9. Frequently Asked Questions
General
- Why must documents be uploaded to Gateway?
This will
allow us to do as much of the audit work as possible remotely which should
result in efficiencies and reduced audit costs for you. It is our intent to use
the monthly information to more effectively plan our engagements. Additionally,
we are required to conduct a risk assessment to plan the priorities of our
engagements and the information requested should allow us to more efficiently
conduct that risk assessment to better prioritize our engagements.
- What units are required to upload documents monthly and
annually?
Beginning
with the July 2018 monthly uploads due September 15, 2018, all cities, towns,
libraries, townships and special districts must upload documents on Gateway.
Counties and schools are required to do so beginning with the January 2019
monthly uploads due March 15, 2019.
- What if I do not upload the documents timely?
Failure to
upload the documents when they are due or in a timely manner may cause delays
in completing your audit engagement.
- Who is responsible for uploading the documents?
The users
that have edit and submit rights for the Annual Financial Report were initially
setup to upload the documents. To request or change this default user access,
the official must complete a Limited Delegation of Authority Form and email it
to the help desk at gateway@sboa.in.gov. Please note that adding or
deleting a user's access to the Monthly and Annual Engagement Uploads will not
affect their access to other Gateway applications such as the Annual Financial
Report or Budget.
- What documents must be uploaded each month and when are
they due?
See the Monthly Uploads section for details of the
documents required by unit type. The dates these files are due each month are
below:
- January monthly files – March 15th
- February monthly files – April 15th
- March monthly files – May 15th
- April monthly files – June 15th
- May monthly files – July 15th
- June monthly files – August 15th
- July monthly files – September 15th
- August monthly files – October 15th
- September monthly files – November 15th
- October monthly files – December 15th
- November monthly files – January 15th
- December monthly files – February 15th
- I have hand posted or manual records. Am I still
required to upload the monthly documents?
Yes. The
monthly documents are still required to be uploaded even if you have manual or
hand posted records.
- Should the board minutes that are uploaded be approved
board minutes?
Yes. Since
you have two months to upload the board minutes, you should be able to upload
the approved minutes if you meet monthly.
- If the board does not meet monthly and the board
minutes will not be approved by the due date, should I upload the minutes
that haven't been signed by the Board President and Secretary?
Yes, you can upload the minutes that have not been approved. But once you have the approved version, you should upload those minutes.
- The April board minutes were approved at the June board
meeting. Under which month should they be uploaded?
The board
minutes should be uploaded under the month the meeting took place, not when
they were approved. So they would be uploaded with the April monthly uploads.
- If our council has a special meeting or an executive
meeting, other than their normal monthly meetings, do I upload the board
minutes?
No, it is
not necessary to upload executive or special meeting minutes.
- What documents must be uploaded once a year and when
are they due?
See the Annual Uploads section for details of the
documents required for each unit type. They must be uploaded by August 29 for
schools and March 1 for all other unit types. This is the same date that
the Annual Financial Report is due.
- I am a city or town that uses manual ledgers. What do I
need to copy and upload monthly for the Funds Ledger?
The City and
Town Form No. 206- Clerk-Treasurer's, City Controller's and City Treasurer's
Monthly Financial Statement is the prescribed form to use for manually posted
records that would be the equivalent of the Funds Ledger. It shows each fund,
the beginning of month balance, receipts for the month, disbursements for the
month, and the end of the month cash balance. A copy of this form can be found
in the City and Town Manual page 6-41. You can scan or
take a photo of this page to upload to Gateway.
- I am a township that uses manual ledgers. What do I
need to copy and upload monthly for the Funds Ledger?
The Township
Form No. 1C Financial and Appropriation Record is the prescribed form to use
for manually posted records that would be the equivalent of the Funds Ledger.
It shows a record of receipts, disbursements and balances by fund. Information
on this form can be found in the Township Manual. You can scan or take a
photo of this page to upload to Gateway.
- Can only one file be uploaded for each type of
document?
No. You can
upload as many files as you need to in each category (bank reconcilement, board
minutes, etc.)
- For the annual uploads, do I need to upload my bank
statements and outstanding check lists?
No. The bank
statements and outstanding check lists are now part of the monthly uploads.
- Are the documents uploaded through this Gateway
application available to the public?
No. The
documents uploaded in this application are for the State Board of Accounts use
only and are not available to the public on the Gateway public website.
- If our financial statements are audited by a firm other
than the State Board of Accounts, do the same upload requirements apply?
At this
time, there are no blanket exceptions for units audited by a private CPA firm;
however, exceptions may be granted on a case by case basis. If you have an
exception you wish to have considered, please email procuredaudits@sboa.in.gov.
