Reporting Instruction Manual
Step 5: Check the statement and pay

The Michigan Office of Retirement Services (ORS) funds this retirement plan using several sources. These include employer contributions and employee contributions. Money paid to buy years of service (YOS) and investment earnings also help fund the plan.

As a reporting unit, you must make payments to ORS based on a specific schedule. You must meet all deadlines. By law, ORS must charge late fees and interest if payments are late or missing.

Step 1: Check your balance

Each reporting unit must match its own records with the records at ORS. ORS uses your payroll reports and payments to calculate what you owe.

• The Recent Activity page (Days 1–6): This page is a live version of your statement. It changes daily as you submit reports or make payments.
• The Pay Cycle Statement (Day 7): On day 7, most of the data locks and will not change. Always use the totals from the Pay Cycle Statement on day 7 to make your final payment. On day 10, the whole statement locks.
• Reconciling your records: Compare your records to the ORS totals to ensure contributions are correct. If you pay too much, ORS will apply the extra money to your next report.

Step 2: Prepare to pay

A staff member with Payment Processor access must set up the bank information before you can pay online.

1. Log in to the website.
2. Click Payments on the left menu.
3. Click Add New Bank.
4. Fill in the required fields and click Submit.

You can pay online or by check. If you pay by check, ORS will charge a $50 processing fee. This fee does not apply to post-tax employer payments.

Step 3: How to make a payment

1. Log in and go to the Payments section. Click Make Payment.
2. Choose your bank account and enter the payment date.
3. Select the Cash Receipt Type:
• Use DB Contributions & TDP for DTL2 or DTL3 records.
• Use DC Contributions for DTL4 records.
• (Universities may see options for Non-Member/Non-ORP or University Health).
4. Pick the period end date. This should be the date for the payment you are making.
5. Fill in the Total Payment Amount. You can click Calculate to let the system add up the amounts from the detail boxes. The system only records what is in the Total Payment Amount field.
6. Agree to the terms in the Tell Me More section.
7. Click Make Payment, check the confirmation screen, and click Confirm Payment.

Step 4: After you pay

After you pay, the transaction appears on the Payments home page with a status:

• Pending: A new payment stays here until ORS gets notice of the payment.
• Paid: This appears two business days after the payment date. It means ORS knows the payment started. It usually takes four to seven business days for the money to leave your bank.
• Failed Payments: This happens for reasons like low funds or an invalid account.

Canceling a payment

Reporting units must cancel a payment by 10:29 p.m. on the payment date. Don't wait just because a status says Pending.

1. Click Payments on the left menu.
2. Click the Confirmation Number for the payment.
3. Click Cancel Payment and then click Yes.

Fixing payment errors

If a payment goes to the wrong account, the reporting unit must ask for a cash correction in writing. Email ORS_Web_Reporting@Michigan.gov with the reporting unit name, payment date, amount, and confirmation number.

Step 5: Fees and interest

ORS sets a schedule for when payments are due. If reporting units miss a deadline, they must pay late fees and interest. This is required by law under Public Act 300 of 1980.

• Deadlines: Submit contributions and TDP deductions by the seventh state business day after the pay period ends. Accept retirement reports by the fifth state business day.
• Late fee: You will pay either $25 or 0.17% of the missing amount, whichever is higher.
• Interest rate: Interest is charged every day on balances of $100 or more. For 2026, the interest rate is 6.00%.
• Report fee: If a report is not accepted by the deadline, ORS charges a $50 fee for every pay cycle it remains incomplete.