FAQ windows

		S & W MINICOMPUTERS, INC. Offering Turn-key Computer Solutions For Alabama County Government PROPERTY TAX
		FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS General Questions Why do I get an error message "cannot connect to the data base" when I try to login to the program? I was told to re-install to receive changes made to a program, but nothing changed when I finished. When viewing a document (report, assessment sheet, abstract, etc.) on the screen, why is there a red line across or down the page? How do I kill a print job? Why can I not find a name that includes an apostrophe when doing a name search? Why do the city and state not show when I type in a zip code? When I try to print something I get a message that says "printer not set up." What do I do? Mapping Register Questions When I search in register, why can I not find all the entries for a particular parcel? How do I correct a parcel that's in the wrong name in the current tax year after the abstract has been run? Real Property Appraisal Questions What do I need to do before printing BOE notices? When I print the BOE's to the screen, I cannot find the one I am looking for, or when I try to print one specific parcel, it goes to a different parcel. How do I correct a parcel that's in the wrong name in the current tax year after the abstract has been run? Why won't my sketch import into real property? Sketch Questions Why won't my sketch import into real property? Personal Property Questions Why does a $20 value still show on the assessment when I have removed the rendition items from a business that is no longer in existence? Assessment Questions Why does my abstract have "zero" commissions on State General Fund and County General Fund, but all the other funds have commission amounts? Why does the assessment show zero taxes due on an account that should owe taxes? What are the "other" exemptions on the abstracts? Why do I have negative taxes on my Abatement abstract? What do I do to prepare to run the abstract? I started running my abstracts and found an error that I have to correct. Can I mark the abstract "not running", correct the error, and then go back to running the abstract again? Do I have to do an Error and Supplement to change an address in the current tax year after the abstract has been run? How do I correct a parcel that's in the wrong name in the current tax year after the abstract has been run? Collection Questions Why do I only get the charge side when I print my final settlement? Why can I not get a Sales Certificate for an account that was sold at the tax sale? Can I add a message to the tax bills? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ S&W S&W S&W S&W S&W S&W S&W S&W S&W S&W S&W S&W ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Answers: General If others are able to login with no problem, then something is typed incorrectly on the login screen. Check the "database" and "password" for accuracy by comparing with an application that is able to login successfully . There should not be any "spaces" in either field. (example: password for the 2008 tax year should be typed with no spaces: year2008) You will not receive the updated version of the program if you run the install with the program open. Before running an install, check to make sure that the program itself is closed. (example: if told to re-install appraisal, you need to first close the appraisal program, then run the install program.) The red line shows you where the page is going to cut off when actually printed on paper. Printer setup may have been changed. (Example: printer is set to letter paper, but document is legal size, or printer is set on portrait, but document is landscape.) To check and/or correct: Click on the "start" button in the lower left hand corner of your screen. Then click on "pirnters and faxes." Locate the printer you are trying to use and right- click on it. Click on "Properties." Then click on "printing preferences." Look for "orientation" and/or "paper size." Look for a tiny printer icon in the lower right hand side of your task bar. (Or click on "start", then "printers and faxes.") Double-click on the printer. Under "Printer", click on "cancel all documents." Back to Top Because sql uses the apostrophe to mean something else, it is better to not use apostrophes in data entry. (If the name is O'Neal, just type in as ONeal.) But if you already have apostrophes in names, when searching by name, you will have to stop before the apostrophe. (example: to search for O'Neal, type in only the "O") Or, you can have all apostrophes removed from your data and then you can search without apostrophes. The zip code you entered is not in the table. From the menu across the top of the program, click on "File". Then click on "zip code." Enter the zip code and then press Tab. If the zip code is in the table, the city and state will show. If the zip code is not in the table, type in the city and then type in the state abbreviation. Click on Save. On the menu across the top of the program, click on "System". From the drop-down list, click on "Printers and Security." On the "Active Printers" tab click on the arrow in the box by "User ID". There will only be one option to choose