Deposit Settlement Dates Reminder – Direct Deposit Settlement Dates To determine the direct deposit settlement date of a payment, you must exclude federal holidays, since financial institutions are closed and no direct deposit activity occurs on those days. Agencies must account for these dates to ensure prompt payment and avoid late payment interest. See the System Outages and Holidays calendar for federal holidays with no scheduled USAS cycles.
12/03/21	Warrant Distribution in December Warrant Distribution in December Payment Services will distribute warrants from 8-10 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 23. There will be no warrant distribution Dec. 24. Payment Services will also distribute warrants from 8-10 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 31. See Payment Distribution for warrant pickup requirements and the System Outages and Holidays calendar for more information.
12/03/21	Direct Deposit Reversal Request Deadline Changed Direct Deposit Reversal Request Deadline Changed Due to the New Year’s Day holiday, the deadline to submit Direct Deposit Reversal Request form (74-191) for payroll reversals has been changed to 10 a.m. on Dec. 31.
12/03/21	USAS/TINS File Submission USAS/TINS File Submission If you need to submit a USAS or TINS batch file on a weekend or holiday, see the USAS/TINS Input Record File Submission Schedule.
12/03/21	Direct Deposit Settlement Dates Direct Deposit Settlement Dates To determine the direct deposit settlement date of a payment, you must exclude federal holidays, since financial institutions are closed and no direct deposit activity occurs on those days. Agencies must account for these dates to ensure prompt payment and avoid late payment interest. See the System Outages and Holidays calendar for federal holidays with no scheduled USAS cycles.
11/10/21	Reminder – Warrant Pickup Availability Nov. 24 Reminder – Warrant Pickup Availability Nov. 24 The Comptroller’s office will be closed for business on Wednesday, Nov. 24; however, Payment Services will distribute warrants from 8-10 a.m. for the Nov. 23 processing cycle. There will be no warrant distribution on Nov. 25 or 26. See Payment Distribution for warrant pickup requirements.
11/10/21	Reminder – Direct Deposit Settlement Dates Reminder – Direct Deposit Settlement Dates State and federal holidays with no scheduled USAS cycle that are listed on the System Outages and Holidays calendar are excluded when determining the direct deposit settlement date of a payment. Since financial institutions are closed, no direct deposit activity occurs on those days. Agencies must exclude these dates when determining when to process their payments to ensure prompt payment and avoid late payment interest.
11/10/21	Reminder – USAS/TINS File Submission Reminder – USAS/TINS File Submission If you need to submit a USAS or TINS batch file on a weekend or holiday, see the USAS/TINS Input Record File Submission Schedule.
11/05/21	Warrant Pickup Availability Nov. 24 Warrant Pickup Availability Nov. 24 The Comptroller’s office will be closed for business on Wednesday, Nov. 24; however, Payment Services will distribute warrants from 8-10 a.m. for the Nov. 23 processing cycle. There will be no warrant distribution on Nov. 25 or 26. See Payment Distribution for warrant pickup requirements.
11/05/21	Direct Deposit Settlement Dates Direct Deposit Settlement Dates State and federal holidays with no scheduled USAS cycle that are listed on the System Outages and Holidays calendar are excluded when determining the direct deposit settlement date of a payment. Since financial institutions are closed, no direct deposit activity occurs on those days. Agencies must exclude these dates when determining when to process their payments to ensure prompt payment and avoid late payment interest.
11/05/21	USAS/TINS File Submission USAS/TINS File Submission If you need to submit a USAS or TINS batch file on a weekend or holiday, see the USAS/TINS Input Record File Submission Schedule.
10/25/21	USAS 1099 Reporting Procedures USAS 1099 Reporting Procedures State agencies and institutions of higher education must file 1099 forms with the IRS (electronically or as hard copies) and mail 1099 forms to recipients by Jan. 31, 2022. Agencies may request forms in USAS Jan. 4-28, and they will be available for pickup the following business day in the LBJ Building, room G17. See USAS Procedures for 1099 Reporting for Calendar Year 2021 (FPP E.001) for instructions on requesting 1099 data from USAS.
10/22/21	CBA and CLIBA Payment Procedures CBA and CLIBA Payment Procedures Entering procurement and travel card transactions in USAS or CAPPS Financials requires special considerations for timely payment reconciliation. Agencies should review the procedures for entering credit card information into USAS and CAPPS invoice number fields as detailed in the section on central billed account (CBA) and corporate liability individual billed account (CLIBA) numbers in USAS and CAPPS Financials Invoice Number Field Requirements (FPP E.023). See Processing Third-Party Transactions in USAS for Payment/Travel Cards, Direct Bill Payments and Reimbursements (FPP A.043) (login required) for more information. Contact Expenditure Assistance with questions.
10/08/21	USAS and CAPPS Invoice Number and Description Fields USAS and CAPPS Invoice Number and Description Fields Transaction entry screens in USAS and CAPPS let state agencies and institutions of higher education enter payment information in the invoice number and description fields. Never enter confidential or sensitive information such as complete or partial Social Security numbers or information covered by the protected health information prohibition. See USAS and CAPPS Financials Invoice Number Field Requirements (FPP E.023) for more information and to review your agency’s procedures for compliance.
09/29/21	Direct Deposit Authorization Form Change Direct Deposit Authorization Form Change Effective immediately, a new National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA) rule requires the requestor of a direct deposit reversal to be the same agency that issued the original payment. The Comptroller’s office has updated Section 6 of the Direct Deposit Authorization form (74-176) to reflect the new rule. If your agency uses its own form or electronic method (such as an online application or self-service portal) to process direct deposits through the Comptroller’s office, you must update it to match the new language on form 74-176. See Direct Deposit Forms on TexPayment Resource for more information. Submit a copy of your agency’s updated internal forms or methods to Payment Services at tins.mail@cpa.texas.gov for review and approval no later than Oct. 15, 2021. Contact Payment Services with any questions.
09/17/21	Reminder – Emergency Leave Reporting Due Reminder – Emergency Leave Reporting Due Agencies and institutions must report emergency leave use by Oct. 1 for employees granted more than 32 hours of emergency leave during the prior fiscal year. See Emergency Leave Reporting Requirements (FPP F.040) for details on the Emergency Leave Reporting web application and the required statement for agencies and institutions not sending a report.
09/17/21	Reminder – Take the 2021 Fiscal Management Customer Service Survey Reminder – Take the 2021 Fiscal Management Customer Service Survey How well are we meeting your customer service expectations? Please let us know by completing the online survey by Friday, Sept. 24. We appreciate your feedback. If you have any questions about the survey, email us at fiscal.documentation@cpa.texas.gov.
09/10/21	Take the 2021 Fiscal Management Customer Service Survey Take the 2021 Fiscal Management Customer Service Survey How well are we meeting your customer service expectations? Please let us know by completing the online survey by Friday, Sept. 24. We appreciate your feedback. If you have any questions about the survey, please email us at fiscal.documentation@cpa.texas.gov.
08/27/21	Emergency Leave Reporting Due Emergency Leave Reporting Due Agencies and institutions must report emergency leave use by Oct. 1 for employees granted more than 32 hours of emergency leave during the prior fiscal year. See Emergency Leave Reporting Requirements (FPP F.040) for details on the Emergency Leave Reporting web application and the required statement for agencies and institutions not sending a report.
08/13/21	87th Legislature GAA Updates 87th Legislature GAA Updates The 87th Legislature updated Article IX of the General Appropriations Act (GAA); changes take effect Sept. 1. See Changes to Article IX of the GAA and Other Bills of Interest to State Agencies (FPP F.008) for a summary of GAA changes and other legislation that affects state agencies.
08/13/21	Do Not Set Effective End Date on Certain RTIs Do Not Set Effective End Date on Certain RTIs Important reminder for coding on the USAS Recurring Transaction Profile (55): Do not set an effective end date until after Sept. 26 on certain recurring transaction indexes (RTIs) used during the interagency reconciliation process for the annual financial report (AFR). Interagency transaction vouchers (ITVs) transactions must process successfully during the interagency reconciliation process for the AFR. An RTI (receiving) agency that sets an effective end date on the 55 profile will prevent a transaction (paying) agency from processing any ITV transactions past that effective end date. For example, a transaction entered on Sept. 2 using an RTI with an effective end date of Aug. 31 would not process, even if the effective date on the transaction were backdated to Aug. 31. To avoid this, the RTI agency should not set an effective end date on the 55 profile until the interagency reconciliation process is complete. Agencies should leave the effective end dates on RTIs blank unless there is an explicit need to include one. See the ITV/RTI Process USAS FAQs for more information.
08/13/21	Reminder – Systems Unavailable During Year-End Close Reminder – Systems Unavailable During Year-End Close The USAS annual cash-basis close for fiscal 2021 occurs on Aug. 31. The fiscal year-end close process requires shutting down the statewide fiscal systems. See Master Schedule of Year-End Close Events for more information, including: Processing deadlines System maintenance dates and times Support contacts
08/12/21	Reminder – Annual Certification of Estimated ORP State Contributions Due Reminder – Annual Certification of Estimated ORP State Contributions Due Junior/community colleges must certify estimates of state matching contribution funds for employees participating in the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) by Aug. 15. See Annual Estimate of Optional Retirement Program (ORP) State Contributions (FPP A.003) for complete information including instructions and forms.
07/30/21	Late Payment Interest Rate for Fiscal 2022 Late Payment Interest Rate for Fiscal 2022 The interest rate the state pays on a late payment to a vendor under the state’s prompt payment law will be 4.25 percent for fiscal 2022. The interest calculation is one percentage point higher than the prime rate published in the Wall Street Journal on the first business day of July. See Interest Rate on eXpendit (FPP I.005) for more information.
07/23/21	Annual Certification of Estimated ORP State Contributions Due Annual Certification of Estimated ORP State Contributions Due Junior/community colleges must certify estimates of state matching contribution funds for employees participating in the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) by Aug. 15. See Annual Estimate of Optional Retirement Program (ORP) State Contributions (FPP A.003) for complete information including instructions and forms.
07/23/21	Outstanding Warrants Void Aug. 31 Outstanding Warrants Void Aug. 31 The Outstanding Warrants Control Report (DAFR8171) runs on the first Friday of each month. Agencies should monitor their report before warrants become void on Aug. 31. See USAS Annual Close Process (FPP Q.004) for more information, including details on generating reports via the Report Request Profile, USAS 91 screen. Also see Void Warrants. Contact your appropriation control officer with questions.
07/02/21	Fiscal Year-End Close Schedule Fiscal Year-End Close Schedule See the 2021 Master Schedule of Year-End Close Events, which includes: Processing deadlines System maintenance dates and times Support contacts
06/25/21	Warrant Distribution on July 5 Warrant Distribution on July 5 Although the Comptroller’s office will be closed for business on July 5, Payment Services will distribute warrants from 8-10 a.m. The warrants will be for the July 2 processing cycle. See Payment Distribution for warrant pickup requirements.
05/21/21	Direct Deposit Checklist Direct Deposit Checklist State agencies and institutions of higher education should follow the Direct Deposit Checklist before setting up, changing or cancelling direct deposit instructions. If your agency creates its own online direct deposit authorization or custom form, Payment Services must approve your agency’s form before it is implemented. See Approval Required for Alternative Methods.
05/14/21	Fiscal 2022 Payroll Due Dates and Direct Deposit Schedule Fiscal 2022 Payroll Due Dates and Direct Deposit Schedule For state agencies and institutions of higher education, the monthly and twice-monthly payrolls are due by the seventh workday before payday. Submitting payrolls to the Comptroller’s office on or before the due dates ensures adequate processing time for direct deposits and warrant distribution. See Payroll Due Dates and Direct Deposit Schedules (FPP E.030) for more information, including the fiscal 2022 payroll due dates and direct deposit schedule.
05/14/21	Reminder – Deadline To Request Unclaimed Funds Reminder – Deadline To Request Unclaimed Funds Unclaimed property transferred to the state includes property that might belong to state agencies or institutions of higher education. Money not claimed by May 31 will be deposited into unappropriated general revenue. See Unclaimed Property Annual Notification for more information, including contact information for the Comptroller’s Unclaimed Property Division.
04/16/21	Encrypt Confidential Emails to Fiscal Management Encrypt Confidential Emails to Fiscal Management State agencies and institutions of higher education sometimes send documents with confidential information to Fiscal Management. Email is not a secure transmission. Agencies must send confidential information as an encrypted email attachment as prescribed by your agency’s information security policy. See Confidential Information Must be Encrypted Before Emailing to Fiscal Management (FPP D.004) for details.
04/09/21	TINS System Changes TINS System Changes TINS implemented two application change requests (ACRs) effective March 26: ACR 60382 updated the direct deposit return reason code R17 as it was repurposed by the National Automated Clearing House Association. ACR 60446 implemented a new display that masks all but the last four digits of payees’ account numbers on the monthly direct deposit reports. Contact Payment Services with questions.