Cash Disbursements
As invoices are received in the Parish Office, they are forwarded to the Pastor
who opens them and reviews them. The Pastor then forwards the invoices onto
the Business Manager for processing and payment. We use the following
guidelines:
Pay only from original invoices or certified copies. Do not pay from statements.
Review each invoice for accuracy, run a tape if necessary, and mark the
account number it is to be posted to, on the invoice. Refer the invoice to the
appropriate staff person if you are not sure of its validity or where it should be
posted.
Input the invoices on to PDS Ledger. Go to “Payables”, then to “Invoice”, then
to “Add”. Begin by inputting the vendor be careful-there may be many similar
vendor names), the invoice number, the invoice date, the due date (if it doesn’t
come up automatically or if you want a different date), the amount due, any
discounts that apply, the account number it is to be posted to and any
information you want to add in the comments area. This information in the
comments area is very helpful when you run the transaction register at the end
of the year and can save a lot of time looking up detail information. It is also
extremely helpful when developing the budget for the next year. It is worth the
extra time in the long run. Specific instructions are in the PDS Ledger Manual
(or in an online manual) if you need additional information.
Run the checks from PDS Ledger. Mark each check you want to pay with a
check mark, just click on the correct line item on the screen. Then go to the
Check Printing Screen. Make sure you input the account number “0604” (the
General Account), then the current date, then the beginning check number.
The laser checks are located in the bottom drawer of the safe.
Once you have run the checks, they are automatically posted to the general
ledger. You must print the two summary pages for the disbursements then file
them in a monthly file. This serves as backup documentation for the checks
that were printed.
After printing the checks, match the checks with the invoice and staple the
bottom portion of the check stub to the invoice. Include an envelope with the
checks and invoice in preparation for the Pastor’s signature. He should be able
to review the invoice along with the check so he can review what he is signing.
The Pastor will sign the checks and put them in the envelope and will leave
them for the Secretary to mail. The paid invoices are filed by month in the third
drawer of the file cabinet.
The manual checkbooks are kept in the top drawer of the safe. These checks
are used when the Business Manager is not available or when a check is
needed very quickly. The manual checks are recorded on the “Payables,
Disbursements” screen on the PDS Ledger Program. A paid invoice showing the
date and check number is also filed in the third drawer of the file cabinet in the
monthly file. Manual checks are input in the PDS system through a Cash
Disbursement prompt. The system requires the posting to be completed to the
operating cash account and then to an expense account. A two page summary
is printed as proof that the disbursement was posted to the general ledger.
These are filed into a monthly file for audit trail purposes.
Revised 1/11/2011