Authority: IC 6-1.1-31-1; IC 6-1.1-31.5-3.5

Affected: IC 6-1.1-31.5

Sec. 2. (a) As used in this section, "phase I testing" refers to the testing of the stand-alone functionality of the individual components of a property tax management system for certification under this article.

(b) Assessment and tax and billing software subject to certification under section 1 of this rule must initially be tested and certified under this section. The software will be tested by the department or its designee on a stand-alone PC, or a larger system if no PC version is available, on which the software has been installed. A vendor or data processing department shall schedule a testing date with the department at least thirty (30) days before submitting its assessment software or tax and billing software for test. The department reserves the right to proactively coordinate testing dates per the department prescribed time frame allotted for initial phase I testing and reserves the right to conduct the testing session either in person or via a virtual environment (e.g., webinar). The test shall include, but will not be limited to, a demonstration of the following:

1. (1) The software's internal control mechanisms and accounting standards required under this article.

2. (2) The software's ability to:

   1. (A) perform calculations required under this article;
   2. (B) export all state specified data in the format required under this article;
   3. (C) generate and produce required forms and both standard and user-defined reports; and
   4. (D) allow for record searching and retrieval;
3. as applicable to fulfill its function within an overall property tax management system.

(c) At least thirty (30) days before the test, each vendor shall submit the following:

1. (1) For review, all technical documentation. All documentation that includes proprietary information or trade secrets must be so identified on its cover.
2. (2) Audited financial statements for the most recent three (3) years upon request by the department. If the company has been in business less than three (3) years, then a business plan shall be submitted in addition to any available financial statements.

(d) At least thirty (30) days before the test, each data processing department that has developed a unique assessment or tax and billing application shall submit for review all technical documentation. All documents that include proprietary information or trade secrets must be so identified on its cover.

(e) The department or its designee shall finish the test and notify the vendor or data processing department of the results within thirty (30) days of the completion date of the initial phase I testing session. If the software fails the test, the department will inform the vendor or data processing department in writing of the reason or reasons for the failure. Upon notice of failure, the vendor or data processing department may make the required correction or corrections and resubmit for certification, within thirty (30) days of the receipt of the results of the initial phase I testing session. The department or its designee shall finish the test and notify the vendor or data processing department of the results within thirty (30) days of the completion date of the subsequent phase I testing session. If the software fails the test, the department will inform the vendor or data processing department in writing of the reason or reasons for the failure. The vendor or data processing department may resubmit its software on an iterative basis for phase I certification until such time the department has determined all required tests have been successfully demonstrated as long as all phase I testing sessions are completed within the department provided time frame for phase I certification.

(f) Upon successful completion of testing under subsection (b), the department shall then declare the assessment or tax and billing software phase I certified.

(Department of Local Government Finance; 50 IAC 26-18-2; filed Jan 28, 2011, 3:07 p.m.: 20110223-IR-050100165FRA; filed May 9, 2018, 10:00 a.m.: 20180606-IR-050180006FRA; readopted filed Oct 4, 2024, 4:04 p.m.: 20241030-IR-050230833RFA)