Summary

A business functions as the central entity of the Business Tax system. The Business Maintenance window is used to create and maintain those businesses.

Step by Step

1     View the existing businesses.

• Open the Business Selection window (BT> Maintenance> Business).
• Click the Refresh icon to display all of the businesses created in the application.
• The Search Criteria section is used to filter the businesses that appear in the window. Enter information into the Search Criteria section and then press ENTER or click the Refresh icon to update the businesses that display in the window.
  • The Business Number field is used to filter the businesses by business number. Business numbers are codes used to identify each unique business and allow a single customer record to be attached to multiple businesses. A business number is automatically assigned to a business when it is created.
  • The Customer Number field is used to filter the businesses by the customer record attached to them.
  • The Last Name field is used to filter the businesses by the last name field on the business record (which is usually the business name).
  • The Doing Business As field is used to filter the businesses by the DBA field on the business record.
  • The Status field is used to filter the businesses by status. Statuses are user defined records that are created and maintained in the Status Maintenance window (BT> Maintenance> Status) and are attached to businesses using the Business Maintenance window (BT> Maintenance> Business> Open a business> General tab> Status field).
    • Click the Status field label to select a status from a list.
  • The Federal Tax ID field is used to filter the businesses by federal tax number.
  • The SSN field is used to filter the businesses by the social security number of the customer attached to the business.
  • The last field in the Search Criteria section is a user-defined field, so the title of this field can be anything (the default value is State ID). There is a field label of the same title on the General tab of the Business Maintenance window. Enter a value in this field to filter the business records based on the value in the field of the same name on the business record.
    • The title of this field is set up using the Miscellaneous Field Labels window (SS> Utilities> Miscellaneous Field Labels> BT Master table).
• Highlight a business and press DELETE or click the Delete icon to delete a business.

2     Create a business.

• The Business Maintenance window is used to maintain the information attached to a business record. By default, the General tab will display when the window is first opened. The General tab is used to attach a business to a customer and lot, as well as select the status, organization and business type.
• The General tab is the only tab with required fields. The Customer Number, Lot Number, Business Type, Organization, Status and Number of Employees fields on the General tab must be complete before you can save a business record. 
• The Business Number field is always disabled. This field will populate with an automatically assigned number when the business is saved.
• The Customer Number field is used to attach a customer record to the business record. Enter a customer number or click the Customer Number field label to select a customer record from a list.
  • Customer records are created and maintained using the Customer Maintenance window (Customer icon on the main application window).
• The Customer Name and SSN fields will not be enabled, but they will populate based on the customer selected in the Customer Number field.
• The Lot Number field is used to attach a lot to the business. Enter a lot number or click the Lot Number field label to select a lot from a list.
  • Lots are created and maintained using the Lot Maintenance window (Lot icon on the main application window).
• The Service Address field will not be enabled, but it will populate with the service address attached to the lot selected in the Lot field.
• The Business Type field is used to attach a business type to the business.
  • This is a required field. The business type attached to the business can be used to filter the businesses included on the business listing report (BT> Reports> Business Listing).
  • Business types are created and maintained using the Business Type Maintenance window (BT> Maintenance> Business Type).
• The Organization field is used to attach an organization to a business.
  • The organization attached to the business can be used to filter the businesses included on the business listing report (BT> Reports> Business Listing).
• The Status field is used to attach a status to a business.
  • Enter a status or click the Status field label to select a status from a list.
  • Statuses are user-defined and they are created and maintained using the Status Maintenance window (BT> Maintenance> Status).
• The Outstanding Bills, Unapplied Credits, Unapplied Deposits and Business Balance fields are read-only fields that display the current financial details for the business.
• The Doing Business As, Federal Tax ID and State ID fields are not required, but they can be used to select business records when entering returns in the Cash Receipts module or when businesses are being selected from the Business Selection window (BT> Maintenance> Business).
  • The title of the State ID field is a user-defined, so the title may not be the State ID. You can set the title of the State ID field using the Miscellaneous Field Maintenance window (SS> Utilities> Miscellaneous Field Labels> BT Master table).
  • The format of the State ID field is defined in the Setup window (BT> Utilities> Setup> State ID field).
• The Creation Date field is used to record the date that the business was created. This field will automatically populate with today's date and cannot be edited once the new business is saved.
• The Start Date and Close Date fields are used to enter the start and end date of the business.
• The First Paid Employee Date field can be used to enter the date when the first employee began work. This is not a required field, but it can be used in reporting.
  • The first paid employee date can be used to select the businesses that are included in the Business Listing Report (BT> Reports> Business Listing> First Employee Date From and First Employee Date To fields).
• The Number of Employees field is used to enter the number of employees that are in the business.
• The Web Registration Key field is used to record the registration key if the business has been set up to use the Business Licensing and Tax online application.
  • Click the Generate Web Registration Key icon above to generate a registration key for the selected business.
• The Description field is used to enter a description of the business.
• Check the Notification toggle to generate a form letter for this business if it is included in a BT Letters batch.
• The Print icon on the Business Maintenance toolbar is used to print an occupational license.