SBOA will continue to evaluate this process and may add blanket exceptions as
appropriate. Charter Schools, Housing Authorities, Regional Development Authorities, and Regional Development Authorities are not required to do uploads.
- If I have problems or questions, who should I contact?
For
technical problems (e.g. server error messages or problems saving data),
contact Indiana Business Research Center (IBRC) at ibrctech@iupui.edu.
For questions related to the content of items being requested via Direct
Request e-mails you receive, contact the examiner assigned to your engagement.
For other questions, contact the SBOA Gateway Helpdesk, please email gateway@sboa.in.gov
Computer Access
- Will I need to purchase or install any computer
software?
No, the
Gateway application is accessed through the internet. All you will need to
access the application is an internet browser such as Google Chrome, or Mozilla
Firefox. A web browser is already installed on most computers. You should be
able to use the same web browser that you used to enter your Annual Financial
Report or ECA Risk Report. Microsoft Internet Explorer and Edge are not
supported or recommended to use on Gateway.
- Do I need to have internet access?
Yes, you
must have internet access to use the Gateway.
- What if I don’t have a computer or internet access?
Government
entities without computers or internet access can find free internet service at
any campus of Indiana University or Ivy Tech, which are partnering with the
State to provide temporary access to government officials without computers. In
addition, most libraries will have public access computer terminals.
- How do I access Gateway?
The web
address is https://gateway.ifionline.org/login.aspx.
User Name and Password
- How do I obtain a User Name and password to login?
You will use
the same User Name and password that you used with your Annual Financial Report
or ECA Risk Report. If there has been a change in the responsible official
since the Annual Financial Report or ECA Risk Report was submitted, request a
User Name and password by sending your name, title, e-mail address, local unit
name, and county to gateway@sboa.in.gov.
- Can my User Name and password be shared with others in
my office? If not, what do I need to do to obtain access for them?
Each person
that needs access to Gateway should have their own User Name and password. For
additional information, see the User
Policy. If you want to add a new user or delete a user’s access,
fill out the appropriate Limited Delegation of Authority form. There are
three different Limited Delegation of Authority forms depending upon the type
of unit:
1) For County Offices other than the County
Auditor: https://gateway.ifionline.org/forms/DelegationFormUpload_ASU.pdf
2) For ECAs: https://www.in.gov/sboa/files/DelegationFormECA.pdf
3) For all other governmental units: The standard Limited Delegation of
Authority Form.
Please note
that deleting a user’s access to the Monthly and Annual Engagement Uploads will
not affect their access to other Gateway applications such as the Annual
Financial Report or Budget. Contact DLGF at gateway@dlgf.in.gov to
delete a user’s access to their applications.
- What is my password?
Your
password is the same one you use when accessing Gateway to submit your Annual
Financial Report, ECA Risk Report, etc. If you recently requested access, your
new User Name and password should have been emailed to you.
- My password will not work and the "forgot password"
function will not recognize my User Name. How can I get my password reset?
Any user
that incorrectly enters a password 5 times will be locked out of the Gateway
system and will need to contact SBOA at gateway@sboa.in.gov to have their User Name
unlocked and/or their password reset. Please include the local unit name and
county of the unit in your e-mail.
- How do I change my password?
To change
your password, you must first login in with your current User Name and
password. Click on “Account Settings” which is located under the Gateway
heading. Scroll to the bottom of the Account Settings screen and click on the
Change Password link.
- What are the password requirements?
Passwords
must be at least seven characters long.
- How long can I be inactive before being timed out of
the Gateway system?
For security
purposes and to limit resource usage, after 20 minutes of inactivity the
Gateway system will time out. To resume work, you will need to re-enter your
User Name and password.
Creating Documents
- What file formats are acceptable to upload?
You can
upload Excel files (.xls or .xlsx), Word files (.doc or .docx), Adobe Acrobat
files (.pdf) and picture files (.jpg, .png, .tif or .gif). If your document is
not in one of these file formats, you will need to convert it to an acceptable
format. If you are downloading the document from a computerized accounting
system, Excel (.xls or .xlsx) is the preferred file type.
- If I only have a hard copy, can I mail the documents?
No, we can't
accept hard copies of these documents. If you do not have a scanner,
there are many businesses that will provide this service for a small fee such
as Staples, Office Depot, Kinko's, etc. You can also ask your local library or
County Auditor for assistance.
- Is there a limit on the size of the files?
Files should not be larger than 20 MB. If you
have a file that is larger than 20 MB and you are using a scanner, try changing
the settings on your scanner to convert it to a compressed PDF file. Also, if
you have a large file, check to make sure the file does not include unnecessary
data or pages. You can upload multiple files if needed. If you still have
problems and need assistance, please email the help desk at gateway@sboa.in.gov
or Gateway technical support at ibrctech@iupui.edu for assistance.