from which is your workstation name (ie: WS7831). When you click on it, the worstation name will be in the User ID box. Now click on the arrow in the box by "Class Description". The drop-down list will have all available documents that can be printed. Look through the list and click on the type of document you are trying to print (ie: PRC). Next click on the arrow in the box by "Device." The drop-down list will show all printers that are available to this workstation. Look through the list and choose the printer on which you want this document to print. All three lines should now be filled in. Click on the SAVE button at the top of the screen. You should now be able to print. Back to Top Mapping Register Remove the check mark from the "Active Only" box, then search again. You must do an Error and Supplement and transfer the parcel to the correct name. This can be done in Assessment or Appraisal. First you must ERROR both accounts (the one that the parcel is currently on and the one the parcel should be on.) Next, transfer the parcel from the current (wrong) account to the new (correct) account. Then SUPPLEMENT both accounts. This change should then be given to Mapping so that they can correct their records in the register. (Mapping should NOT update real property.) Back to Top Appraisal On the printing options, select "print all parcels," even if you are only printing one particular parcel. Recalculate values for real property (and personal property if sending BOEs). Pull previous year values. If your BOE's include estimated taxes, calculate taxes also. You must do an Error and Supplement and transfer the parcel to the correct name. This can be done in Assessment or Appraisal. First you must ERROR both accounts (the one that the parcel is currently on and the one the parcel should be on.) Next, transfer the parcel from the current (wrong) account to the new (correct) account. Then SUPPLEMENT both accounts. This change should then be given to Mapping so that they can correct their records in the register. (Mapping should NOT update real property.) With the building on the screen, click on the SKETCH icon. When asked if you want to import, click on YES. The building number must match the sketch number in order to import. Back to Top Sketch With the building on the screen, click on the SKETCH icon. When asked if you want to import, click on YES. The building number must match the sketch number in order to import. Personal Property You have a $20 minimum assessed value in your county tables. You must delete the business to get a zero assessment. Back to Top Assessment The commissions being added to the abstract was part of the mandate by the Department of Revenue. However, since the State General fund and the County General fund both operate on a sliding scale those positions are left blank on the abstracts intentionally. Check to see if there is a tax district on the assessment and/or recalculate the account. Exempt Code "5", totally exempts. (churches, governments, etc.) Abated values entered are greater than appraised values. Need to correct abated values. All abatements should be checked and all public utilities entered. Calculate Real property values. Calculate Personal Property Values. Calculate taxes. Complete troubleshooting reports making any necessary changes. After all changes are complete, mark abstract as "running". Calculate real and personal values and calculate taxes again, immediately before running the abstracts. Begin running abstracts. You can mark the abstract "not running" and correct the error. However, in order to insure that the abstracted data is correct, you should then begin the abstracting process over AT THE BEGINNING, NOT WHERE YOU LEFT OFF. No. Under Assessment Miscellaneous, choose the option "Post Abstract Address Change." This DOES NOT UPDATE to any subsequent years. You must do an Error and Supplement and transfer the parcel to the correct name. This can be done in Assessment or Appraisal. First you must ERROR both accounts (the one that the parcel is currently on and the one the parcel should be on.) Next, transfer the parcel from the current (wrong) account to the new (correct) account. Then SUPPLEMENT both accounts. This change should then be given to Mapping so that they can correct their records in the register. (Mapping should NOT update real property.) Back to Top Collection The final settlement worksheet is actually 2 print jobs. You must click on Print once for the 1st page (charges) and then click on Print again for the 2nd page (credits). Sales certificates print from the "sale price" that was entered when the payment was taken. If there was no excess involved, you must still enter the sales price, even if it was the same amount as the taxes due. (example: total amount due was $524.36, purchaser at the tax sale did not pay any excess, enter a sale price of $524.36 when taking payment.) Yes. In the collector general, you can type in a short message to be printed on the bills. Be sure to run a sample bill to see where message prints before printing all bills. Back to Top		Property Counties News Experience & Training Contact Us LINKS OF INTEREST: Alabama Department of Revenue AU Center for Governmental Services AAAO IAAO