Introduction to Disbursement Services

Transcription

1 Introduction to Disbursement Services Purpose Disbursement Services is a service unit within the University business organization, reporting to the Controller. The department's responsibility is to monitor, control, and process all non-salary expense transactions of the University. This process includes the following tasks: Processing vendor invoices for payment of goods and services that have been requisitioned on University Purchase Orders Processing and auditing departmental payment requests such as direct pay invoices (non-po), Check Requests, and direct deposit (ACH) payments Audit and process requests for payment of travel reimbursements, prepaid airfare, hotel, and conference registrations. Reconciling general ledger accounts to distribute charge backs to the appropriate BANNER accounts Maintaining archival records of all non-salary disbursement payments Location Disbursement Services is located at 1600 Lowery Street. Disbursement Services Staff Judy L. Cooley, Director (336) Supervise four technical employees who perform a variety of bookkeeping and accounting functions for accounts payable. This position manages the University s disbursement services operations including the automated accounts payable system with emphasis on cash management and vendor relations. Kathleen Hurley, Accounting Technician (336) Process check requests for payment. Check form for accuracy and completeness. Verify backup documentation to check request form. Vendor file maintenance involves verifying correct remittance addresses within the Accounts Payable section of the vendor files. Code 1099 vendor payments for reporting. Responsible for indexing scanned documents into BANNER Xtender for University viewing. Kerri F. Jordan, Accounting Technician (336) Audit and process requests for payment of travel reimbursements, prepaid airfare, hotel, and conference registrations. For each document received, the following must be done: Review all travel documentation for accuracy and adherence to State and University guidelines. (This

2 process requires judgment and an understanding for the University s charge of accounts, BANNER accounting system, WSSU and State Budget Manual travel policies and procedures). Determine correct account codes to be charged for expenditures; determine correct vendor number to be utilized; verify initial documentation for completeness and authorized signatures. This position is required to maintain and reconcile the University s Travel Advance account. This requires that all prepayments and new advances be posted to the accounting system on a monthly basis. Reconciliation for this account is performed monthly and communication is sent to delinquent travelers. Monthly reconciliation is also necessary for the Diner s Club accounts and Bank statements. In addition to processing daily check run cycle to include direct deposit (ACH) payments to employees, vendors and students via Wells Fargo Data Transmission website. Tracey Jordan, Accounting Technician (336) The primary purpose of this position is to receive, match, audit and process all purchase order invoices for payment in an accurate and timely manner for all vendors. Vendor file maintenance involves verifying correct remittance addresses within the Accounts Payable section of the vendor files. Pre-audit purchase order invoices receive, date stamp, match invoices to purchase orders. Verifying quantity, price, description, determine if appropriate memo banks have been charged, properly apply discounts, check budget and object codes, and remittance address before inputting invoices into system. Jeanette B. Valentine, Accounting Technician (336) Responsible for auditing and processing requests for payment of travel reimbursements, prepaid airfare, hotel, and conference registrations. For each document received, the following must be done: Review all travel documentation for accuracy and adherence to State and University guidelines. (This process requires judgment and an understanding for the University s charge of accounts, BANNER accounting system, WSSU and State Budget Manual travel policies and procedures). Determine correct account codes to be charged for expenditures; determine correct vendor number to be utilized; verify initial documentation for completeness and authorized signatures. Process direct pay invoices (non-po) such as library, leases, utilities, etc. for payment. DISBURSEMENT SERVICES DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES The Disbursement Services Department provides many services for the University. Customer Service The Customer Service section is responsible for the day-to-day contact with departments and vendors on matters related to the payment of vendor invoices, check requests, petty cash reimbursement requests, and independent contractor forms. It is also responsible for receiving and distributing reports from outside agencies as well as mail received by the department.

3 Data Control The Data Control section is responsible for attaching the appropriate enclosures to Disbursement Services checks, as necessary, preparing checks for mailing, entering data collect batches, and disbursing checks. This section is also responsible for proofing data entered through the Disbursement Services Vouchering and Imaging Systems (Xtender). Payment Processing for Non-Purchase Orders The Payment Processing-Non Purchase Orders section is responsible for processing all Check Requests, Petty Cash Reimbursement Requests, Employee (non-payroll) payments, and Independent Contractor payments. This section is also responsible for reviewing data to determine the University's obligation to report certain types of payments to the IRS via Form 1099 and withhold North Carolina Income Tax. Payment Processing for Purchase Orders The Payment Processing-Purchase Orders section is responsible for processing all purchase order invoices for payment and ensuring that invoices with discount terms are processed immediately. This section is responsible for following up and resolving invoice processing problems, such as notifying the Purchasing Department of price and quantity discrepancies between a University Purchase Order and a vendor's invoice. This section is also responsible for obtaining the required payment approval for Standing/Maintenance Orders from University departments and for obtaining Receiving Reports. Vendor Coordination The Vendor Coordination involves comparing incoming data to the current vendor file and creating new vendor files or revising the current vendor file if applicable. SUMMARY OF PAYMENT TYPES General Disbursement Services generates reimbursements to vendors and individuals in response to certain approved documents. First, however, here is some information that applies to more than one kind of document. Payments to Individuals All documents supporting payments to individuals (employees, non-employees, or students) must provide the payee's BANNER Number and home address (permanent mailing address for students). Additional information is required for the payment of non-service scholarships/fellowships/stipends to students.

4 Out-of-Pocket Expense Out-of-pocket business expenses to be reimbursed to an individual who is also the disbursing authority for the account to which the expenses will be charged require a countersignature. The signature should be obtained from either of the following: (1) a person of higher authority or (2) the business manager or other person designated to review and approve expense transactions for the department, school, college, or division. Check with Order Vendors sometimes require advance payment. To fulfill this requirement, send a Purchase Requisition accurately reflecting all related charges, including shipping and handling, to the Purchasing Department. Purchasing will prepare a Purchase Order and send it to Disbursement Services, which issues a check and sends it with the order to the specified vendor. Upon request, the check with order may be returned to the department for special handling. Regular Purchase Orders The vendor's invoice must agree with the corresponding Purchase Order by line item, in item description, quantity, unit price, and terms of sale. When an order is shipped to Central Receiving on a Purchase Order, the staff enters a Receiving Report indicating receipt of the items on the invoice. When a shipment is sent directly to a University department, an authorized department representative must enter it online Standing Purchase Orders Used for supplies that must be replaced on a regular basis, such as office, medical or laboratory supplies, and for maintenance contracts. The vendor's invoice must agree with the corresponding Purchase Order by line item, in item description, quantity, unit price, and terms of sale. The invoice is approved by an authorized departmental representative and forwarded to Disbursement Services. No receiving report is required for payment. Check Requests The Check Request is a Purchasing Department form that provides departments with a mechanism to pay companies and individuals for those types of approved expenditures that do not require a University Purchase Order. The types of expenditures that can be processed on the Check Request form include, but are not limited to, the following: Catering-An original invoice must be attached. Courier Charges-An original invoice must be attached; check will be mailed directly to vendor. Honorarium, Non-University Employee Personal Services (One-Time Payments)-NOTE: Must include a signed contract between University and recipient. License Fees-Requires a complete description.

5 Membership Dues and Fees-Requires a renewal statement or original invoice from the vendor. Include one duplicate of the statement or invoice. Reimbursement (For business-related out-of-pocket expenses, excluding travel)- Requires proof of payment such as original paid receipt or copy of a cancelled check. Must also include justification for purchases. Postage-All postage checks must be picked up in Student Accounts Office. Subscriptions-An original invoice must be attached if this is a first-time request. Renewal requests must be accompanied by a completed form or renewal statement from the vendor. All subscriptions must be delivered to a campus address. In the event that a credit memo is issued for items paid by a Check Request, the credit memo should be forwarded to Disbursement Services. Include with the credit memo the vendor and invoice number that was originally used to pay for the items. Disbursement Services will enter the credit memos into the University's BANNER System. The next check cut to the vendor will deduct the amount of the credit memo and return the funds to the account that originally paid for the merchandise. Request for Payment of Independent Contractor Consultants and others are paid from a Check Request form. If these payments are for services rendered and total $600 or more in a calendar year, Disbursement Services sends the IRS a Form 1099-Misc, which reports the payments (thus requiring the vendor to claim the income on that year's tax return). Petty Cash Reimbursement Payments to reimburse Petty Cash accounts are made from approved Check Request forms with supporting receipts. Checks Are Sent the Day after Issue DISTRIBUTION OF CHECKS Efficient and effective financial controls are an important tool in the University's efforts to safeguard its resources. Proper control over receipts and disbursements is essential for any organization. The University writes a large volume of checks, and one of the methods currently available to safeguard against check fraud is a banking tool called Positive Pay. The Positive Pay process allows the Finance Division to review information on suspect checks and authorize "pay" or "no-pay" decisions. The Positive Pay process will help prevent check fraud and offer additional protection for University disbursements. The process to update the outstanding check file will occur overnight, so checks will be released by Disbursement Services the day after the checks are written. How Checks Are Sent Checks will be mailed to the payee at the address indicated on the requesting document. Checks will not be returned to requesting departments for mailing or delivery, except for selected types of payments, such as stipends, honoraria, court fees, advances, and insurance premiums. If the check is

6 to be delivered to someone other than the payee, indicate this in the contact person section of the Check Request form. Undelivered Checks Checks that are returned to the requester for delivery to the payee and subsequently not delivered should be returned to Disbursement Services for cancellation. Do not allow undelivered or unidentified checks to accumulate.