CHAPTER 4 FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING FOR SERVICE FUNDS Leaflet 401 - Accounting Processes and Procedures for Non-Public Funds 40101 – 40103 40104 – 40107 - Introduction Accounting practices - Introduction Personal ledger Impersonal ledger Revenue lines Leaflet 402 - The Ledgers 40201 – 40203 40204 – 40205 40206 – 40207 40208 – 40230 Leaflet 403 - Procedures for Credit Purchases 40301 40302 – 40303 40304 – 40306 40307 – 40315 40316 40317 – 40324 Annex A Annex B Annex C Annex D - Introduction Placing orders Receipt of goods Invoices Traders' statements Purchases book Purchases Control Stamp Dummy Statement Example Purchases Book Example Purchases Book (Modified Form) Leaflet 404 - Accruals and Prepayments 40401 – 40402 40403 – 40405 40406 – 40407 Annex A - Introduction Accruals Prepayments Ledger Action taken on Accruals and Prepayments- NOT RELEASED Leaflet 405 - The Procedures for Cash and Bank Transactions 40501 – 40502 40503 – 40508 40509 – 40514 40515 – 40516 40517 – 40518 40519 – 40520 40521 40522 – 40525 40526 Annex A Annex B Annex C Annex D Annex E Annex F Annex G Annex H - Introduction Cash-book Cash takings books and paying-in slip Subsidiary activities Floats Imprests Postage book Vouchers Cash pay-in programme Example of a Non-Analytical Cash-Book Example of an Analytical Cash-Book Example Cash Takings Book Example Paying-In Slip Example Withdrawal Voucher Example Petty Cash Book Example Subscription Register – Subsidiary Activities Example Postage Book Leaflet 406 - Income Tax (PAYE) and National Insurance (NI) – NOT RELEASED Leaflet 407 - The Accounting Procedures for Mess Bills 40701 - Introduction AL3 40702 40703 40704 40705 40706 40707 40708 Annex A - Annex B Annex C - Recording of supplies made on credit Daily Charges Book (DCB) Mess bills Subscriptions and Charges Book (SCB) Daily schedule of mess bills paid Mess bills unpaid at the end of the month Mess bill control account Recording Subscriptions and Regular Charges – NOT RELEASED Daily Schedule of Mess Bills Paid Mess Bill Control Account (MBCA) Leaflet 408 - Accounting for Mess Functions 40801 – 40803 40804 – 40809 Annex A Annex B - Introduction Accounting procedures Example Officers’ Mess Function Costing – Full Subsidies Example Officers’ Mess Function Costing – Fixed Value Discount Leaflet 409 - Application of VAT 40901 40902 – 40904 40905 – 40908 40909 40910 – 40911 40912 Annex A Annex B - Introduction Type of tax Partial exemption Collection Calculating and applying VAT Tax classification Illustration of the Stages in the Collection of VAT Charges for Facilities Provided in Service Messes Leaflet 410 - Value Added Tax – Accounting 41001 41002 41003 41004 41005 41006 41007 41008 41009 41010 41011 Annex A - Annex B - Introduction The basic rules Books of prime entry Impersonal ledger Outside organisations Sale of non-public property Staff entertainment expenses Benevolent funds Annual balance sheet Stock certificates Return of VAT - Form 100 VAT Accounting Using an Analysed Cash-Book – NOT RELEASED Accounting for VAT in Function Accounts Leaflet 411 - Preparation of Monthly Statements of Accounts 41101 – 41102 41103 – 41104 41105 – 41108 41109 41110 41111 - Annex A Annex B Annex C - Introduction Closing the ledger account Trial balance Income and expenditure accounts Statement of account Information for OICs of subsidiary activities and banked funds Example of a Trial Balance Example of a Monthly Statement of Account Example of Simplified Statement of Account for Issue to Subsidiary Activities Leaflet 412 - Preparation of Annual Accounts AL3 41201 – 41202 41203 41204 – 41207 41208 41209 41210 – 41211 Annex A Back to top Main Contents Page - Introduction Closing the ledger accounts Balance sheet Supporting information Audit Certification Example of Statement of Accounts – NOT RELEASED Back to AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 401 ACCOUNTING PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES FOR SERVICE FUNDS Introduction 40101. This chapter describes the day to day use and operation of the books of account of the three principal Service Funds found at stations: the officers' mess, SNCOs' mess and Service Institute Fund. The principles governing the processes and procedures described should be applied throughout the RAF in the maintenance of Service Funds accounts even where those accounts have been computerised. 40102. The leaflets are intended primarily to instruct book-keepers in the processes and procedures to be used. OICs of funds and activities, whose particular duties and responsibilities are described in Chapter 2, should also acquaint themselves with the contents of this chapter. 40103. The instructions are couched in general terms so that they may be applied to Service Funds accounting at all levels and in all normal circumstances. Should the instructions not provide for particular eventualities the circumstances are to reported to HQ AIR Service Funds, who may, if it is considered such action is warranted, authorise the introduction and use of processes not defined in this chapter. Accounting practices 40104. Double entry book-keeping. With the exception of the SFAS, which uses the Sage financial accounting package to maintain accounts, all Service Funds accounts in the RAF should be maintained using the double entry method of book-keeping which requires every credit entry to have a corresponding debit entry. The method's main advantage is that it allows a trial balance to be extracted and agreed and thus provides an automatic check on the arithmetical accuracy of the accounts. However, an agreed trial balance is not necessarily a correct, as there may be errors which can only be traced by a detailed check of ledger entries or by an audit and it is important, therefore, that extreme care is taken when writing up accounting records and in interpreting trial balances. 40105. Use of inks. Where manual accounting records are maintained, all book-keeping entries should be made, in ink, in clear legible handwriting using only permanent red, blue or black colours. Green ink is reserved for use by auditors and should never be used for entries in books of account. 40106. Errors. If an error is made in an accounting document no attempt should be made to erase, obliterate or overwrite it. The incorrect entry should be struck through with a single line and the correct entry written in the nearest available space on the same line or, if necessary, on the next line. The deletion should be initialled by the person making the correct entry. The use of ink eradicators or other such preparations should be forbidden. 40107. Negotiable documents. When cheques or other negotiable documents are being prepared for signature 'erasable' ball-point or felt-tip should not to be used. Back to Main Contents Back to Chapter Contents Page 401-1 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 402 THE LEDGERS Introduction 40201. The ledgers are books containing accounts relating to capital, assets, liabilities and revenue (ie regular annual income and expenditure), and provide fund management with the following information for budgeting and planning purposes: a. How much is owed to a fund or account and by whom (assets). b. How much is owed by a fund or account and to whom (liabilities). c. Value of possessions (assets). d. The worth of a fund account (capital). e. The income and expenditure on trading and other regular annual activities (revenue). 40202. a. For convenience two ledgers are used: The personal ledger containing all accounts relating to creditors. b. The impersonal ledger containing all accounts relating to capital, assets, income and expenditure and liabilities other than the personal ledger creditors. This leaflet describes in detail the principal accounts that are contained in the ledgers and explains the types of entry which may be found in each of them. 40203. Since the ledgers form part of the double-entry book-keeping system every debit entry requires a corresponding credit entry within the accounting system and vice versa. Within the ledgers debit entries are made on the left-hand side and credit entries on the right-hand side of any account. Personal ledger 40204. An account is opened in the personal ledger for each trader who provides a fund or account with goods or services on credit. The personal account is credited with the cost of the purchase of goods or service as shown in the purchases book (see Leaflet 403). The account is debited with all amounts paid to the trader as shown in the cash-book. 40205. Alternative system. When a modified purchases book is used and the personal ledger is dispensed with, the amounts due to each creditor will be shown in column c of the purchases book (see Annex D of Leaflet 403). Payment details are recorded in columns d to f and any unpaid account should be entered in column g and carried forward to column a in the following month. A trade creditors' control account should be opened in the impersonal ledger to which the total of column b is to be credited and the total of payments to trade creditors is debited. At the end of each month and at the end of the accounting period the balance on the trade creditors' control account must agree with the total of column g in the purchases book. Impersonal ledger 402-1 AL3 40206. Capital. The capital of the officers' and SNCOs' messes. and the SIF, should be credited with: a. Any initial grant from the RAF Central Fund. b. year. Any surplus on the income and expenditure account at the end of the accounting c. Surpluses/profits arising from the increase in value of investments (whether realised or not). d. Surpluses/profits from the proceeds from the sale of property. e. Material items of income relating to previous periods and for which no provision has been made. Note: Capital transactions to account for annual Contingent Liability increases and property matters (eg depreciation) take the form of journal entries. The account is to be debited with: a. year. Any deficiency on the income and expenditure account at the end of the accounting b. Losses arising from the decrease in value of investments (whether realised or not). c. Losses arising from the proceeds from the sale of property. d. Material items of expenditure relating to previous periods and for which no provisions has been made. 40207. Assets and liabilities. Accounts are maintained for all assets and liabilities; for creditors they are either in the personal ledger or the purchases book. The main asset and liability accounts in this category are: a. Property. Any tangible (ie depreciating) property purchased after 1 Oct 05 for in excess of £500; and all capital (ie non-depreciating) property valued in excess of £500; should be included within their respective property accounts. Such items are regarded as capital purchases and are debited to the property asset account, and credited to cash/bank. Depreciation, where applicable, is an internal journal entry within the capital account. Leaflet 209 refers. b. Investments. A separate account is opened for each investment purchased, and debited with the cost of the investment. The nominal value of the investment and the rate of interest, if fixed, should be noted on the top of the ledger page. When the investment is sold, the proceeds are credited to the investment account. Any difference between the book value and the sale price is posted from the investment account to the capital account as a surplus/profit on sale of investments. Investment income is dealt with separately at para 40214. c. Debtors. An account is opened in the ledger for each debtor (other than for individual member's mess bills, subscriptions, etc). All amounts owed are debited to this account and credited to the appropriate departmental account(s). Amounts owed by mess bill debtors are itemised in the ‘summary of charges’ or ‘subscriptions and charges’ book, and summarised in the mess bill control account. 