Reporting

After you have imported your properties, fulfilled due diligence requirements, and the required dormancy period has passed, the next step is to submit state reports.

You can find upcoming report deadlines by state in the Important dates section of the Dashboard page. Look up report due dates for each state under Filing Dates on the By State/Province tab of the Compliance Resources page.

Use the Due filter on the Properties page to view which properties will be included in reports for the current report year.

Create and submit reports

California and Puerto Rico follow a different reporting process. If you're reporting to these states, read the help article for specific instructions.

As you go through the state reporting process, do not refresh your browser. This will cause an error, and you will need to start over.

1. On the side menu, click Reporting, then select State Report from the dropdown.
2. Verify that your Business details, Report contact, and Report signer information is correct. Then, click Next.

• • If this is your first state report, you need to enter your Business start date. This is the date on which your company was licensed to do business and is a required field. Click Edit business information to enter it on the Business Information page.

If the information isn’t correct, click the Edit options. Read the help articles on managing your business, contacts, and signer for more details about these fields.

3. Select a Report year from the dropdown and select the states you are submitting reports to, then click Next.
   
   Properties that have passed their dormancy period and are due for the report year and states you select are automatically included in reports. Past due properties are also included.

Properties with the following statuses are not included: Reported (R), Pending claim (C), Exempt (E), On hold (H), Paid to owner (P), and Voided (V).

• • The Report year is the year when the property’s dormancy period ends. The current report year is selected by default.
    • The Report year is based on reporting periods. For example, if a state’s reporting period is from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024, the report year would be 2024, even if you are reporting in the spring of 2025. You can find the report year and reporting period for each state under Filing Dates on the By State/Province tab of the Compliance Resources page.
    • For most business categories, California’s final reports are due in June the year after the reporting period ends. For this reason, Sovos does not advance the current report year until June 16th each year.
  • For states with a Cloud icon, you can e-file reports directly from the software. E-filing is included with your subscription.
  • For all states, we provide instructions for self-filing on the state websites or by mail.

4. Enter or review the tax information for the states you are reporting to, then click Next.

• • State assigned IDs: A state assigned ID is a string of letters and numbers assigned by a state to identify your business. For example, 12345 or 1234567890ABC. States might assign an ID to your business if you have previously reported to them. If this is your first time reporting to a state, you can leave this field blank.
  • State FEIN extensions: A state FEIN extension is a four-digit number assigned by a state to identify your business, with no dashes. For example, 1234. Florida and Oklahoma might assign a FEIN extension to your business if you have previously reported to them. If you don’t enter a state FEIN extension, the system enters a default value of “0001.”

If you have reported to a state before but don’t know your state assigned ID or FEIN extension, contact the state. You can find state-specific contact information under Address Information on the By State/Province tab of the Compliance Resources page.

• • If you are reporting to Delaware, enter your Name and Title and select which Payment Method you will use to pay the state after submitting your report.

5. At the Preview step, review the submission type and other report information for each state and download a preview of which properties will be reported. Click Ready to submit when you are ready to submit the reports.

• • Submission types
    • E-file service: This option is selected by default for eligible states. These reports will be automatically submitted directly from our software. E-filing is included with your subscription. Turn this option off if you want to self-file instead.
    • Self-file: These reports will not be submitted from our software. You will need to download the required documents and file them on the state websites or by mail.
  • Click Download all to review which properties will be reported before submitting. In the Actions column, click the More options icon to download that state’s preview. Or click Delete to remove the state and not submit its report.

If you have not corrected properties that were imported with warning errors, they will be excluded from state reports. Download and preview the excel file that ends in “Excluded” to review which, if any, properties will be excluded from the report. If properties have warning errors, click the More options icon in the Actions column and select Delete to not submit the report. Then, fix the warning errors on the Properties page and create a new report. If you click Next at this step and properties have warning errors, they will not be reported.

6. If you selected e-file service, view and click Agree to accept the UETA (Uniform Electronic Transactions Act) agreement. This allows us to submit reports to states on your behalf. If you don’t acknowledge this, you will need to download the required documents and self-file them on the state websites or by mail.

After submitting, the properties’ statuses, including the ones that you are self-filing, automatically change to Reported (R) and they are moved to the Archived tab on the Properties page. The following property fields are also automatically populated: State paid, Date paid, and Amount paid.

7. At the Summary step, click Download report package to keep all your state reports in case you get audited. This file includes all the required documents, including cover sheets, and the NAUPA file for each state. Read the Instructions on how to self-file the reports and other actions you may need to take after e-filing.

