Process Payments in the Check Writer Screen

Last Updated  August 20, 2019

Checks are printed from the Check Writer screen.  Wires and ACH payments can also be processed. The records processed in the Check Run screen will be displayed automatically.

The following roles and user entitlements should be set in the Tax Collection System for users needing access to the Check Writer program in TaxLedge.

Check Writer Screen Roles

GLTAXLEDGE_FOUNDATION - Allows access to the Check Writer screens.

Check Writer Screen Entitlements

ACTGL_CHWRITER - Allow users to see the ChHeck Writer screen

GLPAYMENT_PRINTING – Allows users to see the Payment Printing tab.

GLNUM_ON_HAND – Allows users to use the Requests on Hand field.

GLBEGIN_CHK - Allows user to enter values in the New Begin Check Number field.

GLCHANGE_PRINTDT - Allows users to change the print date.

GLCHKWR_COMMENT - Allows users to update the name, address and comment line information

GLPOSTBACK - Activates the Postback button

GLPRINT_CHECKS - Activates the Print Checks button.

GLSKIP - Allows users to use the skip checkbox.

Click here to see what parts of the screen these entitlements cover.

Check Writer Client Preferences

ACH_BATCH_JOB: Set to Y to generate ACH files as a batch menu job.

EXTERNAL_CHECK_PROCESSING: Set to Y to create a refund file for external processing (for Lawson, for ex.. The default is N, to print checks at the tax office.

EXTERNAL_CHECK_PROCESSING_RMT: Set to Y to create a remittance file for external processing (for Lawson, for ex.. The default is N, to process all remittances at the tax office.

FTP_ACH_SLIPS: Set to Y to send jurisdiction ACH slips to ACT's FTP Office site for the tax office. Set to N to not send these to the FTP site automatically.

RETURN_DIR: Enter the FTP directory, for ex., ftp_[client]_office, where non-ACH files will be placed. These are PDF files.

RETURN_EFTDIR: Enter the FTP directory, for ex., ftp_[client]_office, where the EFT files will be placed. These are PDF files.

RFCK_MAX_DETAIL_LINES: Enter the number of detail lines to appear on refund checks. Used for combining payments on a single refund check.

SECURE_ACHDIR - Directory path to which to FTP secure files. If this is set to N or does not exist for a tax office, the default path is used.

SECURE_ACH_JOB - Set to Y to send files to location determined by the preference SECURE_ACHDIR. Set to N to use the default directory ('xxx/spool/act').

SECURE_ACHDIR_PRINT_TAB: Directory path to which to FTP secure ACH files produced from the Payment Printing tab of the Check Writer. If this is set to N or does not exist for a tax office, the default path is used.

SEPARATE_EFT_PDF : Set to Y to show Create a Single File for all EFTs and Create a Separate File for each EFT buttons on the check Writer Adjustment screen.  Set to N to permit only the Create a Single File option.

SIGNATURE_AUTH_CODE_REQ: If set to Y, an Authorization Code field is displayed on the screen. Depending on which check or EFT is being generated, an Authorization Code will be required when printing signatures on checks and other products. The code must be obtained in the Tax Collection System's Special Authorizations screen; an additional database setting must be set by ACT. If set to N, the Authorization Code field is hidden.

Note:  In the rare event in which you have written checks manually, you need to record those checks in TaxLedge by printing them on blank paper--not check stock, then post them back to the Tax Collection system.  Follow the instructions below except use blank paper instead of check stock.

If you selected refunds to be written off, they will not appear in the Check Writer screen, but they will be in the file of accounts to be posted back to the Tax Collection System (see step 13).

If you change banks and the new information has been entered into TaxLedge, the change will take effect when checks/EFTs are printed, not when the files are loaded.

In order to print checks, follow the steps below:

  1. Manually load the check stock into the printer paper tray. Make a note of the paper stock color and the check number of the first check that will print.
  2. Verify the check stock set up in the printer. The stock color and printer page set-up are defined in TaxLedge and depend on the bank and the type of payments being made. If the stock color does not agree with the check color on the Check Writer screen, do not proceed until the stock in the printer has been verified.
  3. If applicable, manually insert the signature card into the data port that is connected to the printer.
  4. In the Check Writer's Payment Printing screen, review the Print Date, which defaults to the current date. Change it if necessary. The bank and bank account name are listed, but cannot be changed.
  5. In the New Begin Chk field, type in the first check number that will print if you want it to be something other than the default.   If you wish to limit the TaxLedge users who can use this field, contact ACT to have the GLBEGIN_CHK role set properly.

Wires and ACH payments are automatically assigned a wire/ACH number, which applies to TaxLedge only. There is not association between this number and the bank's EFT number.

The names displayed here are what will be print on the checks or wire/ACH slips.

  1. If you do not want to print all of the available checks, enter the number of checks loaded into the printer in the Requests-On-Hand field. This number defaults to the total number of checks ready to be printed in this run.  For Wire and EFT transactions, you can use this field instead of clicking Update Run to generate the wire numbers. If you change the number of requests to a lower number than the default, the remaining
  2. If you want to keep certain checks from printing, check the Skip checkbox next to those checks.
  3. Click the Update Run button and wait for the checks to be set up within the TaxLedge program. The Check Number column will now contain the assigned check numbers based on the check number entered in step 5.
  4. To cancel the run if the check numbers are incorrect or some last minute change occurs, click Cancel Run.  Canceling the run removes all records from the Check Writer screen. You will need to return to the Check Run screen to reprocess the records before printing checks. If you cancel the run after you click Print Checks (see below), you can recover the checks by voiding them in the Adjustments tab.