402-2 AL3 d. Cash and bank. The cash-book is, technically, a ledger account since it reflects the cashier's and the bank's indebtedness to the fund. Detailed instructions on the maintenance of the cash-book are given in Leaflet 405. e. Floats, imprests, etc. An account should be opened to record the issue of each float, imprest, etc (excluding the postage imprest please see para 40521). The amount booked out in the cash-book should be posted to the debit side of the account. When the float or imprest is returned, the amount is to be credited in the cash-book and posted to the debit side of the account in the ledger. Detailed instructions on the use of floats and imprests are given in Leaflet 405. f. Subsidiary activity control accounts. These accounts are used to record transactions relating to specific activities sponsored by a fund, for example a function account or Christmas Draw prizes account. Balances on such accounts may be carried forward from month to month but not from year to year. These accounts must be credited with: (i) Income received from ticket sales (for function attendance or draw tickets) (ii) Subsidies (SEE NOTE BELOW) They must be debited with: (i) The full financial cost to the mess of the function or draw tickets. Note that in the case of Christmas Draw tickets/prizes, the total income and expenditure must balance to zero at the end of the FY, and the sum of credits and debits should then be individually journalled to Christmas Draw income and expenditure accounts respectively. Alternatively a control account need not be used, and original entries could be entered directly against the Christmas Draw income and expenditure accounts. Similarly, note that individual function accounts should also balance to zero, unless a subsidy has been approved. Subsidies are not expenditure items – they represent agreed discounts for members and therefore they are actually authorised shortfalls of income. The sum of credits and debits should be individually journalled to function income and expenditure accounts respectively at the end of the FY. Any excess of expenditure should equal the value of agreed subsidies. During the year, it may be thought helpful to keep track of subsidies granted by debiting their value into a false ‘expenditure’ line, allowing the function control account to balance via the corresponding credit ‘income’ entry. This action, if employed, must be undone at the end of the FY. Where subsidies are granted, functions will not balance! Cross reference to function accounts g. Loans. A separate account should be opened for each loan received (eg from the RAF Central Fund) or made. After the posting of any transactions affecting a loan account, any debit balance remaining indicates an asset (a loan due to the fund) and any credit balance a liability (a loan for repayment by the fund). Revenue lines 40208. Revenue lines are used to record transactions relating to day to day income and expenditure, with the resultant balance on each account usually being transferred to the income and expenditure account at the end of the accounting period. All items of income are posted from 402-3 AL3 the debit side of the cash-book to the credit side of the revenue account and expenses are posted vice versa. The netting-off of income and expenditure is not permitted, therefore income and expenditure are recorded in ‘lines’ rather than ‘accounts’. Where the fund is registered for VAT, postings to accounts which are within the scope of the tax are made net of output tax and deductible input tax, and the amount of tax is posted to a separate VAT account. The main revenue lines are explained in paras 40209 to 40221. 40209. Bar income. The bar income line reflects the gross income from bar sales. It may also reflect the gross income from cellar sales when the same gross profit percentage (GPP) is planned for both bar and cellar. Where different GPPs are planned a separate cellar income line is to be maintained. On the same principle, it may be necessary to separate bar ‘wets’ (drinks) from ‘dries’ (sundries) income if different GPPs are used. The bar income line is to be credited with: a. The total of cash sales as shown in the cash-book. b. The total of credit sales as shown in the summary of charges book (messes only). c. The value (at selling price) of all goods supplied for functions. d. Accrual for cash takings in respect of sales up to and including the last day of month which are not paid in until following month. Examples of bar trading, bar expenses and container accounts are at Annex A of Leaflet 219. 40210. Bar cost of goods sold (CoGS). The bar CoGS reflects the gross expenditure on the purchase of stock for resale. It may also reflect the gross expenditure on cellar items for home consumption when the same gross profit percentage is planned for both bar and cellar. Where different percentages are planned a separate cellar CoGS line is to be maintained. On the same principle, it may be necessary to separate bar ‘wets’ (drinks) from ‘dries’ (sundries) CoGS if different GPPs are used for the sale of cigarettes, sweets, toiletries, etc. The bar CoGS line is to be debited with: a. The value at cost price of all bar and cellar stocks brought forward from the previous month. b. The total value of goods bought for resale as shown in the 'bar trading' columns of the purchases and cash-books. The account is to be credited with: a. The total value (at cost price) of goods returned to the supplier and other allowances as shown in the purchases book. b. The value at cost price of all bar and cellar stocks belonging to the fund or account as at the end of the month. 40211. Bar expenses. The bar expenses account reflects those costs which are set against the bar gross surplus (ie bar income less bar CoGS) to determine the bar net surplus. It is to be debited with: a. Gross wages and gratuities paid (including tax and NI?) which are chargeable to this account. b. The total value of goods which are not bought for direct resale (eg gas, fruit, etc). 402-4 AL3 c. The cost of replacements for any breakages of crockery and glass used in the bar. d. The cost of maintenance of bar equipment (eg ice machine, cash register). e. The cost for use or damage to a brewery’s reuseable containers. 40212. Bar surplus. The bar surplus account is to be credited/debited with all surpluses/deficiencies in bar takings. 40213. Maintenance. The maintenance line reflects all expenses incurred in the normal upkeep and conduct of a mess, or exceptionally another fund. The maintenance account is to be debited with : a. The totals of cash and credit purchases relating to the general upkeep of the mess. b. Postages, where these cannot be allocated to any other account. c. The cost of losses or breakages of equipment appropriate to this account. d. Miscellaneous charges and losses not appropriate to any other account. The account is to be credited with: a. The total value of goods returned . 40214. Investment income. The investment income account reflects receipts of interest and dividends arising from investments. Surpluses/profits or losses arising from the sale of investments are not to be entered in this account but are to be posted from the investment account directly to the capital account as capital profits or losses. The account is to be credited with: a. All receipts in respect of interest on fixed accounts, etc, and dividends received in respect of equity shareholdings. b. Receipts in respect of repayments of income tax deducted at source from investment income. c. The assessed amount of interest due at the end of the month on fixed interest securities and deposits. d. The value of dividends declared in respect of equity shareholdings but not paid at the end of the month. The account is to be debited with: a. The assessed amount of interest due and brought forward from the previous month. b. The value of dividends unpaid and brought forward from the previous month. 40215. Garage income. The garages account reflects income relating to the operation of garages let to members. It is to be credited with: a. All receipts in respect of rentals received. b. The amount of rental outstanding at the end of the month. 402-5 AL3 The account is to be debited with: c. The amount of rental outstanding brought forward from the previous month. 40216. Garage expenditure. The garages account reflects expenditure relating to the operation of garages let to members. It is to be dedited with: a. Payments in respect of rates, water rates, electricity and water charges relating to the garages. b. Charges in respect of repAirs to the garages. 40217. Contractor rebate. The contractor rebate line reflects any periodic receipts of rebate from the contractor, where applicable. (See Leaflet 706 for details.) It is to be credited with: a. The gross amount of rebate received from the contractor, before deduction of hire and other charges set against the rebate. b. The amount of rebate due at the end of the period but not paid (this is to be estimated if necessary by the reference to previous months' figures). The account is to be debited with: a. The amount of unpaid rebate brought forward from the previous period. 