Department: Labor Administrative and Financial Services Title: Internal control over valuing estimates for the allowances for uncollectible unemployment insurance receivables needs improvement Questioned Costs: None Status: Corrective action in progress Corrective Action: The Office of the State Con...
Department: Labor Administrative and Financial Services Title: Internal control over valuing estimates for the allowances for uncollectible unemployment insurance receivables needs improvement Questioned Costs: None Status: Corrective action in progress Corrective Action: The Office of the State Controller (OSC) will provide guidance to the Department of Labor (DOL) to develop a reporting mechanism that will provide a more detailed analysis of the activity of the receivable balances. The OSC is responsible for determining the estimates in the financial statements. The accounting estimates are based on subjective, as well as, objective factors; therefore, professional judgement is required to estimate an amount for uncollectible receivables using an aging methodology, which is considered a common and acceptable method within the industry. Management's opinion is that this method is not overly sensitive to variations, is consistent with historical patterns and is not overly subjective or susceptible to bias. Applying this methodology, the OSC and the DOL accumulate relevant, sufficient, and reliable data on which to base the estimate. Additionally, we believe that the estimate is presented in conformity with the applicable accounting principles and that disclosure is adequate. The OSC recently performed a five-year trend analysis of historical collections with information provided by the DOL. The OSC compared the percentages and the assumptions used in the past and updated the reserve percentages accordingly. The OSC will continue to use the rolling year trend analysis with the actual collection data, as provided by the DOL, to update the reserve percentage. The DOL implemented a new system and the OSC will continue to review the reserve process to ensure the allowance continues to be valued properly. Completion Date: June 30, 2023 Agency Contact: Stacey Thomas, Financial Management Coordinator, OSC, 207-626-8431