That time of year again, and as in recent years the DRA has made no changes to the MS-1 Report file specification for 2025. That said, we are still waiting to hear back from the folks in charge whether there will be any changes to the list of approved utility companies. Additionally, there have been a few changes to the format and process for submitting your Mosaic Parcel and Sales export files. So at the risk of sounding slightly <like a broken record> repetitive, here’s what this all means for you going forward:

MS-1 Report — Report Format:
The report format has not changed and there are no new categories of exemptions that will require you to rework any existing exemptions or credits. So, in coordination with your assessor, you should feel free to begin previewing and reviewing your MS-1 report once you and your assessor determine that all necessary pickups, new construction, updates, etc. have been completed for the year. But from a software standpoint, there is no update you’ll need to install before being able to generate and submit your MS-1 Report to the DRA. However, you should hold off submitting your report to the DRA until we receive the final word on the list of approved utility company names.

MS-1 Report — Approved Utility Company Names:
It is not uncommon, as a result of mergers and acquisitions, for the names of several approved utility companies to change from one year to the next. And if one of these companies is in your municipality, you can have issues electronically submitting the MS-1 Report to the DRA if your report includes the old name. But the good news is, once we know the final list of utility names, we will be able to provide you with a summary of the changes, and if one of the companies exists in your municipality you can contact us to run a simple script so you can update it. We’ll let you know as soon as we know.

MS-1 Report — When You Do Submit Your Report:
Again, in coordination with your assessor, when you decide you are ready to submit your report, you can review our online documentation if you have questions on the process. And if you still have questions, give us a call.

MS-1 Report — If You Are New to the Process in Avitar Assessing:
Relax, this shouldn’t be too painful. You can start by familiarizing yourself with the process, and give us a call if you still have questions.

Mosaic Exports — What Are We Talking About?
Essentially, we’re talking about two system functions: Utilities | Data Export | Mosaic Parcel Format and Utilities | Data Export | Mosaic Advanced Sales Format. But in a broader context, each year the DRA requires that municipalities provide the State with sales and assessment information as part of the Equalization process. The Equalization program is designed to ensure that assessments throughout New Hampshire communities accurately reflect the real estate market, as indicated by recent real estate sales, and to provide a method for comparing or equalizing assessments throughout different communities. If you want to learn more, you can review our online documentation.

Mosaic Exports — What Has Changed?
1. Previously, our system used simple FTP settings provided by the DRA and its contractors to electronically submit your Mosaic data directly from Avitar Assessing to the Equalization site. As their system continues to evolve, the submission method has changed slightly. Now you will begin by exporting the files from Avitar Assessing to a location on your computer. Then you will connect to the Equalization site and upload the files from your computer (assuming you remember where you saved them) into the Equalization system.

2. The contents and format of the electronic files have also changed this year. As such, you should wait for the pending Avitar Assessing update before you export and submit your Mosaic data. We are still waiting for them to verify that our files conform to their changes — as soon as they sign off on our changes, we will be able to provide you with the latest system update for Avitar Assessing.

Mosaic Exports — When Should You Submit Your Mosaic Data?
You should wait to export and submit your Mosaic sales and parcel data until after you have received the pending Avitar Assessing update. This should be available in the next week or so.

In Summary
Keep your head up for additional notifications from us regarding:

1. Any MS-1 Report utility company name changes for this year, and
2. When the pending update is available for download and installation.

In the meantime, we hope you are enjoying a terrific summer.