40218. Coin-operated machines income (other than gaming machines). Various coinoperated machines are operated by non-public funds; a separate income line is to be opened for each type of machine and is to be credited with: a. The total amount of cash collected from the machine or received from the contractor (where he operates the machine). 40219. Coin-operated machines expenditure (other than gaming machines). separate expenditure line is to be opened for each type of machine and is to be debited with: a. Charges for the hire and/or operation of the machine. b. Any repAir charges which are borne by the fund. A c. Insurance premiums relating to the operation of the machine, if not an integral part of the fund's overall policy. 40220. Gaming machines. The gaming machine account reflects all transactions relating to the operation of the gaming machine; a separate income line is to be opened for each type of machine and is to be credited with the total of cash collected from the machine, before making any deduction for expenses but, where the fund is registered for VAT, after deduction of the VAT element. 40221. Coin-operated machines expenditure (other than gaming machines). separate expenditure line is to be opened for each type of machine and is to be debited with: a. Charges for the hire and/or operation of the machine. b. Any repAir charges which are borne by the fund. A 402-6 AL3 c. Insurance premiums relating to the operation of the machine, if not an integral part of the fund's overall policy. d. Any other expenses incidental to the operation of the machine. 40222. Entertainments. The entertainments expenditure line reflects the cost of both formal and informal entertainment. The account is to be debited with: a. Amounts granted from the account towards the cost of functions. b. Charges relating to ancillary entertainments (eg TV hire, billiard table expenses, etc). 40223. Mess or club improvements. The mess or club improvements line includes all inyear revenue expenditure for items which improve the amenities of the mess or club. It is to be debited with: a. Any expenditure on the improvement of the amenities of the mess or club. 40224. Mess guests (messes only). The mess guests account reflects the cost of providing hospitality to official guests of the mess and the income raised to meet such expenditure. The account is to be debited with: a. The cost of hospitality to official guests of the mess, as approved by the PMC, CMC or authorised officers. 40225. Banked funds. Any RAF Service Fund for which the stn cdr has responsibility as a trustee, but which is not sponsored or controlled by the officers' or SNCOs’ mess or by the Service Institute Fund, is termed a banked fund. Banked funds are not accounted for in SFAS to the same extent as the messes and SIF; there are no separate capital, asset and liability accounts, or income and expenditure lines. Instead a banked fund is simply to be credited with: a. Amounts deposited by the activity. It is to be debited with: b. Amounts withdrawn by the activity. c. Payments made on behalf of and with the specific authority of the lodged activity. The balance on the account is to be carried forward at the end of each accounting period. Should the activity cease or the fund providing the banking facility close, the balance of cash held is to be returned in toto to the activity or disposed of in accordance with its instructions. 40226. Station sports account. The Station sports account, where used, reflects all transactions connected with sporting activities which are conducted on a station basis. Separate accounts for individual sports are not required but may be maintained if warranted by the circumstances. The account is to be credited with: a. Amounts received from the public purse in respect of grants for the maintenance of sports equipment. b. All amounts received from messes as sports subscriptions. 402-7 AL3 c. Amounts received from the sale of sports equipment or recovered in respect of lost or damaged sports equipment. d. The total value of goods returned or other credits as shown in the purchases book. e. Grants made by the Service Institute to augment the income to the account. f. The value of stock of sports goods for resale on hand at the end of the month. The account is to be debited with: a. The value of stock brought forward from the previous month. b. The total value of goods purchased, for cash or on credit, appropriate to this account. c. All expenses (including wages and gratuities) relating to sporting activities. d. Amounts allocated to individual sports, where the commanding officer has directed separate accounts, which are to be maintained. 40227. Corporals' and junior ranks' clubs. Corporals' and junior ranks' clubs may operate banked funds within SFAS. Such funds should be credited with: a. Any initial or subsequent grant from the Service Institute fund. b. Any allocation of contractor rebate or gaming machine profit authorised by the Service Institute committee. c. Amounts collected in respect of admission charges for club functions. d. Members’ subscriptions (corporals' club only). The accounts should be debited with: e. All expenditure incurred by the club which is authorised by the club committee. 40228. Sports clubs. Individual sports may be authorised to operate a separate banked fund within SFAS, subject to the commanding officer's approval. Such an account is to be credited with: a. Any share of the overall sports budget allocated a separate account within the Service Institute, subject to the commanding officer's approval. Such an account is to be credited with: b. Any grant made directly by the Service Institute committee. c. Contributions made by individual members. The account is to be debited with: d. All expenditure in relation to that particular sport. 40229. Recreational clubs. Recreational clubs such as the wordwork club and model Aircraft club may open banked funds in SFAS with the approval of the commanding officer. Each such fund is to be credited with: 402-8 AL3 a. Any initial or other grant made by the Service Institute. b. Subscriptions, donations and other contributions from members. The fund is to be debited with: a. All bona fide expenditure relating to the activities of the club. 40230. Accounts of non-service funds and activities. When private organisations, such as a nursery school, scout troop, RAOB lodge, etc, are permitted to operate on an RAF station they may be allowed to use the SFAS as a bank in the same way as a banked fund (see para 40231). However, they will not be eligible for automatic excepted charitable status, and the written permission of the stn cdr will be required. 402-9 AL3 Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 402-10 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 403 PROCEDURE FOR CREDIT PURCHASES Introduction 40301. Many purchases made by Service Funds are obtained on credit terms with payment normally being made after the end of the month in which the transactions take place. In view of the timescale involved between ordering, receiving and eventually paying for the goods or services, a system of control is required which will monitor the amount of credit being pledged and ensure that goods to be paid for have been received and recorded in the accounting and other records. This leaflet explains the procedures that should be followed when making credit purchases from the placing of the order through to payment of the supplier, and describes the accounting books and records to be used. Placing orders 40302. Delegation of authority. In order to control purchases effectively the number of officials authorised to place orders should be kept to the minimum. In some cases it is possible for the OIC fund or activity to deal with all ordering but, where this is not practicable, he may delegate the placing of orders to authorised officials should be maintained and the terms of the delegation, including any specific restrictions on ordering, should be included in the TOR for each individual. 40303. Use of the order-book. Orders for credit purchases should be made in writing, using the duplicate order-book specified in Leaflet 217, and signed by the authorised official. Orders placed verbally are subsequently to be confirmed in writing on an official order-form with the top copy of the order-form being forwarded to the trader and the duplicate retained in the orderbook as a permanent auditable record. The order-book should be held at all time by the official to whom it was issued. Receipt of goods 40304. Authorised officials. The number of persons who may receive goods on behalf of a fund or activity should always be kept to a minimum and ordinarily should be restricted to the person who placed the order (see para 40302). Where this is not practicable, the OIC may delegate the receipt of goods to authorised officials. A list of these officials should be maintained by the OIC and specific instructions concerning the receipt of goods should be included in their TOR. 40305. Delivery note. When goods are received they will normally be accompanied by a delivery note. The quantities received should be checked against this note by the authorised officials(s) responsible for receiving goods. This check should, wherever possible, be performed at the time of delivery and any discrepancies in the delivery should be notified to the carrier, the supplier and the OIC of the fund or activity. Discrepancy details should be noted on the delivery note and the delivery note number entered on the duplicate copy of the order-form. Details of the goods received should be entered in the stock or property book and the delivery note is then to be passed to the fund clerk in SFAS (ie mess clerk, SIF clerk etc) who will hold it pending the arrival of the invoice. 40306. Substitute delivery note. If goods are received without a delivery note the authorised official receiving them should raise a substitute delivery note and, in the presence of a witness, use it to record the details of the goods received. Notification of discrepancies and subsequent recording action is then to be taken as detailed in para 40305. 403-1 AL3 Invoices 40307. Receipt of invoices. Invoices from traders may be received either by the fund clerk or by the department or activity concerned; in the latter event they should be passed immediately to the fund clerk for processing. Once an invoice has been received by the fund clerk it should be linked to the delivery note (or substitute delivery note) and franked with the purchases control stamp as shown in Annex A. 40308. Dummy statement. A dummy statement as shown in Annex B should be prepared by the fund clerk for each trader for whom more than one invoice is expected in the month and also where a single invoice applies to more than one departmental account. The invoice details should be entered on the dummy statement, analysed into columns, including deductible input tax and then passed to the OIC so that it may be checked. The dummy statement is retained by the fund clerk. 