{"id":31938,"date":"2019-11-04T03:23:02","date_gmt":"2019-11-04T03:23:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/e-ratepaorg.local\/?p=31938"},"modified":"2019-11-06T03:25:39","modified_gmt":"2019-11-06T03:25:39","slug":"have-you-updated-your-form-498","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p=31938","title":{"rendered":"Have You Updated Your Form 498?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #222222;\">November 4, 2019<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Attached:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Modifying-a-498-Guide-2019.pdf\" class=\"mtli_attachment mtli_pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Modifying a 498 &#8211; Guide 2019<\/a><\/p>\n<p>In August, USAC began asking applicants with Form 498s on file to update the form with a new \u201cbusiness type\u201d field (the Form 498 is the form that\u2019s required to be on-file with USAC with your banking information so USAC can deposit the BEAR reimbursements \u2013 I call it the \u2018498 Direct Deposit Form\u2019.)\u00a0 USAC is being required to comply with the DATA Act of 2014 which requires the federal government to transform its spending information into easily searchable, open data, and in order to be in compliant, they need to collect this information.<\/p>\n<p>Many of you updated your form at that time, but there are still many applicants that have not yet done so.\u00a0\u00a0<strong>How do you know if you are on USACs \u201cnon-updated 498\u201d list<\/strong>?\u00a0 There is no publicly available list that I can find, but the easiest way to know is because USAC has been sending you regular e-mails that say, \u201cUPDATE YOUR FORM 498 NOW.\u201d\u00a0 Also, there are steps below and in the attached Guide that walk you through the steps so you can search to see if you have a Form 498 on file and if it\u2019s been updated.<\/p>\n<p>And it\u2019s extremely simple to do, so take care of this now so USAC stops sending you messages.\u00a0 This is also a great time to make sure that the Remittance Contact listed on the form is up-to-date as this is the person who receives the BEAR reimbursement deposit notification e-mails.<\/p>\n<p>Below are answers to what I expect are your questions, below that are the steps to updating your form, and attached is a Guide.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Which entities must respond?<\/strong>\u00a0 Any entity that has a Form 498 already on file with USAC must update their form.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>What\u2019s the deadline?<\/strong>\u00a0 ASAP, but by the end of December at the latest.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>What information is needed?\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>You will be asked to select a \u201cbusiness type\u201d from a pre-set list of dropdowns (clearly the list was not developed by USAC or with schools and libraries in mind).\u00a0 You will not be penalized in any way for choosing the wrong drop down; however, I suggest using the following:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Public School Districts &#8211;\u00a0<\/strong>Independent School District<\/li>\n<li><strong>IUs, Library Systems, and most consortia &#8211;\u00a0<\/strong>U.S. Regional Organization<\/li>\n<li><strong>Private Schools, Charter Schools, AVTSs, and Independent Libraries \u2013\u00a0<\/strong>Nonprofit with 501C3 IRS Status (Other than an Institution of Higher Education), or \u201cOther\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>If we don\u2019t have a Form 498 on file with USAC, must we file one?\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>No.\u00a0 But in the future, if you want to pay your vendors in full and then seek reimbursement using the Form 472 BEAR, then you will need to submit a Form 498 and go through the approval process before your first BEAR is filed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Do I need to resubmit my cancelled check?<\/strong>\u00a0 No.\u00a0 The only time you will be required to e-mail USAC a copy of your voided or cancelled check and go through the re-approval process is if you change your banking information.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Who can update the Form 498 in EPC?\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Only a \u201cschool or library official\u201d can certify and submit the Form 498.\u00a0 That status is given to an EPC User by their EPC Account Administrator (to change someone\u2019s status, the AA should click on Manage Users).\u00a0 A consultant may update the form, but they must have the EPC system \u201cSend for Certification\u201d to the school or library official for certification because consultants cannot certify this form.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Can I update other information on the Form 498?<\/strong>\u00a0 Absolutely.\u00a0 Please look at the\u00a0Remittance Contact\u00a0especially as this is the person who receives the electronic BEAR Remittance Statements via e-mail.\u00a0 Make sure this person is still the appropriate individual to receive these messages at your school or library.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Do I have to submit the Form 498 each year?<\/strong>\u00a0 No, this form is one you just submit once with your banking information so USAC knows to what bank account they should remit your BEAR reimbursement funds.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Steps to Update Form 498:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">1<strong>. \u00a0Log in to EPC<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">2. \u00a0Click the\u00a0<strong>\u201cRecords\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0tab at the top of the page.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">3. \u00a0Choose\u00a0<strong>\u201cFCC Form 498\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0from the list of entries.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">4. \u00a0Click on the\u00a0<strong>\u201cNickname\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0or\u00a0<strong>\u201c498 ID\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0of the form you want to modify. \u00a0(If there is no 498 showing, it means one is not on file and you can disregard this message.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">5. \u00a0Click\u00a0<strong>\u201cModify FCC Form 498\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0in the top right corner of the page.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">6. \u00a0At the bottom of the 1st page, select the\u00a0<strong>Business Type<\/strong>, then Save and Continue.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">7.\u00a0 On the 3<sup>rd<\/sup>\u00a0page, enter your\u00a0<strong>DUNS<\/strong>\u00a0number if this field is blank.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">8. \u00a0<strong>Update<\/strong>\u00a0any other information that has changed.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">9.\u00a0 Click\u00a0<strong>Save and Continue<\/strong>\u00a0until you\u2019ve certified the form.<\/p>\n<p>If you have any questions, please contact me!<\/p>\n<p>Happy updating!<\/p>\n<p>&#8212; Julie<\/p>\n<p>Julie Tritt Schell<br \/>\nPennsylvania E-rate Coordinator<br \/>\n717-730-7133 &#8211; o<br \/>\n<a href=\"mailto:jtschell@comcast.net\">jtschell@comcast.net<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.e-ratepaorg.local\/\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=http:\/\/www.e-ratepaorg.local\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1573096504199000&amp;usg=AFQjCNERGTs3aoXrfqrsQO2AF6cbuUPnYw\">www.e-ratepa.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n<div class=\"twitter-share\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?via=eratepenn\" class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-size=\"large\">Tweet<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>November 4, 2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31938","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-listserve_archive"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31938","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=31938"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31938\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31938"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31938"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31938"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}