Packtally docs
Reports, checks and filing files
How Packtally counts pounds by state and category, the checks that block a filing, fee estimates, the flat fee comparison and every file you can download.
In short: Reports turns your orders, packaging and rules into each state's numbers. Pick a state to see what to do, the pounds by category, the estimated fees and the files. A list of checks runs over everything first, and filing files are only made from a report with no blocking problems.
What each state shows
- What to do, from the state's status and your figures.
- Pounds by category in that state's reporting categories, largest first, with the category code, plastic pounds and plastic parts, and whether the mapping matches CAA's.
- Estimated fees at the current rates, with a note on which schedule they use and when they're billed. Where a state offers a flat fee for low volumes, as Oregon and Colorado do, Packtally shows the flat fee next to paying by the pound so you can see which costs less.
- The methodology, written from how your numbers were actually built: where each weight came from, how shipping packaging was assigned, which brands are left out and why, and which units were spread by estimate. CAA rejects one-line methodologies.
The top of the screen shows the share of shipped units with packaging set, the rules version, and the fee schedule in use. If the data year isn't over yet, numbers are still moving; lock after December 31.
The checks
Every report runs a list of checks, blocking ones first. Filed reports can't be edited, so they get fixed before you file. Blocking checks include:
- global revenue not entered,
- no fulfilled US orders in the data year,
- packaging items not yet confirmed, or with no weight,
- plastic weight greater than the item's total weight,
- more than 1% of orders with no ship-to state,
- more than 1% of units with no product packaging set,
- more than 1% of shipments no shipping rule matched.
Warnings don't block, but they're worth a look: a partial year, missing brand names, a location where nobody said who packs, product categories not yet answered, very heavy items (often a units mistake), film with no resin type, recycled content with no proof, rates not yet final, brands with no owner answer, a gap of more than 20% between packaging bought and packaging counted, a bundle that repeats its items' packaging, and weight that rests mostly on estimates.
The files
| File | What's in it | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Filing workbook (Excel) | One tab per portal screen, in the portal's order: obligation answers, low volume, associated producers, methodology and brands, and supplied quantities, plus a read me and an audit tab | Report |
| Quantities CSV | Pounds into the state by category | Report |
| Audit file | Every packaging line behind the numbers: role, producer, packer, brand owner, item, material, units, weight, plastic, weight source and whether it's confirmed | Report |
| Summary | The state's status, reasons and figures in plain text. The methodology is included on Report and up | Any |
| Brand list | The brands in your report, as a CSV | Any |
| Sample filing workbook | A complete workbook for the made-up sample brand, so you can see exactly what you'd get | Any |
Every file starts with the same notice: it was prepared with Packtally for your review, it isn't a filing or legal advice, and you check each figure against your own records and the portal's current instructions before you submit. If the portal's categories or precision differ, follow the portal.
Until your Report or Pro plan starts (on Free, on Exempt and during a trial), Reports shows the categories you'll report, largest first, without the pounds, since those are what you'd file. Home shows each state's total rounded to two significant figures, so 1,234 lb shows as about 1,200 lb. The exact pounds, the full methodology and the filing files open when the plan starts. See plans and billing.
Ways to lower your fees
Packtally prices realistic packaging changes with your own orders and packaging at the current rates. Each is a single change, and the savings repeat every year. For example: right-size a box to one about 20% lighter, switch a plastic mailer to a recyclable paper one, replace foam with molded pulp, switch a laminate to paper, ask for a carton without the plastic coating, or ask for a lighter glass jar. Free and Exempt show the top idea; Report and up show them all.
When you're ready
The workbook is a draft from your data for you to check. To lock a version you approve, go to File. See filing each state.