40309. Checking the invoice against delivery note. The invoice should be be compared by the OIC with the delivery note and any discrepancies referred to the supplier. Where discrepancies occur, details should be annotated on the invoice, which is then returned to the fund clerk with instructions as to payment while the discrepancy is being resolved with the supplier. The fund clerk should annotate the invoice entry on the dummy statement accordingly and file the invoice and delivery note pending clearance. When the discrepancy is cleared the fund clerk can re-issue the invoice to the OIC for completion of the checking procedure. 40310. Order-book. The duplicate copy of the order-form should be cross-referred to the invoice, the order-form serial number being inserted in the appropriate box on the purchases control stamp, which is then initialled by the OIC. 40311. Check that goods received/services completed. The OIC should confirm, by reference to the delivery note or other available evidence, that all goods invoiced have actually been received or that all services have been completed. The appropriate box on the control stamp is then initialled. 40312. Check of prices. The OIC should verify the invoice prices by reference to any contract, trader's price list or quotation/estimate. Where the purchase price of goods bought for resale has changed, the possible need to adjust selling prices should be considered. 40313. Check of arithmetical accuracy. The OIC should check the arithmetical accuracy of the invoice, bring any errors to the notice of the trader, and notify the fund clerk of any corrections necessary to the dummy statement and of any credit note etc outstanding. The appropriate box on the control stamp is then initialled. 40314. Check against stock/property book. The OIC should insert details of the invoice against the stock or property book entry, insert the stock or property book folio number and initial the appropriate box on the control stamp. 40315. Payment authorisation. When the OIC of the fund or activity is satisfied that all necessary actions have been completed he will enter details of the expenditure line(s) to be debited in the appropriate box on the control stamp, sign (not initial) authorising payment and return the invoice to the fund clerk. Traders' statements 40316. Check against dummy statement and invoices. At the end of each month, the dummy statement should be totalled, cross-cast and compared with the trader's statement to 403-2 AL3 ensure that all invoices and listed therein and that the amounts shown are correct. Any differences which cannot be reconciled should be referred to the trader by the OIC fund or activity. Purchases book 40317. A purchases book in the form shown in Annex 403C is normally maintained to record credit purchases; alternatively, where the personal ledger is dispensed with (see Leaflet 402), a purchases book in the form shown in Annex D should be maintained. Totals from dummy statements and single invoices are entered into the purchases book and analysed into the departmental columns. The purchases book folio is entered on the dummy statements/invoices. 40318. Agreement of purchases book. At the end of each month, after all entries in the purchases book are completed, the total and analysis columns are totalled, cross-cast and agreed. 40319. Postings to the impersonal ledger. Departmental analysis column totals are posted to the debit side of the respective expenditure lines in the impersonal ledger. 40320. Postings to the personal ledger. Where a personal ledger is maintained, an account should be opened for each trader and the line total in the purchases book for each trader should be posted to the credit side of the trader's account. Where no personal ledger is kept, the amount due to each individual trader is shown in the appropriate column in the modified purchases book; the total of the purchases for the month is posted to the credit side of a Trade Creditor's Control Account in the impersonal ledger. 40321. Preparation of cheques. After completion of all purchase book action, cheques should be prepared for the balances shown in the personal ledger or modified purchases book in respect of each trader. The prepared cheques should be passed to the SFAS bank account holder (OIC SFAS) together with the relevant invoices and statements. Remittance slips should also be prepared showing details of the payment made. 40322. Action by OIC SFAS. All vouchers are checked by OIC SFAS who, when satisfied that all action is complete and that the amounts due to the traders have been correctly calculated, should sign the cheques, stamp all vouchers with the 'Paid' stamp and return the vouchers to the fund clerk. Wherever possible, cheques and similar negotiable documents after signature should, once signed, be dispatched without delay personally by the fund holder. 40323. Filing of vouchers. When all action is complete, all statements, invoices and delivery notes should be filed away in purchase book entry order and retained for six years. 40324. Returns. When goods are returned, a credit note will be supplied by the trader. This should be treated in a similar manner to an invoice, except that it should be entered on the dummy statement in red and deducted from the total of invoices received. Where the net result of transactions with a trader is a credit to the fund, the purchase book entry should be made in read and carried forward until such time as it is cleared either by further purchases or by cash refund. Annexes: A. B. C. D. Purchases control stamp. Dummy statement. Example purchases book. Example purchases book (modified form). Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 403-3 AL3 403-4 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 403 Annex A PURCHASES CONTROL STAMP 1. Funds and activities should use a control stamp on all invoices for goods and services. The stamp must be obtained locally. Extra items may be included to suit local circumstances but the items shown on the example illustrated would invariably be included. Fund Order-book number & initial Goods/services received Prices correct Stock/property book folio & initial Account(s) to be charged Authorised for payment Purchases book folio & initial Title: No: Initial: Initial: No: Title: Signature: No: Initial: Initial: Initial: 2. The correct use of this stamp is of the utmost importance and each item should be separately initialled. Back to Main Contents Back to Chapter Contents Page 403A-1 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 403 Annex B DUMMY STATEMENT TRADER: NAAFI 1236 MONTH: Jan 10 FUND: Officers' Mess PB FOLIO: 17 Date Invoice No Total Bar trading Bar expenses 6 Jan 10 C127801 22.63 18.15 0.71 10 Jan 10 C127813 17.68 10.15 14 Jan 10 C127819 30.16 22.75 20 Jan 10 B347818 7.58 22 Jan 10 C127824 96.47 78.32 26 Jan 10 C127829 16.30 13.58 27 Jan 10 B347824 12.17 31 Jan 10 C127833 60.36 49.10 1.20 Jan 10 Total 263.35 192.05 3.14 Mess improvements 0.98 Maintenance Etc Deduct input tax (at 20%) 3.77 4.58 2.95 1.40 5.03 7.58 0.25 1.82 16.08 2.72 12.17 10.06 7.80 Back to Chapter Contents 19.75 40.60 Back to Main Contents Page 403B-1 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 403 Annex C EXAMPLE PURCHASES BOOK Date Name of trader PL folio Total Bar trading Bar expenses 5 Jan 10 Watneys 4 234.30 177.25 11 Jan 10 Smith & Sons 3 46.97 39.14 19 Jan 10 NAAFI 2 263.34 192.05 19 Jan 10 Accountant officer 8 204.45 19 Jan 10 Towelmaster Ltd 7 18.45 18.45 31 Jan 10 Davies and Co 5 7.87 7.87 31 Jan 10 Tobaccosales Ltd 6 105.02 87.52 880.40 495.96 2.50 Containers Maintenance Messing Deductable input tax (at 20%) 15.50 39.05 7.83 3.14 7.80 19.75 40.60 204.45 IL/5 17.50 5.64 IL/6 CREDIT PERSONAL LEDGERS 23.30 IL/12 46.07 IL/11 204.45 104.98 IL/8 IL/7 DEBIT IMPERSONAL LEDGERS Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 403C-1 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 403 Annex D EXAMPLE PURCHASES BOOK (MODIFIED FORM) January 2010 B/F From Prev Month Name of Trader (a) 17.04 Trade For Month Bar Trading Bar Expenses Containers Maintenance Messing Deductible Input tax (at 20%) Total Outstanding Date Paid Chq No. Amount Paid C/F to Next Month (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) 39.05 234.30 12 Feb 123456 234.30 7.83 64.01 12 Feb 123457 64.01 40.60 263.34 12 Feb 123458 263.34 204.45 12 Feb 123459 204.45 12 Feb 123460 18.45 (b) Watneys 234.30 177.25 Smith & Sons 46.97 39.14 NAAFI 263.34 192.05 Accountant Officer 204.45 Towelmaster Ltd 18.45 18.45 18.45 Davies & Co 7.87 7.87 7.87 Tobaccosales Ltd 105.02 87.52 880.40 495.96 5.64 23.30 46.07 IL/3 IL/5 IL/6 IL/12 IL/11 17.04 CREDIT TRADE CREDITORS CONTROL ACCOUNT 2.50 3.14 15.50 7.80 19.75 204.45 17.50 105.02 204.45 104.98 897.44 IL/8 IL/17 7.87 12 Feb 123461 105.02 889.57 7.87 DEBIT IMPERSONAL LEDGERS 403D-1 AL3 NOTE: Purchases book entries are taken from the dummy statements. Compare Annex 403B with entry above for NAAFI. Back to Main Contents Page Back to Chapter Contents 403D-2 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 404 ACCRUALS AND PREPAYMENTS Introduction 40401. In order that the true state of the surplus/deficit of a department can be shown month by month, all income and expenditure appropriate to the month must be accounted for. Items often appear in the accounts of a period other than that to which they relate and the purpose of this leaflet should describe the adjustments necessary in respect of such items. 40402. Accrued income (also called provisioned income) and prepayments are assets while accrued expenses are liabilities, and they should be shown as such in all monthly annual accounts. Some examples of the accounting action required are given in Annex A. Accruals 40403. Accrued income. When income is expected and it is reasonably certain that it will eventually be received (eg interest on fixed interest investments), a ‘provision’ asset account for that future income should be created, and debited with the known (or estimated) income due, whilst crediting the appropriate income line. (See Annex A, Example 1.) The provision should be reversed by journal entry against the income line when the actual income is received. The actual income will then be credited to the income line, and debited to the cash/bank asset account. 