Workflow – Close Property Tax Year

Goal

Properly close completed property tax year and prepare for new year with comprehensive finalization procedures and audit preparation.

When to Use

Annual year-end closing procedures
Audit preparation and compliance requirements
Financial period finalization
Transition to new tax year

Prerequisites

All assessments posted and verified
Payments reconciled and balanced
Corrections and adjustments completed
Outstanding issues resolved
Backup procedures completed

[Screenshot: Year-end checklist dashboard showing completion status of all prerequisites]

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Review Data Completeness

Verify all assessments are posted
Confirm all payments are recorded
Check correction status completion
Review exception reports
Validate account balances

[Screenshot: Data completeness verification screen with assessment posting status indicators]

[Screenshot: Payment reconciliation summary showing total collections and outstanding balances]

2. Run Year-End Reports

Generate collection summary reports
Create assessment roll reports
Run payment analysis reports
Produce exception and error reports
Generate audit trail documentation

[Screenshot: Year-end report generation interface with available report options]

[Screenshot: Collection summary report showing tax year performance metrics]

3. Close Periods

Close monthly periods in sequence
Lock payment posting periods
Finalize assessment periods
Secure correction periods
Complete year-end adjustments

[Screenshot: Period closing interface showing monthly periods with close status]

[Screenshot: Period locking confirmation dialog with security warning]

4. Lock Data

Enable read-only mode for closed year
Secure historical data integrity
Implement audit trail protection
Archive transaction records
Document closure completion

[Screenshot: Year-end data locking screen with read-only mode activation]

[Screenshot: Historical data archival progress with completion percentage]

Example

Close 2024 property tax year with 98.5% collection rate:

Total assessments: $45,000,000
Collections: $44,325,000
Outstanding: $675,000
Corrections processed: 234 items
Year closed: January 15, 2025

[Screenshot: Year-end closing summary showing collection statistics and closure completion date]

Common Errors & Fixes

Error: Incomplete Postings

Problem: Open transactions prevent year closure
Fix: Review and complete all pending postings before closure

[Screenshot: Error dialog showing incomplete postings with list of pending transactions]

Error: Outstanding Corrections

Problem: Unprocessed corrections block closure
Fix: Process or defer corrections to new year as appropriate

[Screenshot: Outstanding corrections report with resolution options]

Error: Reconciliation Issues

Problem: Account balances don't match expected totals
Fix: Investigate and resolve discrepancies before proceeding

[Screenshot: Account reconciliation screen showing balance discrepancies]

What Happens After

Year closed with locked historical data
Audit trail preserved and secured
Reporting period finalized for compliance
New year setup can begin
Historical queries remain available in read-only mode

[Screenshot: Post-closure system dashboard showing locked year status and available functions]

Set Up New Tax Year
Generate Annual Tax Statements
Process Year-End Corrections

Screenshot Placeholders

Administrative Dashboards

[Screenshot: Year-end closing main dashboard with progress indicators and status summaries]
[Screenshot: Administrative control panel showing year-end closure options and settings]

Validation and Audit Screens

[Screenshot: System validation results showing data integrity checks and compliance status]
[Screenshot: Audit trail protection interface with security settings and archive options]
[Screenshot: Year-end backup completion screen with verification status]

Monitoring and Diagnostics

[Screenshot: System monitoring dashboard during year-end closure process]
[Screenshot: Performance metrics screen showing closure processing times and resource usage]