diff --git a/ess/src/API/EMBC.ESS.Utilities.Cas/Contract.cs b/ess/src/API/EMBC.ESS.Utilities.Cas/Contract.cs
index 2c62610e7..1aa9ff0f6 100644
--- a/ess/src/API/EMBC.ESS.Utilities.Cas/Contract.cs
+++ b/ess/src/API/EMBC.ESS.Utilities.Cas/Contract.cs
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ public class CasDateJsonConverter : JsonConverter<DateTime>
         public override DateTime Read(ref Utf8JsonReader reader, Type typeToConvert, JsonSerializerOptions options)
         {
             var tmp = DateTime.SpecifyKind(DateTime.Parse(reader.GetString() ?? string.Empty), DateTimeKind.Unspecified);
-            return TimeZoneInfo.ConvertTimeToUtc(TimeZoneInfo.ConvertTimeBySystemTimeZoneId(tmp, DateTimeEx.GetPSTTimeZone()));
+            return tmp.FromUnspecifiedPstToUtc();
         }
 
         public override void Write(Utf8JsonWriter writer, DateTime value, JsonSerializerOptions options)
diff --git a/ess/src/API/EMBC.Tests.Integration.ESS/Resources/PaymentsTests.cs b/ess/src/API/EMBC.Tests.Integration.ESS/Resources/PaymentsTests.cs
index 90a745b46..da35cede5 100644
--- a/ess/src/API/EMBC.Tests.Integration.ESS/Resources/PaymentsTests.cs
+++ b/ess/src/API/EMBC.Tests.Integration.ESS/Resources/PaymentsTests.cs
@@ -271,11 +271,10 @@ await repository.Manage(new IssuePaymentsBatchRequest
         public async Task ConvertPstToUtc()
         {
             var registrantId = await CreateNewRegistrant();
-            var tmp = DateTime.SpecifyKind(DateTime.Parse("07-SEP-2023 14:00:41"), DateTimeKind.Unspecified);
-            tmp = TimeZoneInfo.ConvertTimeToUtc(TimeZoneInfo.ConvertTimeBySystemTimeZoneId(tmp, DateTimeEx.GetPSTTimeZone()));
+            var tmp = DateTime.SpecifyKind(DateTime.Parse("07-SEP-2023 14:23:41"), DateTimeKind.Unspecified);
+            tmp = tmp.FromUnspecifiedPstToUtc();
             tmp.Second.ShouldBe(41);
-            tmp.Minute.ShouldBe(0);
-            tmp.Hour.ShouldBe(21);
+            tmp.Minute.ShouldBe(23);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/shared/src/EMBC.Utilities/Extensions/DateTimeEx.cs b/shared/src/EMBC.Utilities/Extensions/DateTimeEx.cs
index 531ccd05c..51b53dd8e 100644
--- a/shared/src/EMBC.Utilities/Extensions/DateTimeEx.cs
+++ b/shared/src/EMBC.Utilities/Extensions/DateTimeEx.cs
@@ -12,7 +12,14 @@ public static DateTime ToPST(this DateTime date)
             return TimeZoneInfo.ConvertTimeBySystemTimeZoneId(date, GetPSTTimeZone());
         }
 
-        public static string GetPSTTimeZone()
+        public static DateTime FromUnspecifiedPstToUtc(this DateTime date)
+        {
+            //convert from Unspecified PST to UTC
+            if (date.Kind != DateTimeKind.Unspecified) date = DateTime.SpecifyKind(date, DateTimeKind.Unspecified);
+            return TimeZoneInfo.ConvertTimeBySystemTimeZoneId(date, GetPSTTimeZone(), GetUTCTimeZone());
+        }
+
+        private static string GetPSTTimeZone()
         {
             return Environment.OSVersion.Platform switch
             {