40404. Outstanding monthly bills expenses. When goods have been received but the invoice is outstanding at the end of the month, an ‘accrued expenditure’ liability account should be created and credited with the total or estimated cost, whilst debiting the appropriate expenditure line. (See Annex A, Example 2.) The reserve should be reversed by journal entry against the expenditure line when the actual invoice for the charge is received. The invoice will be debited to the expenditure line, and credited to trade creditors (unless immediately paid by cash/bank). Similar action should be taken for expenses due in the month, eg gratuities, which are not paid till a later period. 40405. Periodic charges in arrears. Certain items (eg Independent Examination fees) are invoiced for periods in arrears. The charge in the expenditure lines for these items should be spread evenly over the period involved. To achieve this, a ‘reserved expenditure’ liability account should be created and credited with an appropriate proportion of the total or estimated cost at the end of the first month, whilst debiting the appropriate expenditure line. In each successive month this reserve is increased by further proportions of the total cost so that by the end of the period the whole cost will have been accrued. (See Annex A, Example 3.) The accrued expenditure should be reversed by journal entry against the expenditure line when the actual invoice for the charge is received. The invoice will be debited to the expenditure line, and credited to trade creditors (unless immediately paid by cash/bank). Prepayments 40406. Payments in advance. Occasionally, goods or services are invoiced and paid for in advance (eg 'cash with order' terms). Where this has occurred the amount has been debited to the appropriate expenditure line but the goods or services have not been received in the same accounting period and an adjustment has, therefore, to be made. The amount paid in advance should be entered on the credit side of the expenditure line and debited to a ‘prepayments’ asset account. (See Annex A, Example 5.) This can be reversed once the goods or services have been received. 404-1 AL3 40407. Periodic charges paid in advance. Certain items (eg insurance premiums and TV rentals) are invoiced for periods in advance and the full cost will be debited immediately to the appropriate expenditure line. In order to spread the expense evenly over the period concerned, a reserve should be created immediately by crediting the total cost to the expenditure line (effectively returning its balance to zero) and debiting a ‘prepayment’ asset account. At the end of the first month an appropriate proportion of the prepayment can be credited back out of the prepayment asset account and debited to the expenditure line. In succeeding months, the reserved expenditure should be continually decreased appropriately until it becomes exhausted. (See Annex A, Example 5.) Annex: A. Ledger action taken on accruals and prepayments. 404-2 AL3 Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 404-3 AL3 Leaflet 404 Annex A Not Released 404A-1 AL3 Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 404A-2 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 405 THE PROCEDURES FOR CASH AND BANK TRANSACTIONS Introduction 40501. The wide variety of cash transactions undertaken by Service Funds, activities and accounts all conform to certain basic principles of accounting, a sound knowledge of which will assist OICs officials connected with funds and subsidiary activities in the performance of their duties. The purpose of this leaflet, therefore, is to describe the books of account commonly associated with cash transactions and to explain the procedures to be followed when using them. 40502. Every cash transaction should be supported by either a voucher or a receipt which provides sufficient evidence of the transaction for audit purposes. The type of document will vary according to the nature of the transaction but the following information is invariably to be included: a. Date of transaction. b. Name of person from whom received/to whom paid. c. Amount in words and figures. d. Account to be credited/debited. e. Signature of authorising official. f. Signature of recipient (for cash payments) or cheque number. g. Voucher/receipt number. Cash-book 40503. The cash-book used to record cash transactions and the exact format may vary according to the needs of the user. The book may be non-analytical; there may be separate books or separate sections for receipts and payments or for cash and bank transactions. Examples of non-analytical and analytical cash-books are given at Annexes A and B. 40504. Cash receipts. cheques are received. The following procedure should be used whenever cash or a. A receipt should be issued for all cash received (it is not strictly necessary, however, to issue a receipt where a cheque is tendered, although no request for a receipt should be refused because it confirms date of payment). For convenience, certain receipts issued to a mess manager/treasurer will be provided either in the cash takings book (see Annex C) or in the format of Annex D. In other cases, a receipt should be issued from a printed, prenumbered book of duplicate receipts. b. All cash received (including cheques) should be entered on the receipts (debit) side of the cash-book, in the 'cash' column. c. The amount received should be posted to the credit side of the appropriate income line in the ledger, unless an analytical cash-book is used (see sub-para e). 405-1 AL3 d. The supporting receipt is, where possible, to be numbered and filed and should be made available for audit purposes. The receipt may be: (1) The duplicate receipt retained in the book. (2) The entry in the cash takings book, which must be cross-referred to the cash-book. (3) The proforma paying-in slip (see Annex D). (4) The daily schedule of paid mess bills (see Leaflet 407). (5) Any remittance slip or other similar document accompanying monies received. e. When an analytical cash-book is used the columns should be totalled and crosscast at the end of each month. Where the fund, activity or account is registered for VAT, output tax should be deducted from the items by applying the appropriate VAT fraction (see Leaflet 409). The VAT deducted should be extended across into a column headed 'VAT' and brought down on to the same line as the column totals (see Annex B). The columns should be cross-cast and agreed again and the column totals posted to the credit side of the respective income lines in the ledger. 40505. Bank receipts. This term is used to denote monies paid directly into the bank account by outside agencies, eg investment income or settlement of an account by giro credit. Fund holders will normally be advised of such receipts on their bank statements. The amount received should be entered in the 'bank' column on the receipts side of the cash-book and should be posted to the credit side of the appropriate income line in the ledger. Where an analytical cashbook is used, the entry in the 'bank' column should be copied to the appropriate analysis column and action is then taken as shown in sub-para 40504e. 40506. Payments. Before making a payment, the cashier or treasurer should scrutinise the voucher to ensure that the payment has been properly authorised and is within the authorising official's delegated powers. The voucher should only be signed by an official whose name is on the list of those authorised to sign. Fund officials should not self authorise payments ie the recipient and approving authority should be separate individuals. The following procedure should be used: a. Payment should be made and a receipt obtained on the voucher. b. The amount paid should be entered on the payments (credit) side of the cash-book and brief details of the transactions should be entered in the 'details' column. If the payment includes deductible input tax it should be treated as follows: (1) Non-analytical cash-book. The amount exclusive of VAT and the related VAT should be shown as an inset entry in the cash-book (see Annex A), the total being shown in the cash column. (2) Analytical cash-book. The total amount should be entered in the cash column, the VAT exclusive amount in the departmental column and the VAT element in the 'VAT' column (see Annex B). c. The amount paid should be posted to the debit side of the appropriate expenditure line in the ledger, unless an analytical cash-book is used, (see sub-para e below). 405-2 AL3 d. The supporting voucher should be numbered and filed to await audit. The payment voucher may be either: (1) A withdrawal voucher, similar to the example at Annex E. (2) An entry in the wages and gratuities book or on a wages and gratuities acquittance roll, where this system is used (see Leaflet 221). (3) A supplier's invoice or bill. (4) Any other suitable document which meets the requirements of para 40502. e. When an analytical cash-book is used, the various columns should be totalled, cross-cast and agreed at the end of the month. The column totals are then to be posted to the debit side of the respective expenditure lines. 40507. Bank payments. A bank payment is one which is made by cheque, standing order or direct debit, etc, and it is recorded in the cash-book using the procedures given in para 40506 but with the following exceptions: a. Cheques electronic payments and standing orders, etc, are only to be signed by OIC SFAS and must be accompanied by the relevant voucher(s) when presented for signature. The cheque number should be written on the payment voucher in lieu of a receipt. b. Payments should be recorded in the 'bank' column of the cash-book and the last three digits of the cheque number should be entered in the column provided. Standing orders and direct debits will be automatically charged to the account by the bank and will appear on the bank statement. The fund holder should ensure that the details are also entered in the 'bank' column on the payments side of the cash-book and should place the code 'SO' or 'DD' , as appropriate, in the cheque number column. Bank charges are also treated as bank payments and the details should be entered in the cash-book as soon as they are notified by the bank usually on the bank statement. 