CAUTION:  Do not start a new payment run until the current run is completely out of the system.  Please post all refund checks from the current run back to the ACT Tax Collection System before starting another check run.

  1. If the client preference SIGNATURE_PIN_CODE_REQ is set to Y, enter an Authorization Code.
  2. Click the Print Checks button to begin the printing process. (If the EXTERNAL_CHECK_PROCESSING preference is set to Y, this button is grayed out for overpayment and adjustment refunds and two additional buttons appear - Create Check File, which creates a refund file and puts it on the FTP site [check numbers may be changed externally], and Process Check File, which processes an uploaded file from a non-ACT vendor. You will need to enter the file name. After this is completed, you can post back the refund batch as normal.)

CAUTION: For external processing, you should finish creating each file before starting another one. If not, the files will be combined and duplicates may appear.

  1. A message window will appear that states:  “You are about to print checks.  Do you want to continue?”  Click Yes to continue or, to postpone the final check processing, click No. If you select No, the check stock can be reused.

CAUTION: This is the last opportunity to cancel or postpone the processing. The steps from this point forward are irreversible.

Some clients will see a print preview window displaying the checks.  At this point, TaxLedge treats the checks in this window as having been printed, even if you do not physically print them.

If the preference SECURE_ACH_JOB is set to Y, the pdf files in the Batch Request screen will not print. The files will be available on the directory named in the SECURE_ACHDIR preference.

Check the printed checks to make sure they are correct.  If something is not correct, go to the Adjustments tab to void the check load.  If they are correct, proceed to the next step.

If wire or ACH slips do not print, but are cleared from the screen, copies of the slips can be printed from the Check Writer Adjustment screen. ACH slips can also be processed through the batch menu. Contact ACT if you would like this feature. Two batch menu sequence numbers will be provided. A log file includes the location of the .pdf files on the ACT server.

Skipped checks remain on the screen.  Do NOT do anything with skipped checks until you have posted back the printed checks.  ACT recommends that you do nothing with these skipped checks--they will then appear on the next TC536 Refund Report if you do not put them on hold in the Tax Collection system.

EFT slips can be printed separately between M&O and I&S funds, both of which can account for discount funds.

  1. A red Post Back message appears after the checks have printed.  When you ready to post back your refund checks to the Tax Collection System, click the Post Back button to send the refund file back to the Tax Collection system for processing.  (The person doing this postback must have logged in with the same user name as the same person who printed the checks.)  

If there are multiple files that have not been posted back to the Tax Collection system, you will get a popup window that displays the batches that have not been posted back.

  1. Find the sequence number that was on the original 536 and the Select checkbox next to that line.  Users may select more than one batch; each file will be posted separately.  If you forget to select a batch, a warning message will appear.
  • Click Post Checks.

Once you post back a file, all refunds in that file that have not been processed in the Refund module will be deleted.  If you have withheld records, for example, these will be deleted after a post back is done. You will need to run another TC536 Refund Report in the Tax Collection System to see the unprocessed refunds again.

Note: Manual refund batches cannot be posted back; they must be hand-entered into the ACT system after they have been paid in the Check Writer.

A deposit is created automatically with the 12-digit number "RD0000######,' with the '#' being a sequence number. Zeroes are added only to create a 12-digit number. If your tax office wants a note put in the Tax Collection System when a check has been posted back, go the Tax Collection System and set the client preference CONSOLIDATE_POSTBACK_NOTE to N.  Notes are always created for voided/reprinted checks, regardless of the setting for this preference. For voided/cancelled checks, the note refers only to the void. For voided/reprinted checks, a note for the void and a note for the reprint will be created. The note contains the following information: date the checked was issued, check  number, check amount, payer on the check, reason (overpayment or adjustment), and the year it was refunded.

Any information you have entered in the Reference Line of the check(s) is entered into the Notes in the ACT 7 Tax Collection System after posting back the refunds.  

If you have 'skipped' or voided any checks prior to printing, those checks will not be posted back to the Tax Collection system.

Each file posted back to the Tax Collection system will have a different deposit number. A note is inserted in the Tax Collection System for each refund that was voided/cancelled, voided/reprinted or for which the name was changed in TaxLedge.

Refunds:

If you have printed refund checks and still need to process certain checks that were withheld, you will need to run another TC536 in the Tax Collection system and then load the file into TaxLedge and process it.

If you have printed refund checks and realize that you shouldn't have printed one or more of them, you can void those unwanted checks and reprint them.  See Adjustments in the Check Writer Module for details.

Warning! If you void refund checks after they have been printed and posted back, you will need to reverse those refund payments in the Tax Collection System.

Remittances:

If you have printed remittance checks, you can void them in the Adjustment screen of the Check Writer module, and either reprint the check by going back to the Check Run screen or cancel the request in the Remit screen of the Remittances module.