Comptroller's Office Issues Unclaimed Property Updates

Unclaimed Property Holder Reporting Instructions

Unclaimed Property Amnesty Program

Unclaimed Property Legislative Changes

1999 Unclaimed Property Auction

Y2K Compliance

Internet Access

Unclaimed Property Holder Reporting Instructions
The 1998 Unclaimed Property Holder Reporting Instructions booklet you received last year is still valid. Please refer to the inside front cover for mailing and remittance information. Enclosed are this year's preprinted report forms for remitting abandoned property currently in your possession.

Unclaimed Property Amnesty Program
Businesses and financial institutions that remit and report overdue unclaimed property to the Comptroller's office before October 31, 1999 will not be charged penalty or interest.

Unclaimed Property Legislative Changes
The following are legislative changes to the unclaimed property statutes (Chapters72-75 of the Texas Property Code) that were passed during the recent 76^thsession of the Texas Legislature. The changes are effective September1, 1999.

1. Section 74.101 has been repealed. Negative reports will no longer be required. Holder reports will only be required in years when you actually have abandoned property to remit. Please notate this change in your booklet on page 4.

2. Verification under oath is no longer required. The signature on your Report Mailing Form will not need to be notarized. The enclosed preprinted form has only a signature line. Please notate this change in your booklet on page 43.

1999 Unclaimed Property Auction
Due to the large volume of abandoned safe deposit box contents received last year, the Comptroller's office will have an unclaimed property auction at the Travis County Exposition and Heritage Center at 10 a.m. on October2, 1999. The preview of auction items is slated for September 30th and October 1st from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mark your calendars now.

Y2K Compliance
This year, if you file by diskette, you must use the Unclaimed Property Holder Reporting Software Version 2.1 for Windows when submitting your reports. The holder reports are due November 1, 1999. Included with this update are two flyers. One describes our latest Y2K compliant software and how to access it on the Comptroller's Internet Web site. The second flyer is an update for tape and cartridge filers. NOTE: The Comptroller's office will no longer accept diskette reports created using the older DOS application version 3.3.6, released January 1988. This DOS format is not Y2K compliant.

Internet Access
All of the unclaimed property forms, instruction booklets, and software are available on the Internet at the Comptroller's Web site. The unclaimed property holder reporting instructions and forms may be accessed at http://www.window.state.tx.us/up/reporting.html.

The unclaimed property holder reporting software and user's guide, as well as our revised tape specifications, may be accessed at http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/etf/etf.html#Unclaimed