40508. Contra entries. When cash is withdrawn from or paid into the bank, cash and bank balances need to be adjusted to reflect the transfer. The respective cash-book entries are known as 'contra' entries and should be denoted by the symbol 'C' in the folio column of the cash-book. Contra entries are not posted into the ledger; where an analytical cash-book is used, the amount of each contra entry must be entered in the 'contra' columns, and the total of the debit and credit contra columns balanced at the end of each month. Contra entries are made as follows: a. Withdrawal of cash from bank. An entry for the amount withdrawn should be made in the 'bank' column on the payments side and in the 'cash' column on the receipts side of the cash-book. The last three digits of the cheque number must accompany the entry in the normal way. b. Payment of cash into bank. An entry for the amount banked should be made in the 'cash' column on the payments side and the 'bank' columns of the receipts side of the cash-book. The encashment of private cheques also involves the use of contra entries, but in this case, both credit and debit entries will be in the 'cash' columns (see Leaflet 212). Cash takings books and paying-in slip 405-3 AL3 40509. Cash takings book. A cash takings book, in the format at Annex C, may be maintained by any non-public fund, activity or account when a variety of takings arise and a nonanalytical cash-book is used. The mess manager/treasurer should enter the amounts received from each source in the respective columns and cross-case these to the 'total' column. The book, together with the total cash collected and supporting vouchers, should be produced at the times specified in local orders to the cashier or OIC who should enter the total amount collected in words, in his own handwriting, and should sign the book as having received the cash. 40510. At the end of the month the columns should be totalled, cross-cast and agreed. Where the fund, activity or account is registered for VAT output, tax should be deducted from the taxable receipts by applying the appropriate VAT fraction (see Leaflet 409). The VAT deducted should be entered in a column headed 'VAT' and brought down on to the same line as the column totals (see Annex C). The columns should be cross-cast and agreed again and the column totals posted to the credit side of the respective income lines in the ledger. 40511. Paying-in slips. When an analytical cash-book is used there is no requirement to maintain a cash takings book and all monies collected should instead be listed on a paying-in slip (see example at Annex D). Paying-in slips, together with the cash and supporting vouchers should be presented at the times specified in local orders to the cashier or OIC who should complete the lower half of the slip showing the total amount received in figures and words, sign it, detach and return it to the official making the payment as a receipt. The payment should be recorded as a single entry in the 'cash' receipts column of the cash-book and analysed in the normal way. 40512. In order to exclude minor cash transactions from the main cash-book, a petty cashbook in the format of Annex F may be maintained. A responsible official should be appointed to account for the petty cash and should follow the procedure set out below: a. Receipts. The only cash received for petty cash purposes should come from the cashier or OIC and the sum received should be entered in the receipts column of the petty cash-book; the entry should be cross-referred to the corresponding entry in the payments column of the main cash-book, which should be signed by the official. b. Payments. A brief description of all payments made should be entered in the 'details' column while the amount of any deductible input tax should be entered in the 'VAT' column and the VAT-exclusive amount in the appropriate expenditure line. c. End of the month. At the end of each month, the payments columns should be totalled and the cross-cast agreed with the total columns. The totals of the analysis columns should be posted to the respective expenditure lines. The cash in hand should be entered on the next available line in the 'total' column of the payments side before the receipts and total payments columns are finally totalled and balanced: the actual cash held and the book balance must, of course, agree. The cash in hand figure forms the first receipt entry at the beginning of the next month by being entered on the next available line in the receipts column (see Annex F). 40513. Vouchers. All payments and receipts recorded in the petty cash-book should be supported by the appropriate vouchers which should be serial numbered and, at the end of each month, filed to await audit. 40514. Petty cash holdings. The balance held in petty cash at any time should be regarded as part of the whole of the cash held by the cashier or OIC for the purpose of comparing actual cash holdings against the limitations placed on cash holdings by the stn cdr (see Leaflet 102). A limit may be placed on holdings of petty cash but this must be stated as being part of the overall limit on cash holdings imposed on the cashier or OIC. 405-4 AL3 Subsidiary activities 40515. Cash-book. An OIC of a subsidiary activity or a banked fund should maintain a subsidiary cash-book in the standard non-analytical format shown in Annex A. The 'bank' column should be retitled with the name of the parent fund (eg SIF) and should show the amounts paid into or withdrawn from the fund; the 'cash' column should be used to record cash transactions undertaken by the OIC. Normal rules relating to the maintenance of the book, vouchers, etc, should be observed (see para 40502 to 40508). 40516. Subscriptions register. Whenever subscriptions are levied against those participating in subsidiary activities or banked fund activities, a subscriptions register should be maintained in the format of Annex G. The secretary/treasurer should enter the details of all members in the register together with amounts due for subscriptions etc (including amounts brought forward from the previous period). Income received should be shown in the appropriate columns and any amounts under or overpaid transferred to the 'carried forward' column. At the end of the month the book should be totalled and any extension columns cross-cast and agreed with the total columns. The OIC should verify that the total of subscriptions and charges entered in the register as having been received agrees with the amount shown in the subsidiary cash-book, and should sign the certificate at the foot of the register. Floats 40517. A permanent float may be issued where a continuing need exists for a supply of change for any trading activity (eg bar, shop, etc) and a separate account should be opened in the ledger to record it. Cash issued as a float should be entered on the payments side of the cash-book and the entry posted to the debit side of the 'floats' asset account in the ledger. The issue of the float is also to be recorded in the back of the cash-book and a signature obtained from the recipient. Where a float is no longer required, and also at the end of the accounting period, it should be returned and the cash received entered on the receipts side of the cash-book. The amount is then to be posted to the credit side of the 'floats' account to clear the original issue and the entry in the back of the cash-book is also to be cancelled. Floats should be included in the monthly statement of account under the heading of cash in hand. Float holders should submit a certificate that they still hold the float. 40518. At the end of the accounting year, all floats should be surrendered and the cash brought on charge in the cash-book. Floats may be re-issued at the commencement of business in the new accounting year. Imprests 40519. When wishing to make purchases without knowing their exact cost, a cash imprest may be issued for the purpose; imprests may also be issued for other purposes such as to provide funds for expeditions etc to meet legitimate expenses. In each case the procedure set out below should be followed (see also Leaflet 214 for purchases from discount stores): a. A voucher should be raised and authorised by a responsible official for the estimated cost of the purchases (or for the amount of the expedition etc imprest). b. Cash should be issued to the imprest holder against his or her signature on the voucher. c. The amount should be entered in the payments side of the cash-book and posted to the debit side of an 'imprest' asset account in the ledger. (Any balance remaining on this account acts as a reminder than an imprest is outstanding and that hastening action should be taken to clear the account as soon as possible.) 405-5 AL3 40520. After the purchases have been made or the expedition etc completed, the imprest holder should produce a receipted account to the cashier or fund holder, who should take the action detailed below and illustrated in Annex A: a. Raise a voucher for the actual amount of the purchases or for the total spent by the expedition etc imprest holder and, after attaching it to the receipted accounts, have the voucher authorised by a responsible official. b. Pay or receive the difference between the imprest in the receipts column of the cash-book and post this entry to the credit side of the 'imprest' account, thus clearing the ledger account. c. Enter the actual cost of the purchases in the payments column of the cash-book and post this entry to the debit side of the appropriate expenditure line. Postage book 40521. A postage book in the format of Annex H should be maintained to record the purchase and use of postage stamps. The following procedure should be used: a. When stamps are purchased, their cash value should be entered in the receipts side of the postage book and cross-referred to the entry on the payments side of the petty cashbook. These entries are contra entries and so no ledger posting is required. b. When stamps are used, an entry should be made in the 'payments' column of the postages book. It is not necessary to record each individual stamp used and a single entry for each batch of mail will suffice. c. At the end of each month the 'payments' column of the postages book should be totalled and the total expenditure posted to the debit side of the maintenance, general expenses or other appropriate expenditure line. The balance of stamps on hand should be entered on the next available line on the payments side and then both sides should be totalled and agreed. The balance of stamps remaining forms the first receipts entry at the beginning of the new month by being entered on the next available line on the receipts side of the book (see Annex H). The value of the stamps remaining on hand should be treated as a cash balance and should be shown on all statements of account and balance sheets. Vouchers 40522. Retention. All vouchers supporting cash transactions should be retained for a period of six years from the date of audit, Leaflet 109 refers. 