E3: MANUAL ACCOUNT LEDGER
6/01/2000


Fiscal Agent Handbook Index | Fiscal Agent Reporting Index

The key to keeping a department budget in balance is the development and maintenance of an effective record keeping system. One suggested manual method is described below. While departments are not required to follow the suggested method, they are expected to maintain records of current free balances by line item. Fiscal agents will be held accountable for remaining within the funds budgeted for their department by line item.

A separate department ledger sheet should be maintained for each line item. An explanation of how to maintain the department ledger balance follows.

I.

Non personal services line items

 

 Item

Description

1

Department Name/Account Number: Self explanatory

2

For Fiscal Year: Self explanatory

3

Line Item: Self explanatory

4

Document Number: Enter the number of the transactional document submitted for processing. The document types include:

 

Requisition (R numbers)

 

Direct Payment Voucher (D numbers)

 

Travel Authorization (T numbers)

 

Travel Advance (E numbers)

 

Printing Service Request (S numbers)

 

Purchase Order (P numbers)

 

Motor Pool (N numbers)

 

Paper and Supplies (W numbers)

 

Film Rentals (Y numbers)

 

NOTE: Departments will be billed monthly for copier (U numbers), postal (X numbers) and telephone (Z numbers) charges on vouchers.

 

5

Date: Enter the date the document was submitted for processing.

6

Description of Goods and/or Services: Enter the description of the goods or services to be received through the initiation of the request document. This description is useful in any follow-up required with the processing offices and in keeping a record of what types of activities were funded out of the department's budget.

7

Amount of Transaction: Enter the cost of goods or services being requested. With the exception of purchase orders and travel authorizations, the cost for items entered should always be equal to the final amount expended.

 

When the dollar amount listed on the Accounts Payable Voucher or Travel Voucher is greater than the amount originally recorded in the department ledger for Purchase Orders and travel authorizations, the following rules apply.

 

The difference between the dollar value of the Accounts Payable Voucher or Travel Voucher and the original Purchase Order or Travel Authorization should be computed. The difference should be listed as an increase in P number or T number documents. Since an additional expense is being incurred the current free balance should be reduced accordingly.

 

NOTE: Use item 7 to adjust the ledger when Accounts Payable Vouchers and Travel Vouchers are greater than the original encumbrance.

8

Date: Enter the date the transaction was posted to the accounting system as reflected on the Report of Transactions, FBMO91 Report.

9

(+/-) Change in Budgetary or Obligation Authority: Enter changes in budgetary authority or reductions in obligation authority.  Changes may be positive or negative. A change in budgetary authority occurs when a state fund Internal Budget Transfer Request has been approved to either increase or decrease an original line item budget allocation. A required reduction in obligation authority occurs when the encumbrance on a Purchase Order or travel authorization exceeds the amount required for payment. When this happens, the department should deobligate excess funds, thus increasing the line item's current free balance.  This is accomplished by taking the difference between the dollar value of the original Purchase Order or travel authorization and the Accounts Payable Voucher or travel voucher and entering the difference. The amount entered for reducing over obligated Purchase Orders or travel vouchers must always be positive.

 

NOTE: This item provides a record of all changes in revenue available to a department by line item due to changes in budgetary authority (State Fund Internal Budget Transfer Request) or reduction of over obligated Purchase Orders and/or travel authorizations.

10

Current Free Balances: Enter the current free balance a department has available to spend based on the following formula:

 

Prior current free balance

- item 10 or 10A

-

Amount of transaction

- item 7

+/-

Changes in authorization

- item 9

=

New current free balance

- item 10

 

10a

Original Budget Allocation: Enter the original budget allocation for the line item equal to the amount contained in the department budget.

Example:

 

II.

Student aide line items

 

 Item

Description

1

Department Name/Account Number: Self explanatory

2

For Fiscal Year: Self explanatory

3

Line Item: Self explanatory

4

Document Number: Enter name of each student aide on the payroll for the reporting pay period or the seven digit budget transfer document number.

5

Date: Enter the pay period for which wages have been earned or date of budget transfer.

6

Description of Goods and/or Services: Enter the number of hours worked for the reporting pay period along with the hourly rate of pay or in the case of a budget transfer, the line item.

7

(-) Amount of Transaction: Derive the value of the wages earned for the reporting pay period for each student aide. Then enter the dollar amount.

8

Date: Leave blank.

9

(+/-) Change in Budgetary or Obligation Authority: Enter the change in budgetary or obligation authority.  Changes may be either positive or negative depending on whether funds were transferred into or out of the student aide line.

10

Current Free Balances: Enter the current free balance a department has available to spend based on the following formula:

 

Prior current free balance

- item 10 or 10A

-

Amount of transaction

- item 7

+/-

Changes in authority

- item 9

=

New current free balance

- item 10

 

10a

Original Budget Allocation: Enter the original budget allocation for the line item equal to the amount contained in the department budget.


NOTE: Use of the department ledger for monitoring student aide expenditures is preferable to waiting for the Report of Transactions, FBMO91 Report, since the FBMO91 Report will not report the student's most recent earnings as they are paid on the delayed payroll. The use of the department ledger will prevent the department from overlooking the impact of the delayed payroll and developing a deficit in the student aide line.

By maintaining an up-to-date ledger, the department will know when free balances are running low. At that time, a determination can be made concerning the need to request a transfer of funds into a particular line item.

Example

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For more information contact
Controller's Office