3     Complete the Contacts tab.

• The Contacts tab is used to attach contacts to the business. All the contacts attached to the business will display on this tab.
  • Use the filter options and click the Refresh icon to filter the displayed contacts.
• Highlight a contact and click the Delete icon to delete the selected contact.
• Highlight a contact and click the Modify icon or click the Create icon to open the Contacts Maintenance window.
• Enter a Last Name and select a Contact Type from the drop-down menu. These are the only required fields on the window.
• Complete as many of the optional contact fields as desired.
• Check the Letter toggle to generate a letter for this contact if the associated business is included in a BT Letters batch.
  • Select a Tax Type from the drop-down menu if the highlighted contact should only receive a letter when the business and the selected tax type are included in a Letters batch. If this field is left blank, the contact will receive a letter any time the business is included in a Letters batch.
  • Only tax types attached to the business on the Tax Types tab will display in this drop-down menu.
• Click the Save icon to save the new contact.

4     Complete the Tax Types tab.

• The Tax Type tab is used to attach a tax type to the business. In order to receive payment on a return using the Cash Receipts module (CR> Cash Receipts> Return Entry), the tax type must be attached to the business.
• Press INSERT or click the Create icon drop-down menu and select Add Tax Type to attach a tax type to the business. This will open the Tax Type Selection window.
• Select a tax type to attach to the business and press ENTER to attach the tax type.
  • You can also view a tax type by selecting one and clicking the Modify icon.
  • You can create or maintain a tax type from this window, or you can maintain them from BT> Maintenance> Tax Types.
  • Check the Hide on New Returns toggle if the tax type should not be included in the available tax types when processing the business in a CR Returns batch. This allows you to keep an obsolete tax type associated with the business in case redistributions or adjustments are necessary.
• The Tax Types tab can also be used to override the default fees and schedule set up on a tax type that is attached to the business.
  • Select a tax type and click the Create icon drop-down menu and select Add Fee Override to add an override fee to the tax type.
    • This will open the Fee Selection window. Select a fee and click the Confirm icon   to add the fee to the Override Fees section.
  • Select a tax type and click the Override Schedule icon   to populate the Override Schedule section of the window with the default tax type schedule. You can then edit the Month and Day fields and check or uncheck the Next Year toggle.
  • The number of periods in the schedule cannot be edited.
• Tax types can also be set up to be active only during a specified time period.
  • Select a tax type and click the Create icon drop-down menu and select Add Activity Range to specify an active date range for the tax type.
  • This will create a new line item in the Activity Range section below.
  • Specify the Period From, Year From, Period To and Year To for the selected tax type. These dates will determine when the tax type will be active.
  • The Period To and Year To fields can be left blank for the most current tax type.
  • The Return Entry and Letters processes will not display any tax types that are inactive for the date ranges specified in the process.

5     Complete the History tab.

• The History tab is used to track the committed and uncommitted transaction line items on the selected business account. The lower left section of the tab displays the transaction type details and the lower right section displays any infractions attached to those transactions.
  • The lower section can be collapsed in order to use the full window to display transactional data.
• Uncommitted transactions will display in red and committed transactions will display in black. Committed transactions will also have a date in the Post Date column.
  • The Post Date column displays the date that the transaction has been committed. This is the date the batch was committed, it is not necessarily the same as the date the transactions are posted to the general ledger or the transaction date.
• Click the Expand button to view the line item detail of a transaction.
• You can export the transactions that display in the window to a MS Excel spreadsheet by right clicking on the data in the tab and selecting Export grid contents to Excel. All transaction line items will display on the export, even line items that have not been expanded. This feature allows you to create a quick report of the history of a customer account.
• Highlight a return transaction and click the Create icon to add an infraction to the selected return. This will open the Infraction Type Selection window. Infraction Types are created and maintained on the Infraction Type Maintenance window (BT> Maintenance> Infraction Type).
• Select an infraction and click the Confirm icon to add the infraction to the selected return.
  • Infractions can also be closed by specifying a Date Closed on the infraction.
    • Once an infraction is closed, it will no longer be pulled into the Letters process when generating communication to taxpayers for outstanding infractions.
  • The Comments column can then be used to provide a reason for closing the infraction.
• Click the Save icon to save any changes.