40523. Filing. At the end of each month the vouchers relating to that month's transactions should be placed in a file in order of serial number and retained for presentation to the SFIAB. 40524. Custody. Vouchers for the period under audit should be kept in a secure cabinet when not in use. Those relating to previous periods may be bound together as a complete package for each period and stored in archives for eventual destruction. It is recommended that each package is marked with the date on which it is due for review and destruction. 40525. Destruction. Guidance on the procedure for the review and destruction of accounting records is given in Leaflet 109. 405-6 AL3 Cash pay-in programme 40526. The cash pay-in programme is used to plan and monitor the frequency with which unit Service Fund accounts and activities pay in cash to the SFAS cashier; the programme should be devised by the OIC SFAS in consultation with the managers of individual accounts and activities and should be maintained by the cashier, who should be responsible for preparing and monitoring it each month. All regular payments should be recorded on the cash pay-in programme as they occur and the cashier should check the programme daily, normally towards the close of business. They should ascertain from account holders the reasons for any late payments and should advise OIC SFAS when explanations are unsatisfactory. Where accounts make payments irregularly the cashier should consult the account holders whenever four weeks elapse without any payment having been received. Annexes: A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. Example of a non-analytical cash-book. Example of an analytical cash book. Example cash takings book. Example paying-in slip. Example withdrawal voucher. Example petty cash book. Example subscription register – subsidiary activities. Example postage book. 405-7 AL3 Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 405-8 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 405 Annex A EXAMPLE OF A NON-ANALYTICAL CASH-BOOK RECEIPTS (Left-hand page) Date Jan 23 25 28 Details Voucher Folio Balances B/F Takings (1) Takings (2) Imprest Returned (2B) Cash to Bank CTB/7 CTB/7 14R IL/12 C/ Takings Investment Income Takings Cash to Bank CTB/7 IL/29 CTB/7 15R C/ 30 31 Feb 1 Balances B/D Bank Cash 2,704 60 1,714 95 499 90 371 74 75 00 750 00 272 34 32 50 356 29 500 00 3,987 10 3,290 22 1,533 97 748 18 PAYMENTS (Right-hand Side) Date Jan 23 25 28 31 Details Chq Voucher Folio Bank No Totals B/F 2,178 58 17P IL/12 Issue of Imprest (2A) Gratuities- Supper Dance 18P IL/37 Cash ‘n’ Carry Ltd (2C) 64.89 19P IL/8 9.73 19P IL/7 Cash to Bank 20P C/ Tax & National Insurance 889 IL/49 274 55 Mr Gardner – Wages & NI 21P IL/10 Cash to Bank C/ Balances CD 1,533 97 3,987 10 Cash 1,088 12 75 00 21 50 74 62 750 00 32 500 748 3,290 80 00 18 22 Notes: 1. Takings have been fully analysed in the cash takings book (see Annex C) and posted from there to the departmental ledger accounts. 2. (A-C) These entries illustrate the procedure for recording the issue, receipt and clearance of imprests in the cash-book. Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 405A-1 AL3 405A-2 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 405 Annex B EXAMPLE OF AN ANALYTICAL CASH BOOK RECEIPTS (Left hand side) Date Details Vouc 23 Jan 25 Jan 28 Jan Balances Takings Takings Imprest returned Cash to bank Takings Investment Income Takings Cash to bank B/F 28R 29R 30R C 31R 32R 33R C Bank Cash £ 30 Jan 31 Jan Totals Less VAT Bar £ 2,704 750 60 £ £ 1,714 499 371 75 95 90 74 00 1,039 244 268 272 34 143 18 8 41 120 75 50 500 00 356 29 134 99 4 85 145 55 3,987 10 10 3,290 3,290 22 22 1,830 274 1,555 IL/8 1 Feb Balances C/D 1,533 47 39 09 24 6 3 68 71 45 Gaming machine £ 387 30 162 40 100 20 Telephone Mess bills £ £ 72 37 48 40 395 Misc VAT Contras £ £ £ 62 49 00 75 00 32 50 00 32 3,987 Messing 97 748 12 51 61 48 7 40 10 21 89 IL/14 18 916 137 778 IL/18 20 43 77 29 139 139 IL/23 74 62 62 41 436 436 IL/6 2,500 00 750 00 500 00 3,750 00 3,750 00 16 78 78 156 156 IL/41 49 IL/29 75 IL/12 32 50 50 00 419 419 50 50 IL/17 00 50 2,282 15 405B-1 AL3 PAYMENTS (Right hand side) Date Details Chq no 23 Jan 25 Jan Balances Issue of imprest Gratuities – supper dance Cash.n Carry Ltd Cash to bank Tax and NI Mr Gardner – wages / NI Cash to bank Balances Vouc Bank Cash £ 28 Jan 31 Jan Totals 889 B/F 17P 18P 19P C 20P 21P C C/D 2,178 274 58 £ 1,088 75 21 74 750 Bar Messing £ 12 00 50 62 00 Maint £ 129 74 Grats £ 78 91 £ 187 24 329 Misc HMRC VAT £ £ £ 63 75 21 64 1,533 97 3,290 22 194 63 32 78 IL/8 18 9 73 91 220 IL/14 04 69 IL/10 2,500 00 750 00 500 2,282 00 15 6,032 15 50 89 274 80 00 18 £ 41 00 55 32 500 748 Contras 55 80 00 351 IL/37 13 75 IL/12 00 274 IL/49 55 50 91 IL/17 Back to Main Contents Page Back to Chapter Contents 405B-2 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 405 Annex C EXAMPLE CASH TAKINGS BOOK Date Bar £ Messing Gaming Machine Telephone p £ p £ £ 387 Total b/f 720 09 10 76 21 Jan 203 75 4 23 p 30 22 Jan 115 63 9 69 25 Jan 244 39 6 71 162 40 28 Jan 268 09 3 45 100 30 Jan 143 18 8 41 31 Jan 134 99 4 Total Less VAT 1,830 12 274 51 Mess Bills Misc Public Grant VAT Daily Total Sum paid to Cashier/Treasurer/OIC in figures and words Signature of cashier and date p 55 28 17 20 37 40 318 42 1491 85 44 40 252 38 32 80 175 32 427 70 499 90 499 90 20 371 74 371 74 120 75 272 34 272 43 85 145 55 29 74 41 16 356 29 356 29 48 10 916 20 139 62 436 78 3,419 82 7 21 137 43 49 49 00 00 419 Four hundred & twenty Seven pounds & seventy pence Four hundred & ninety nine pounds and ninety pence Three hundred& seventy one pounds & seventy four pence Two hundred & seventy two pounds & thirty four pence Three hundred & fifty six pounds & twenty nine pence J Jones 22 Jan J Jones 25 Jan J Jones 28 Jan J Jones 30 Jan J Jones 31 Jan 15 405C-1 AL3 1,555 IL/8 61 40 89 IL/14 778 IL/8 77 139 IL/23 62 436 78 IL/6 49 00 IL/41 419 15 3,419 82 3,419 82 IL/17 405C-2 AL3 Back to Main Contents Page Back to Chapter Contents 405C-3 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 405 Annex D EXAMPLE PAYING-IN SLIP Complete in duplicate: One copy to be retained by SFAS/Cashier, One copy to be returned to payee for onward transmission to OIC Name of fund: SNCOs’ Mess Date: 25 Jan 10 Details Fund code Voucher No: Amount £ 28R Denomination p Amount £ p (if known) Bar Messing Gaming Machine Telephones Public a/c -----Grant 244 6 162 37 49 39 71 40 40 00 Total 499 90 Cheques £20 £10 £5 £2 £1 50p 20p 10p 5p 2p 1p 65 20 20 220 4 130 7 3 20 3 5 25 00 00 00 00 00 50 80 10 25 78 22 499 90 To be completed by cashier: To: OIC SNCOs’ Mess SFAS received the sum of: £499.90 (Sum in words: Four hundred and ninety nine pounds and ninety pence) From: Cpl Montague In respect of: daily takings SFAS Stamp Signature: J Date: 25 Jan 10 Jones Name: J Jones Appt: Cashier 405D-1 AL3 Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 405D-2 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 405 Annex E EXAMPLE WITHDRAWAL VOUCHER Complete in duplicate: One copy to be retained by SFAS/Cashier, One copy to be forwarded to OIC by SFAS Name of fund: Date: Voucher no: Fund code: To be completed by OIC or delegated authority: The sum of £ : (Sum in words:__________________________________________________________) is authorised for payment to________________________________________________ in respect of _____________________________________________________________ and is to be charged to the ______________________________ account. Signature _______________________________ SFAS Stamp Name __________________________________ Fund appointment ________________________ Date __________________________________ To be completed by recipient of payment: Received the sum of £ : (Sum in words: __________________________________________________________) Signature ___________________________________ Date __________ Name _____________________________________ 405E-1 AL3 Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 405E-2 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 405 Annex F EXAMPLE PETTY CASH BOOK Date Receipts £ Jan 1 7 9 10 16 21 25 27 30 Details 10 15 Total £ p 5 Payments Cross Refer 62 00 Balance Lemons Playing cards Postage Stamps Flowers From OIC mess Postage stamps Serviettes Decorations B/F 1 2 PB3 3 CB/4 PB3 4 5 62 Balance C/D p 1 Maint £ 2 1 28 80 00 15 2 2 1 p Bar £ p 1 12 Ent £ p VAT@ 15% £ p 15 00 16 72 2 16 11 11 3 4 51 15 62 31 IL/2 1 12 IL/5 1 50 22 2 20 48 IL/9 IL/28 31 15 62 4 51 Balance B/D £ p 16 10 70 1 Misc 2 00 2 00 4 00 C / Debit ledger accounts Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 405F-1 AL3 405F-2 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 405 Annex G EXAMPLE SUBSCRIPTION REGISTER – SUBSIDIARY ACTIVITIES Title of Activity: Motor Club Month and Year: January 2010 Name Location B/F From Previous Period Overpaid Sgt Adams FS Jones SAC Kennedy Flt Lt Logan SAC Matthews SAC Poole SAC Thompson Sqn Ldr Barnes WO Johns FS Young Comcen SHQ Supply SHQ Catering GD Flt MT Supply B Sqn Catering Misc Rally Fees Misc Total Due Amount Paid Rec No Date Underpaid 1.00 1.00 1.00 Subscription 1.00 C/F to Following Period Overpaid 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 10.00 0.50 0.50 1.00 1.00 2.