SECTION OVERVIEW AND POLICIES

Prior to processing vouchers for payment, the Office of the State Comptroller’s (OSC) Offset Unit is responsible for determining if a lien, offset, or payment assignment against each vendor exists. In the event that a lien, offset, or payment assignment does exist, OSC will redirect the appropriate payment amount to the other entity.

This section provides guidance to Business Units on how to determine if OSC has redirected a payment.

Process and Document Preparation:

To determine if a voucher has been redirected, both Online and Bulkload Business Units should navigate to the payments tab of the voucher within the Statewide Financial System’s (SFS) Accounts Payable Module. A voucher may have one or more scheduled payment records. To view all payment records, click the “View All” hyperlink on the Payment Information line. Review the Location field on each scheduled payment line. If the Location field on any scheduled payment line is “OSCOFSET” followed by a two-digit number (e.g. OSCOFSET01), the amount of money reflected in the Gross Amount field on that scheduled payment line was redirected due to a lien, offset, or payment assignment.

All Business Units can also review the M171 report available through the SFS to determine if any payments they submitted have been offset.

For questions related to liens, offsets, and payment assignments, please contact the Bureau of State Expenditures’ Customer Service Help Desk at (518) 474-4868, or email the Offset Unit directly at [email protected].

Guide to Financial Operations

REV. 03/19/2012