6     Open the Reconciliation tab.

• The Reconciliation tab will display all reconciliation transactions associated with the account. These transactions are displayed in read-only mode.
• Double click on a transaction or highlight a transaction and click the Display icon to open a detail window that displays additional reconciliation information.

7     Complete the Business tab.

• The Business tab will display all of the other businesses associated with the open business. These business associations are for reference purposes only and will not influence any of the BT processes.
• Click the Delete icon to remove a business from the Business tab.
• Click the Create icon to add a new business to the tab.

8     Complete the Licenses tab.

• The Licenses tab will display any licenses or applications associated with the business.
  • This tab will not be displayed if your organization does not use the Licenses and Permits module.
• Licenses cannot be attached to businesses on the Licenses tab. Licenses are associated with businesses on the License Maintenance window (LP> Maintenance> License> open a license> Business Number field).
• Highlight a license and click the Modify icon to edit the selected license.

9     Complete the Comments tab.

• The Comments tab will display the comments attached to the business.
• Click the Delete icon to delete an existing comment.
• Click the Modify icon to open an existing comment so it can be edited or closed.
• Click the Create icon to add a new comment code to the tab.
  • This will populate the Code and Date Created fields in the Maintenance section to the right.
  • Enter the comment in the Comment field. This comment can be up to 512 characters long.
  • The Date Closed field is used to record when the issues outlined in the comment were addressed. This date will appear on the comment line item.
• Comment codes are created and maintained on the Comment Code Maintenance window (BT> Maintenance> Comment Code).
• Click the Save icon to save the comment codes.

10     Complete the Alert tab.

• The Alert tab will display all of the existing alerts attached to the business.
• Highlight an alert code and click the Delete icon or press DELETE to remove the selected alert code from the business.
• Highlight an alert code and click the Modify icon or press ENTER to edit the selected alert code.
• Click the Create icon or press INSERT to attach a new alert code to the business. This will open the Alert Code Selection window.
  • Select an alert code and click the Confirm icon to add the selected alert code to the business.
  • Alert codes are created and maintained on the Alert Code Maintenance window (BT> Maintenance> Alert Code).
• The Description field will automatically populate with the description attached to the selected alert code.
• Enter an Alert Date for the new alert code. This represents the date that the alert code becomes active.
  • This field will automatically populate with today's date.
• The Expiration Date is calculated by adding the alert duration specified on the selected alert code to the date specified in the Alert Date field. If the Alert Date is updated, the Expiration Date will automatically update according to this calculation.
  • The Expiration Date cannot be prior to the Alert Date.
• The Comment field will populate with the comment attached to the selected alert code.
• Check the Selection Alert toggle to activate the alert message when the business is selected for a batch process such as BT Letters, Redistribute or Refunds.
  • The selection alert will not activate if the business is included in a batch as a member of a group select during a batch generate step.
• Check the Maintenance Alert toggle to activate the alert message when the business is opened from any window where the business details can be maintained or edited.
• Check the CR Receipt Alert toggle to activate the alert message when the business is selected from the CR Cash Entry search window.

11     Complete the Miscellaneous tab.

• The Miscellaneous tab will display the miscellaneous fields attached to the business.
• The labels of the miscellaneous fields are set up in the Miscellaneous Field Labels window (SS> Utilities> Miscellaneous Field Labels).
• Click the Save icon when complete.

12     The Audit Trail tab is used to track any changes made to the business record.

• Use the Search Criteria section to sort the displayed audit history.
• The Audit Trail section will provide details about any changes made to the business record including the date of the change, type of change made, user that made the change, and data table that was edited.

13     Print any related forms. This is an optional step.

• Click the Print icon on the Business Maintenance window toolbar to print an MS Word merge form for the selected business. After the form is printed, it will be saved as an attachment on the business record.
  • The Compatibility mode toggle is used to activate compatibility mode for legacy forms that don't use standard Springbrook forms functionality.
    • Springbrook does not recommend using Compatibility mode as it will disable a number of useful form features.
• Forms are created and maintained on the Forms Maintenance window (BT> Maintenance> Forms).