It’s now been one month since the launch of the modernized Ohio Business Gateway (OBG). On July 25, the Ohio Department of Taxation announced it will not assess a penalty or charge additional interest to those it can verify have been impacted by recent issues with the OBG.  Building on our efforts to bring you answers to frequently asked questions, as you continue to familiarize yourself with the modernized Gateway and assist your clients in navigating the system, refer to the modernized Gateway FAQs posted to the Learn How to Get Started page on gateway.ohio.gov. Here is a selection of these FAQs provided by the State of Ohio's Gateway Modernization Project Organizational Change Management Team:

Why should service providers and clients create separate OH|ID login credentials?

With the Gateway’s integration with the State of Ohio’s new identity management system, OH|ID, each Gateway user is now required to create an OH|ID that represents them as an individual. This is a change from the previous system – OH|IDs are associated with an individual user, not a company or business account. In other words, OH|IDs are “user-based” not “business-based.”

This change aligns with the latest in security best practices and allows for verification that the individual who is filing a transaction has the appropriate permissions to file on behalf of the business account. Never share your OH|ID username or password as the credentials represent you as an individual practitioner; they do not represent your employer’s or client’s business account. Logging in with an OH|ID created by a client means that the Gateway will record that your client, not you, filed the transaction and poses a security risk both for you and your client.

How do I assist a client who does not have access to their own business account?

The appropriate representative(s) from your client’s business should first create an OH|ID that represents them as an individual. If your client logged in to the Gateway before July 2 with their own username and password but has not logged in since the modernized Gateway has gone live, share this video tutorial, which provides step-by-step instructions to create an OH|ID and link it to their existing Gateway account. If your client has never logged in to the Gateway before, they should follow the step-by-step instructions in this video tutorial to create an individual OH|ID and request access to their business’ Gateway account.

If, after logging in with their individual OH|ID, your client does not see their business listed in the dropdown menu located at the top left-hand corner of the Business Dashboard, they must request access by clicking the “Request Business Access” hyperlink. A Filing Administrator on the business account is then responsible for approving their access request, as well as determining the filing role they should have on the business account and their transaction permissions. This video tutorial provides additional details on how users complete this process. Additional information can be found within the Gateway by typing keywords into the Gateway’s “Search” bar.

How do I file a transaction on behalf of a client but have them complete payment?

Complete all steps in the transaction filing flow, after which you will be taken back to your Business Dashboard. A green notification will appear at the top of the Business Dashboard indicating the transaction is ready to check out. You also will see a red notification icon above the Ready for Checkout tab. At this point, you should notify your client that the transaction has been filed and is ready for payment.

When your client logs in to the Gateway using their individual OH|ID, they will see the transaction in the Ready for Checkout tab on their Business Dashboard. Your client can proceed with completing payment by clicking on the plus sign next to the transaction name and then clicking on the “Proceed to Cart” button. This video tutorial provides additional details on how to complete the transaction checkout and payment process. Additional information can be found within the Gateway by typing keywords into the Gateway’s “Search” bar.

If your client does not see the transaction in their Ready for Checkout tab, they likely do not have access to that transaction type. This video tutorial provides step-by-step instructions for requesting Service Area and transaction access.

My help case is marked as “Resolved,” but I require additional assistance. What should I do?

When the Gateway Help Desk feels that your issue has been addressed, the status of the help case will be marked as “Resolved.” If you require additional assistance with the same issue, simply re-open the help case within three to five days, rather than creating a new help case to assist the Help Desk in resolving your issue in a timelier manner.

1. From the Business Dashboard, click on the “Administration” icon in the upper right-hand corner (this icon looks like a person).
2. Click on the Cases tab.
3. Click on the case number hyperlink for the help case that you would like to reopen.
4. Click on the “Reopen case” button, located above the comment box.
5. In the popup that appears, describe the additional assistance required. If you would like to receive a call from the Gateway Help Desk, be sure to note that as well.
6. Click the “Confirm” button.
7. The help case will display a status of “Re-Opened” and the Gateway Help Desk will be notified.

Why do I see individuals who are inactive and no longer work for me listed on the Account Access Management page?

For traceability purposes, Gateway users are never “deleted” from the Gateway database. Users who are deactivated or whose access is removed will still display on the Account Access Management page for the business account. However, their status will display as “Inactive” or “Terminated” and they will not be able to access any information related to the business account.

How can I submit suggestions for future enhancements to the Gateway?

Suggestions and feedback can be submitted to the Ohio Business Gateway by completing the Contact us by email form on the Help page of gateway.ohio.gov.