• • The report package that you download can have two folders, “SubmittedOnline” and “FilingRequired.” Reports that you selected E-file service for are in the “SubmittedOnline” folder. Reports that you need to Self-file are in the “FilingRequired” folder.
  • You can also find all the necessary links and instructions for filing on the Compliance Resources page.
  • Montana reports are created in an online submission format with a .uch file extension. If you are self-filing to Montana, change the file extension to .txt and upload it to the Montana state website. Payment information is also available on the state’s website.

Some states require an encrypted .hde file format. We automatically generate this file type if it is required by the state. Do not open an .hde file before submitting it to the state. It will corrupt the file and make it unreadable. If you opened the .hde file, you need to re-download it from the Report History page and then submit it to the state.

8. After submitting reports through the e-file service or by self-filing, you need to pay the states.

Reporting properties with no state

If the property owner’s State/province/territory and Alternate filing state are unknown or outside of the U.S., report it to your business’s state of incorporation.

The state of incorporation is the place where your company is registered, which may be different from your physical location. You can review or edit your business’s state of incorporation on the Business Information page.

You can view all the properties with unknown addresses or addresses that are outside the U.S. or Canada on the Properties page. Go to the Advanced filter, select State/Province/Territory from the Columns dropdown, select contains from the Operator dropdown, and enter “??” as the Value.

Reporting when you have no properties

A negative report is a report stating you have no property to report for the filing period and is also called a zero property report. Some states require this type of report.

Find state-specific negative report requirements on the Compliance Resources page in the Negative Report Summary document.

When required, negative reporting should be done for states that you have reported to in the past and don’t have properties to report for this year. Do not report to a state for the first time with a negative report. This could result in the state auditing your business. If your business is currently under audit, or following a VDA (Voluntary Disclosure Agreement), follow the state’s instructions about negative reporting.

1. To submit a negative report, follow the steps to create and submit a regular report. The process is the same except your properties and cash reported amounts at the Preview step will be “0.”

Reporting aggregate property

Aggregate property is unclaimed properties with low monetary value that can be reported to the state as a lump sum. Aggregate property can be imported and reported with fewer property and owner details than regular unclaimed property. However, it is recommended that you provide details, like name and address, for all properties, if you have this information.

Read the article on adding properties for details on how to add aggregate properties to the import template.

Not all states accept aggregate reports. Look up state-specific aggregate reporting requirements under Address Information on the By State/Province tab of the Compliance Resources page.

1. To submit an aggregate report, follow the steps to create and submit a regular report.

Resubmit a report

After reporting, properties’ statuses automatically change to Reported (R) and they are moved to the Archived tab on the Properties page. Before resubmitting a report, you need to undo it so the properties will be ready to report again.

You might want to resubmit a report if properties had a status of On hold and weren’t included in the report when they should have been. Or, if an owner reached out to claim their property after you reported, but before you paid the state.

While state reports can be undone in the software, they can’t be recalled from the states. Reports that were submitted without payment are called “orphan reports” by the states. If a report was e-filed through the system or you already self-filed it to the state, you are responsible for notifying the state before resubmitting the report. Look up contact information for each state under Address Information on the By State/Province tab of the Compliance Resources page.

To resubmit a report, follow these steps:

1. On the side menu, click Reporting, then select Report History from the dropdown.
2. Use the quick filters to find the report you want to undo. Then, click the More options icon in the Actions column and select Undo.
3. In the pop-up, click Undo. The properties' statuses change back to Open (O), and they are moved to the Current tab on the Properties page.
4. Edit the properties, then resubmit the report by following the same steps to create and submit a regular report.

What if my report is late?

If the state’s due date for reporting has passed, you still need to create and submit reports. Reports can be submitted after the state’s due date, so you should submit as soon as possible to reduce potential penalties or interest from the state.

Where can I find the report’s submission number?

When paying states, enter the submission number of the report in the memo for the payment. You will also need to reference the submission number if your business or a state has questions about the report.

To view a report’s submission number, follow these steps:

1. On the side menu, click Reporting, then select Report History from the dropdown.
2. Use the quick filters to find the report. Then, click the More options icon in the Actions column and select Download.
3. Open the report package and find the .txt or .hde NAUPA file. The submission number is at the end of the file name directly before “.txt” or “.hde.” In this example, “C7009a5603” is the submission number.

Paying states

After reporting, you need to escheat the unclaimed property to states by submitting payment to them. You can't do this through our software, but we provide all the payment information you need.

1. Select Compliance Resources from the side menu.
2. Click the All tab. Then, download the Payment Methods document from the Reporting Information section.
   
3. If you pay the state with a check, enter the check number in the property’s Payment check number field. Read the article on managing properties for details on how to edit a property.

You should enter the submission number of the report in the memo for the payment.