diff --git a/.github/workflows/code_reviewer.yml b/.github/workflows/code_reviewer.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 7ffa3ec..0000000
--- a/.github/workflows/code_reviewer.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-name: AI PR Reviewer
-
-on:
-  pull_request:
-    types:
-      - opened
-      - synchronize
-permissions:
-  pull-requests: write
-jobs:
-  tc-ai-pr-review:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout Repo
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
-
-      - name: TC AI PR Reviewer
-        uses: topcoder-platform/tc-ai-pr-reviewer@prompt-update
-        with:
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }} # The GITHUB_TOKEN is there by default so you just need to keep it like it is and not necessarily need to add it as secret as it will throw an error. [More Details](https://docs.github.com/en/actions/security-guides/automatic-token-authentication#about-the-github_token-secret)
-          LAB45_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.LAB45_API_KEY }}
-          exclude: '**/*.json, **/*.md, **/*.jpg, **/*.png, **/*.jpeg, **/*.bmp, **/*.webp' # Optional: exclude patterns separated by commas
diff --git a/src/api/challenges/challenges.service.spec.ts b/src/api/challenges/challenges.service.spec.ts
index ac8a42c..e7022e8 100644
--- a/src/api/challenges/challenges.service.spec.ts
+++ b/src/api/challenges/challenges.service.spec.ts
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ describe('ChallengesService', () => {
     expect(prisma.challenge_lock.create).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
-  it('maps task challenges with taas metadata to TAAS_PAYMENT', () => {
+  it('maps task challenges with taas metadata to TAAS_PAYMENT and OWED status', () => {
     const service = new ChallengesService(
       {} as any,
       {} as any,
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ describe('ChallengesService', () => {
     expect(payments).toEqual([
       expect.objectContaining({
         type: WinningsCategory.TAAS_PAYMENT,
+        status: PaymentStatus.OWED,
       }),
     ]);
   });
@@ -170,7 +171,52 @@ describe('ChallengesService', () => {
     ]);
   });
 
-  it('defaults task challenge winnings to ON_HOLD_ADMIN status', async () => {
+  it('defaults TAAS task challenge winnings to OWED status', async () => {
+    const service = new ChallengesService(
+      {} as any,
+      {} as any,
+      {} as any,
+      {} as any,
+      {} as any,
+    );
+
+    jest
+      .spyOn(service, 'getChallengeResources')
+      .mockResolvedValue({ winner: [] } as any);
+    jest.spyOn(service, 'generatePlacementWinnersPayments').mockReturnValue([
+      {
+        userId: '40158994',
+        amount: 500,
+        type: WinningsCategory.TAAS_PAYMENT,
+        currency: PrizeType.USD,
+      },
+    ] as any);
+    jest
+      .spyOn(service, 'generateCheckpointWinnersPayments')
+      .mockReturnValue([]);
+    jest.spyOn(service, 'generateCopilotPayment').mockReturnValue([]);
+    jest.spyOn(service, 'generateReviewersPayments').mockResolvedValue([]);
+
+    const winnings = await service.getChallengePayments({
+      id: '11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111',
+      name: 'TAAS Task Challenge',
+      type: 'Task',
+      task: { isTask: true },
+      billing: { billingAccountId: '1234', markup: 0.2 },
+    } as any);
+
+    expect(winnings).toEqual([
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        category: WinningsCategory.TAAS_PAYMENT,
+        status: PaymentStatus.OWED,
+      }),
+    ]);
+    expect(winnings[0].attributes).toMatchObject({
+      [CHALLENGE_BUDGET_SYNC_SKIP_ATTRIBUTE]: true,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('defaults non-TAAS task challenge winnings to ON_HOLD_ADMIN status', async () => {
     const service = new ChallengesService(
       {} as any,
       {} as any,
diff --git a/src/api/challenges/challenges.service.ts b/src/api/challenges/challenges.service.ts
index b420ec0..80f2069 100644
--- a/src/api/challenges/challenges.service.ts
+++ b/src/api/challenges/challenges.service.ts
@@ -148,6 +148,31 @@ export class ChallengesService {
       : WinningsCategory.REVIEW_BOARD_PAYMENT;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Resolves the explicit payment status for task payments generated from
+   * challenge-api-v6 challenge data.
+   *
+   * @param challenge Challenge details returned by challenge-api-v6.
+   * @param category Winnings category selected for the generated payment.
+   * @param currency Prize currency selected for the generated payment.
+   * @returns OWED for USD TAAS task payments, ON_HOLD_ADMIN for other USD task
+   * payments, and undefined when standard payout-readiness rules should apply.
+   * @throws This method does not throw.
+   */
+  private getTaskPaymentStatus(
+    challenge: Challenge,
+    category: WinningsCategory,
+    currency?: PrizeType,
+  ): PaymentStatus | undefined {
+    if (!challenge.task?.isTask || currency !== PrizeType.USD) {
+      return undefined;
+    }
+
+    return category === WinningsCategory.TAAS_PAYMENT
+      ? PaymentStatus.OWED
+      : PaymentStatus.ON_HOLD_ADMIN;
+  }
+
   async getChallenge(challengeId: string) {
     if (!isUUID(challengeId)) {
       throw new BadRequestException(
@@ -232,15 +257,15 @@ export class ChallengesService {
           ? (type ?? defaultCategory)
           : WinningsCategory.POINTS_AWARD;
 
+      const status = this.getTaskPaymentStatus(challenge, winType, currency);
+
       return {
         handle: winner.handle,
         amount: prizes[winner.placement - 1].value,
         userId: winner.userId.toString(),
         type: winType,
         currency,
-        ...(challenge.task?.isTask && currency === PrizeType.USD
-          ? { status: PaymentStatus.ON_HOLD_ADMIN }
-          : {}),
+        ...(status ? { status } : {}),
         description:
           challenge.type === 'Task'
             ? challenge.name
@@ -434,6 +459,12 @@ export class ChallengesService {
               currency,
             );
 
+            const status = this.getTaskPaymentStatus(
+              challenge,
+              winType,
+              currency,
+            );
+
             return {
               handle: reviewer.memberHandle,
               userId: reviewer.memberId.toString(),
@@ -446,9 +477,7 @@ export class ChallengesService {
               ),
               type: winType,
               currency: placementPrizes?.[0]?.type ?? PrizeType.USD,
-              ...(challenge.task?.isTask && currency === PrizeType.USD
-                ? { status: PaymentStatus.ON_HOLD_ADMIN }
-                : {}),
+              ...(status ? { status } : {}),
               description: `${challenge.name} - ${phaseReviews[0].phaseName}`,
             };
           },
@@ -513,6 +542,10 @@ export class ChallengesService {
     );
 
     return payments.map((payment) => {
+      const paymentStatus =
+        payment.status ??
+        this.getTaskPaymentStatus(challenge, payment.type, payment.currency);
+
       return {
         winnerId: payment.userId.toString(),
         type: