Federal Agencies' Centralized
Trial-Balance System II

Getting Started

Treasury, OMB and other agencies recognize that data for all accounts submitted on the FMS 2108, SF 133, and P&F Schedule in the President's Budget should agree, and should be reported consistently from all agencies. In order to eliminate duplicate reporting and improve the consistency of data reported government-wide, an inter-agency group spent a year determining how accounting data in agency systems should map to each entry on the FMS 2108, SF 133, and much of the prior year column of the P&F Schedule. The group used Standard General Ledger (USSGL) accounts, and also identified 20 other kinds of data that are needed to create precise crosswalks between agency accounting data (mostly budgetary, some proprietary) and the FMS 2108, SF 133, and P&F. Since then, Treasury and OMB have made a number of changes in the data they collect from agencies to improve the consistency of what they request, and to improve the consistency between data in agency accounting systems and what Treasury and OMB publish.

Benefits

FACTS II provides numerous benefits for agencies, FMS and OMB. For example, FACTS II:

• Eliminates duplicate reporting: agencies submit one set of FACTS II data rather than separately submitting SF 133, FMS 2108 and P&F data.
  
  
• Initializes much of the prior year column of the P&F Schedule with FACTS II data, saving data entry for budget formulation shops.
  
  
• Eliminates reconciling FMS 2108, SF 133 and P&F submissions
  
  
• Improves consistency of data reported across the government by relying on USSGL account adjusted trial balances plus attributes. The use of FACTS II requires familiarity with basic accounting, USSGL accounts and related attributes that are used for FACTS II reporting.
  
  
• Allows data to be submitted via bulk transfers using FACTS II Bulk Transfer File Formats .
  
  
• Facilitates communication between budget formulation and budget execution staffs.
  
  
• Produces SF 133 and FMS 2108 report output.
  
  
• Is free for agencies to use, unlike some other FMS/GOALS systems, including the current SF 133 application.
  
  
• Note: Does not replace FACTS I, a separate GOALS application, that collects proprietary accounting data used to produce the Financial Report of the U.S. Government.
  
  
• Note: The Federal Financial Management Improvement Act (P.L. 104-208, section 101(f)(803)) and section 7(c) of OMB Circular No. A-127 require agencies' financial systems to comply with USSGL at the transaction level. Auditors are required to test for USSGL compliance.

How do I enroll?

Each FACTS II users must complete and submit:

• Enterprise Security Access Administration System (ESAAS)

System Requirements

The recommended system requirements for FACTS II include:

• Pentium Processor
• 32 MB RAM
• SVGA monitor and video card
• Mouse (with right and left buttons)
• 56 KB modem
• Analog telephone line for data calls, like those used by FAX machines.
• Microsoft Windows 9x, and Windows NT 3.51 will be supported.
• Web Browser

Windows 9x and Windows NT users will need "Dial-Up Networking" using PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol)provided on Windows installation diskettes.