BLS Partner Update

Revenue Improves Website on Sept. 9

The dor.wa.gov site will be streamlined with improved navigation and tools important to businesses, tax practitioners, and the general public. The updated site, which launches Sept. 9, also has responsive design for mobile devices. More than 60 percent of first-time visitors and 12 percent of all users access dor.wa.gov with a mobile device.
The Business Licensing Service website is not changing. More updates will be sent by email after Labor Day.

Make Sure You Have an ATLAS Backup

Vacation, promotion, and turnover – just a few reasons to have a succession plan. It is helpful to have a backup trained on ATLAS Partner Portal for those times when primary staff are out of the office. Otherwise, your customers have to wait to get your approved endorsement(s) until your primary staff are back in the office.

It is best to have a teammate complete and return the affidavit and start the Partner Portal registration process. Training documents and “computer-based training” are available to get them up to speed.

Report Enhancements

You asked. We delivered. The Product/Service Description entered on every Business Licensing Application is now a field in three reports. Look for the field in the right-most column of the Partner Pending Approval report, the Partner Interface report and the Partner All Status report.

The Partner Change of UBI report is also enhanced. Run your reports for individual programs, instead of only for your entire agency.

All reports are accessible by selecting “New Manager” on your ATLAS Partner Portal home screen and then selecting reports by name on the Launchpad screen. 

Save Your Files: SFT Upgrade Coming Soon

There will be an upgrade to the Secure File Transfer service on September 10, 2017. Revenue and the Business Licensing Service will remove all files at 9 p.m. on September 6, 2017. Transfer your files prior to the upgrade.

*No impact to those who do not use SFT.*

Closing Accounts

Reminder: BLS staff are not authorized to close a customer’s account without something in writing from the customer. We will not close or otherwise change tax registrations and other state endorsements. Customers who need to close an account should do so in My DOR or by filling out a business information change form.

City and agency program staff manage their respective endorsements only.  If a business is delinquent or non-compliant with a city business license or regulatory license, only the impacted license may be terminated or suspended.

You may not request to change status of tax registrations and other endorsements outside of your regulatory authority. Those endorsements may be tied to tax or corporate accounts where debts or legal rights are at stake.

Also, BLS staff cannot transfer funds between UBI accounts unless requested by authorized taxpayer(s). Taxpayers should call 1-800-451-7985 for assistance or login to My DOR.

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