Obligation Type - Billing

Open Admin, Obligation Type and navigate to the Billing tab to define how the system manages classic bill segments for obligations of a given obligation type.

Note: Optional information. This tab is only visible if your implementation has not turned off the BI — Billing (Classic) module. The information is used only for classic billing functionality.

Description of Page

Turn on Eligible for Billing if the system should create bill segments for obligations of this type.

Define the minimum number of days a bill segment (other than the final segment) must span using Minimum Days for Billing. This is useful to prevent initial bill segments that span only a few days.

Fastpath: For more information about minimum days, refer to Preventing Short Bill Segments.

Select the Bill Segment Type that controls both how classic bill segments for this obligation type will be created and how the related financial transaction affects the general ledger and the taxpayer's debt.

Fastpath: For more information about classic bill segment types, refer to Setting Up Bill Segment Types.

Use Default Description on Bill to define the verbiage that should print on the taxpayer's bill.

Note: Rates overwrite this description. The Default Description on Bill is not applicable for obligations whose charges are calculated using a rate. Why? Because the description that appears on the bill segment is defined on the rate schedule's rate version.
Note: Billable charges overwrite this description. The Default Description on Bill is not applicable for obligations whose charges are calculated using a billable charge. Why? Because the description that appears on the bill segment is defined on the billable charge.

Use the Billing Processing Sequence if you need to control the order in which obligations linked to this obligation type are processed by classic billing processes.

Use Bill Print Priority to define the order in which the obligation type's bill segments should appear on bills (relative to the other obligation types that appear on a bill).

Note: The values for this field are customizable using the Lookup table. This field name is BILL_​PRT_​PRIO_​FLG.

Use Max Bill Threshold if you want the system to generate a bill error when a bill segment is produced in batch that exceeds a given value. These bill errors will appear on the standard billing queries and To Do lists. If, after reviewing the high value bill segment, an operator truly intends to send the bill out, they should regenerate the bill. Refer to How To Correct A Bill Segment That's In Error for more information.

CAUTION:
The value entered in this field will DEFAULT onto obligations of this type when they are first created. An operator may change the default value on an obligation in case a specific taxpayer has unusually high bills that continually error out. It's important to be aware that if you change the value of High Bill Amount on an obligation type and there already exist obligations of this type, the existing obligations will contain the original value (the new value on the obligation type will not be propagated on the existing obligations).

Turn on Characteristic Location Required if a characteristic location must be linked to the obligation when the obligation is activated. The characteristic location is used to define the taxing authorities associated with the obligation's classic bill segments. It is also used to identify where the obligation's service is located on various windows.

Note: This is only applicable for systems that are configured for legacy address functionality.
Fastpath: For more information about how characteristic location is used, refer An Illustration Of A Rate Factor And Its Characteristics.

Use the Initial Start Date Option to control how billing should calculate the calculation period for the very first bill for obligations of this type. This field is important if your obligation has rate components that include daily charges. Set the field to Include First Day if the obligation's start date should be included in the daily charges. Set the value to Add 1 Day Always if the obligation's start date should never be included in the daily charges. Set the value to Add 1 Day for Back-to-back if the obligation's start date should only be included in the daily charges if no previous taxpayer was responsible for the charge (for example for property tax). This field is not applicable for obligation types with a special role of Billable Charge.

Obligations may have the end date of their bill segments defined on a user-maintained bill period schedule. This option is used when bill segments must fall on strict calendar boundaries (e.g., quarterly bills that end on the last day of the quarter). If this obligation type should be billed like this, select Use Bill Period in the Use Calendar Billing field. When this option is used, you must define the Bill Period whose schedule defines the bill segment end dates.

Fastpath: For more information about bill period schedules, refer to Defining Bill Cycles and Bill Periods. For more information about other bill end date methods, refer to Ways To Control The End Date Of A Bill Segment.

Instead of the Use Bill Period method, obligations may have their bill segment end date based on a specified date. If this obligation type should be billed like this, select Anniversary Future Billing or Anniversary Past Billing in the Use Calendar Billing field. When either option is used, you must define the Anniversary Bill Frequency. This frequency defines the amount of time between bill segments.

Fastpath: For more information about anniversary billing, refer to Using The Anniversary Method. For more information about other bill end date methods, refer to Ways To Control The End Date Of A Bill Segment.

Total Bill Amount indicates whether obligations of this type can use the total amount to bill field on the obligation page. Valid values are Not Allowed and Required.

If Required is selected, you must enter the Total Amount To Bill Label. The Total Amount To Bill Label defines the label that prefixes the total bill amount on the obligation page for obligations of this obligation type.

Recurring Charge indicates whether obligations of this type can use the recurring charge field on the obligation window. Valid values are Not Allowed, Optional and Required. If either Optional or Required are used, you must enter: