ASCII

ascii (unicode) file layout

In order to transmit data and receive setoff files with the Clearinghouse these ASCII file layouts must be used and must be followed exactly.  Section 1 is for Transmitting or Sending data files to the Clearinghouse; Section 2 is the file that is returned from the Clearinghouse to the Local Government after a setoff file has been processed at the NC Department of Revenue

1) Sending Data from the Local Government to the Clearinghouse - updated September 7, 2010

Positions

Data

Length

Comments/Explanation

 001 - 009

 

SSN

 

9

 

Numeric (a) see format notes below  (REQUIRED)

Cannot begin with "000" or "999"

 

 010 - 019

 

First Name

 

10

 

Alpha (b) see format notes below    (REQUIRED)

 

 020 - 020

 

Middle Initial

 

1

 

Alpha or blank (b) see format notes below (REQUIRED)

 

 021 - 035

 

Last Name

 

15

 

Alpha (b) see format notes below (REQUIRED)

Cannot be a business name, must have Last Name and at least a first initial in first name

 

 036 - 060

 

Street Address

 

25

 

(REQUIRED)

 

 061 - 071

 

City

 

11

 

(REQUIRED)

 

 072 - 073

 

State

 

2

 

(REQUIRED)

 

 074 - 078

 

Zip Code

 

5

 

(REQUIRED)

 

 079 - 085

 

Debt Amount

 

7

 

Currency (c) see format notes below (REQUIRED)

 

 086 - 089

 

Entity/Agency Code

 

4

 

(REQUIRED)

 

 090 - 095

 

Debt Expiration Date

 

6

 

(YYYYMM) (d) see format notes below (REQUIRED)

 

 096 - 103

 

Debt Compliance Date

 

8

 

(MMDDYYYY) (e) see format notes below (REQUIRED)

 

 104 - 128

 

Debt Account Number

 

25

 

(OPTIONAL)

 

 129 - 136

 

Debt Unique Key

 

8

 

REQUIRED

 

 137 - 139 

 

Account Code

 

3

 

(OPTIONAL) for use if submitting various departments, such as: TAX, EMS, HLT, UTL, etc

 

 140 - 146

 

Base Debt Amount

 

7

 

(OPTIONAL) for use only if importing into client software to do interest accrual

Currency (c) see format notes below or blank if not used, does not have to be zeroes

 

 147 - 153

 

Base Debt Interest

 

7

 

(OPTIONAL) for use only if importing into client software to do interest accrual

Currency (c) see format notes below or blank if not used, does not have to be zeroes

 

 154 - 165

Debt Unique Key Extended

12

Unique Key Extended (for Unique Keys larger than 8 characters)

REQUIRED: Not optional, cannot be empty (blank)

OPTIONAL: May be empty (blank)

Formats:

Notes:

1)   Debt Amount: current debt amount owed.  If a payment has been made to the entity this will be the new debt amount. Debt must be $50.00 or more to be processed. Debts less than $50.00 can be combined under a single SSN to satisfy $50.00 requirement.  Each debt $50.00 or more stands alone in the $50.00 minimum for submission and entities cannot combine debts $50 or more under a single SSN.

2)   Entity Code: assigned identifier to Entity/Local Government (to be assigned by Clearinghouse using list provided by NCACC/NCLM)

3)   Debt Expiration Date: date debt is no longer valid for submission to the Department of Revenue. This debt will remain in the Clearinghouse database until the entity changes it to $0.00. As we process each weekend, any debt that has an expiration date that has passed then it no longer is submitted for collection.

4)   Debt Compliance Date: date that the Entity/Local Government determines that the debtor has received all notices and opportunities and therefore releases the debt for submission into the Setoff Debt Clearinghouse system.  This allows you to put a date in the future that will allow you time to notify the debtors with the required notification letter of your intent to submit this debt to the North Carolina Department of Revenue using the North Carolina Debt Setoff Clearinghouse.

      Examples/Tips:

           a. Today's Date: November 10, 2009.  You intend on sending a notification letter by November 30, 2009.  Put in a Debt Compliance Date of January 1, 2010.  This will hold the debt at the Clearinghouse until January 1,2010 before it is sent to the North Carolina Department of Revenue.

            b. Similar to post dating a check - it can not be processed until the date on the check is reached

            c.  When you send your debts to the North Carolina Debt Setoff Clearinghouse you put a lock on all Social Security Numbers for your debtors unless they have already been submitted by another local government.  So even if the Debt Compliance Date is a date months into the future, you have established a date and time for the debtor's SSN for your local government.    

5)   Debt Account Number:  Optional, for use with Entity/Local Government Accounting/Billing system to track account numbers with individuals’ debt(s). We recommend that you use the Account Number to identify the type of debt and use the same formatting.

For example, the following types of debts:

  • PT-2002-1044590  (Property Tax debt)

  • WT-2001-11311212124 (Water bill debt)

  • HD-JXP109-XC-110987 (Health Department debt)

In the above examples the first two positions identify the type of debt.  In the most recent version of our Client software, 2006.01 (available beginning in February 2006) you can define the starting and ending positions to identify the different types of debts.  In this example it would be Starting position: 1 and Ending positions: 2.  You can also print your setoff report to print all of the similar debts on the same page and then break when a new type of debt begins.  You can then provide the page(s) of Property Tax debts that were setoff and give to the appropriate person in that department.  The other debt types will also be on separate pages so those reports can be provided to the appropriate personnel in that respective department.  And the last page will be a summary of all different types of debts and the amount setoff and deposited into your account with Capital Management Trust of the Carolinas.

6)   Debt Unique Key: it is mandatory that each entity’s debt under the same SSN be unique.  This field requires a different value than entity’s other debts under this particular SSN, even though the Debt Amounts, Debt Dates and Debt Account Numbers are different.  The Entity/Local Government determines whether to use a date, account number or special code. Examples: 

a.   Debt #1: Debt Amount: 100.00; Debt Unique Key: 00000001

b.   Debt #2: Debt Amount: 150.00; Debt Unique Key: 00000002

Or

c.   Debt #1: Debt Amount: 100.00; Debt Unique Key: 08302002

d.   Debt #2: Debt Amount: 150.00; Debt Unique Key: 08312002

7)   Account Code: Previously a reserved field but beginning in September 2010 can be used to identify a department for various uses such as providing different contact info to debtor to the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system.

8)   Base Debt Amount: Amount used for calculating monthly interest calculations.  This is the original debt amount with no interest, penalties or fees.  This amount will be used to calculate the interest amount by multiplying it against the Interest Rate (i.e. 0.0075%).  (Calculating interest on the Debt Amount would calculate interest on principal plus interest, therefore this Base Debt Amount is necessary).

9)   Base Interest Amount: The total amount of interest, penalties and fees that has already been added to the original debt amount.

Note: For most debts being submitted to the Clearinghouse the Base Debt Amount (#8) plus the Base Interest Amount (#9) equals the Debt Amount (#1)

Examples: 

a.      Base Debt Amount: 100.00

b.      Base Interest Amount:  0.75 (1 month at 100.00 x 0.0075%)

c.       Debt Amount: 100.75 (100.00 + 0.75)

Or

d.      Base Debt Amount: 150.00

e.      Base Interest Amount: 3.39 (3 months at 150.00 x 0.0075%, 1.13 per mo.)

f.       Debt Amount: 153.39 (150.00 + 3.39)

If a debt is non-interest accruable, leave the Base Debt Amount and the Base Interest Amount either 0.00 or empty.

Example:

g.       Base Debt Amount: 0.00

h.       Base Interest Amount:  0.00

i.        Debt Amount: 50.00

 

10) Unique key Extended: if the Unique Key is longer than 8 characters, put characters  9 - 20 appear in this location

 

2) Return File from the Clearinghouse to the Local Government - file name: match.dat (after a setoff at the Department of Revenue) - updated May 15, 2024

Positions

Data

Length

Explanation

 001 - 009

 

SSN

 

9

 

Numeric

 

 010 - 020

 

First Name and Middle Initial

 

11

 

Alpha

 

 021 - 035

 

Last Name

 

15

 

Alpha

 

 036 - 060

 

Street Address

 

25

 

 

 061 - 071

 

City

 

11

 

 

 072 - 073

 

State

 

2

 

 

 074 - 078

 

Zip Code

 

5

 

 

 079 - 085

 

Debt Amount (AFTER SETOFF)

 

7

 

Currency - two decimals - no decimal point

 

 086 - 089

 

Entity Code

 

4

 

 

 090 - 095

 

Debt Expiration Date

 

6

 

(YYYYMM)

 

 096 - 103

 

Debt Compliance Date

 

8

 

(MMDDYYYY)

 

 104 - 128

 

Debt Account Number

 

25

 

 

 129 - 136

 

Debt Unique Key

 

8

 

 

 137 - 144

 

Debt Setoff Date

 

8

 

(MMDDYYYY)

 

 145 - 151

 

Debt Setoff Amount

 

7

 

Currency - two decimals - no decimal point

 

 152 - 154

 

Department Code

 

3

 

Ex. EMS, HLT, TAX, UTL

 

 155 - 157

 

Source

 

3

 

REV - Dept of Revenue OR LOT - Education Lottery

 

 158 - 166

 

Reserved

 

9

 

For Future Use

 

 167 - 173

 

Clearinghouse Fee

 

7

 

Currency - two decimals - no decimal point

 

 174 - 185

Debt Unique Key Extension

 12

To extend the Unique Key (pos. 129-136)

Formats:

Notes:

1)  Debt Amount: current debt amount owed.  If a payment has been made to the entity this will be the new debt amount. Debt must be $50.00 or more to be processed. Debts less than $50 can be combined under a single SSN to satisfy $50.00 requirement.  Each debt $50 or more stands alone in the $50.00 minimum for submission and entities cannot combine debts $50 or more under a single SSN.

2)  Entity Code: assigned identifier to Entity/Local Government (to be assigned by NCACC/NCLM)

3)  Debt Expiration Date: date debt is no longer valid for submission. Debt will be reduced to $0.00 but data remains in the database system.

4)  Debt Compliance Date: date that the Entity/Local Government determines that the debtor has received all notices and opportunities and therefore releases the debt for submission into the Setoff Debt Clearinghouse system.  For debts submitted prior to January 1, 2003, this date must be reset to a date on or after January 31, 2003, to ensure second notice and appeals process for notification of the $15 collection assistance fee has been completed.  No processing of these debts will occur until this date has been reset.

5)  Debt Account Number:  Optional, for use with Entity/Local Government Accounting/Billing system to track account numbers with individuals’ debt(s)

6)  Debt Unique Key: it is mandatory that each debt per SSN be unique. This field requires a different value than entity’s other debts under this particular SSN, even though the Debt Amounts, Debt Dates and Debt Account Numbers are different.  The Entity/Local Government determines whether to use a date, account number or special code.

Examples:

a.   Debt #1: Debt Amount: 100.00; Debt Unique Key: 00000001

b.   Debt #2: Debt Amount: 150.00; Debt Unique Key: 00000002      

Or

c.    Debt #1: Debt Amount: 100.00; Debt Unique Key: 08302002

d.   Debt #2: Debt Amount: 150.00; Debt Unique Key: 08312002

7)   Debt Setoff Date: the actual date that the debt(s) for this SSN was setoff by a match at the Department of Revenue

8)   Debt Setoff Amount: the actual amount of the debt(s) for this SSN that was setoff by a match at the Department of Revenue

9)   Clearinghouse Fee: the legislated fee amount for this particular debt, only charged once per year for each debt

10) Debt Unique Key Extended: if the Unique Key is longer than 8 characters, characters  9 - 20 appear in this location