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.50 1.00 1.50 11.00 1.00 2.00 1.00 1.00 2.00 1.50 1.00 1.50 11.00 773 774 775 776 777 778 779 780 3 Jan 10 5 Jan 10 3 Jan 10 5 Jan 10 5 Jan 10 7 Jan 10 3 Jan 10 10 Jan 10 Underpaid 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 Certificate by Officer IC: Certified that the total subscriptions and charges paid during the month of January 2010, as shown above, agrees with the total of subscriptions and charges brought to account in my cash book for that month. Signature: D Jones Rank/name: JONES Flt Lt D Activity: OIC Motor Club Date: 31 Jan 2010 405G-1 AL3 Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 405G-2 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 405 Annex H EXAMPLE POSTAGE BOOK Date From Where 2010 Jan 1 Balance 10 Mess Sec 20 Mess Sec Feb 1 Balance Folio Amount £ p B/F PCB 42 PCB 44 1 20 12 00 2 00 B/D Date 2010 Jan 3 10 18 21 27 31 15 20 1 80 Details Mess Bills (6x30p) Mess Sec Letters (3x30p) Creditors (18x40p) NAAFI (30p) Honorary Members (8x40p) Expenditure Balance Folio IL/18 C/D Amount £ p 1 80 90 7 20 30 3 20 13 40 1 80 15 20 405H-1 AL3 Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 405H-2 AL3 LEAFLET 406 NOT RELEASED Annex A and Annex B Not Released 406-1 AL3 Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 406-2 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 407 THE ACCOUNTING PROCEDURE FOR MESS BILLS Introduction 40701. Subscriptions and other standing charges are levied against mess members monthly in arrears and, particularly in officers' messes, certain other items are supplied on credit to members and the cost recovered on their monthly mess bills. This leaflet describes the general principles on which procedures for mess bill administration and accounting should be based. Recording of supplies made on credit 40702. Any goods or services supplied on credit to members should be suitably recorded. The messing register provides for casual and guests meals while the bar credit sales are recorded in bar-books or on chits. Other charges should be recorded in a manner suited to local circumstances. Daily Charges Book (DCB) 40703. Where a DCB is maintained, amounts are normally to be transferred into the book each day from the records referred to in para 40702. Where a DCB is not maintained, a method of recording charges prior to entry on the mess bill should be devised to suit local requirements. Members should be allowed to inspect their own accounts on request. Mess bills 40704. Charges should be entered on mess bills on a weekly or monthly basis, according to the system in use. At the end of the month, standing charges in respect of mess subscriptions etc should be entered on the bill and the various columns totalled and cross-cast. The total amount due from members must agree with that shown as due in the Subscriptions and Charges Book (SCB) (see below). Subscriptions and Charges Book (SCB) 40705. When all action on the mess bill is complete, the totals of each category of charge should be transcribed into the SCB (see Annex A), which may be in loose-leaf or book form. The summary is then to be sub-totalled, cross-cast and agreed and, if the mess is registered for VAT purposes, output tax should be deducted from those items which are taxable by applying the appropriate VAT fraction (see Leaflet 409) and new column totals brought down as shown in Annex A The tax deducted should be entered in a column headed 'VAT' and totalled on the same line as the other columns. The summary should then be cross-cast and agreed again as shown in Annex A and the column totals posted to the credit (or debit for refunds) side of the appropriate income lines. The total of amounts brought forward from the previous month is deducted from the total outstanding and the resulting figure, which represents the total of charges for the current month, is posted to the debit side of the mess bill control account (see para 40708), thus completing the double entry. Daily schedule of mess bills paid 40706. A schedule listing mess bills paid should be prepared each day and a sample format is given in Annex B. At the close of business each day the schedule should be totalled and the amount entered in the receipts side of the cash-book; the schedule should be retained to support 407-1 AL3 the cash-book entry. Individual entries on the schedule should be transcribed, together with payment details, into the SCB and the schedule initialled to show that this has been done. Mess bills unpaid at the end of the month 40707. At the end of the month, any amounts still unpaid should be entered in the 'carry forward' columns of the SCB and in the 'brought forward' column of the next month's books. Amounts brought forward should be identified on the individual's next month's mess bill. Mess bill control account 40708. A mess bill control account should be opened in the impersonal ledger; it should be debited with the net total of charges in respect of each month (see paras 40705 and 40706) and credited with amounts received in respect of mess bills. Where a non-analytical cash-book is used, these amounts should be posted from the cash-book daily; where an analytical cash-book is used, the total of the 'mess bills' column should be posted at the end of the month. The balance on the account represents the amount outstanding at the end of the month and it should be reconciled with SCB, taking care that bills paid in the month to which they relate are dealt with correctly. A worked example of a mess bill control account is shown at Annex C together with a reconciliation between the SCB and mess bill control account. The reconciliation statement should be written in, or firmly affixed to, the appropriate page in the SCB. Annexes: A. B. C. Recording subscriptions and regular charges. Daily schedule of mess bills paid. Mess Bill Control Account (MBCA). Back to Main Contents Back to Chapter Contents Page 407-2 AL3 Leaflet 407 Annex A Not Released Back to Main Contents Page Back to Chapter Contents 407A-1 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 407 Annex B DAILY SCHEDULE OF MESS BILLS PAID Date: Feb 10 Rank 1 Feb 10 Name Amount Posted to Summary Sqn Ldr Morton 25.39 DA 25.39 DA 23.29 19.75 13.58 DA DA DA 56.62 DA 27.05 DA 27.05 DA Total entered in Cash Book 4 Feb 10 Gp Capt Flt Lt Plt Off Grove Orr Mason Total entered in Cash Book 6 Feb 10 Fg Off Total entered in Cash Book Flood Back to Main Contents Back to Chapter Contents Page 407B-1 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 407 Annex C MESS BILL CONTROL ACCOUNT (MBCA) Date Item 1 Jan 10 Balance 31 Jan 10 Mess Bills Folio £ Date B/F 90.16 4 Jan 10 SCB 12 134.53 Item Folio £ Cash CB 54 13.85 7 Jan 10 Cash CB 55 27.94 8 Jan 10 Cash CB 56 19.74 10 Jan 10 Cash CB 57 21.59 28 Jan 10 Cash CB 58 19.72 31 Jan 10 Balance C/D 121.85 224.69 1 Feb 10 Balance C/D 224.69 121.85 Reconciliation between summary of charges and Mess Bill Control Account Date 1/1 Item MBCA balance b/f from Dec 09 (as per Dec 09 trial balance) Balance (£) 90.16 31/1 Less Dec 09 mess bill payments received in Jan 10 (83.12) (CB 54,55,56,57) 31/1 31/1 Plus mess bill charges for Jan 10 = Total amount due at end of Jan 10 (as per SCB) 7.04 134.53 141.57 31/1 31/1 Less Jan 10 mess bills paid in Jan 10 (CB 58) MBCA balance c/d from Jan 10 (as per Jan 10 trial balance) (19.72) 121.85 Note: The MBCA balance represents the running total of all mess bills owed to the mess. 407C-1 AL3 Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 407C-2 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 408 ACCOUNTING FOR MESS FUNCTIONS Introduction 40801. A wide variety of official, informal and private functions are held in officers' and SNCOs' messes and this leaflet details the accounting procedures that should be used for all such functions. Although the forms and procedures have been designed specifically for mess functions they should also be used for any large and complex function run by any Service Fund or subsidiary activity. 40802. Every function held in a mess should be planned by the sponsor in conjunction with the mess manager. Planning will include detailed estimates of costs, subsidies and income (from other funds, etc) together with the calculation of any levy which is to be paid by those attending. These estimates must then be approved by the mess committee or, in the case of a private function, by those responsible for the function. 40803. Any subsidy towards the cost of members’ tickets should be recorded in the appropriate minute-book. Goods and services provided for a function should always to be listed on appropriate documents. Accounting procedures 40804. Consolidation of costs. A costing sheet, in the format of Annex A should be used to consolidate the costs of a function. Where the mess is registered for VAT purposes, the total value of bar issues should be written down to VAT-free prices by applying the appropriate fraction (see Leaflet 409). The net amount is then inserted in Part 1 against 'Bar'. Other items of expenditure are treated similarly, taking care that only those items which contain a VAT element are written down (eg there is no VAT in the amount for gratuities; most messing items are zerorated). A sub-total is then determined. 40805. Deduction of grants and subsidies. Because VAT is not chargeable on grants towards the cost of functions from public funds or subsidies from mess funds (see Leaflet 218) the next step, therefore, is to deduct the amount of any such grants/subsidies, before the addition of VAT. (See Leaflet 410 for accounting for VAT). 40806. Addition of VAT and sharing of costs. The remaining cost is normally met by those persons attending the function and it is this element which is subject to VAT at the standard rate. A final total is then produced and this amount is recovered from those attending the function on whatever basis has been agreed. A list of those attending together with the charge levied in each case, is then compiled made in Part 2 of the function costing sheet (see Annex A). 40807. Messes which are not registered for VAT. Where the mess is not registered for VAT, all items of expenditure are to be entered on the function costing sheet at their full (gross) purchase price. Mess or public contributions are to be deducted from the total gross costs and the remaining balance recovered from those attending. No writing down of prices is necessary and no VAT is to be added to the amounts charged to members. 40808. Calculation of members’ levies. Under Charity Commission guidelines the mess subsidy should primarily benefit the members, and it is accepted that at guest functions this benefit may extend to members’ first guests. If the mess membership wish (with first guests) to benefit exclusively from the whole subsidy then that option is available, and is represented by the example function costing at Annex A, which leaves additional/honorary guests to pay the full economic costs 408-1 AL3 of the function. However, if the mess membership feel that it is in the best interests of the mess to partially subsidise other guests too, then the membership may vote instead to operate a fixed surcharge for additional/honorary guests, as per the example function costing at Annex B. 40809. Recovery of charges. The amounts to be recovered are to be entered on the members' daily charges sheets/personal accounts/mess bills in the 'functions' column. The list in Part 2 of the function costing sheet is to be initialled to show that this has been done. 40809. Function account. An account should be opened for each function. The costs listed in Part 1 of the function costing sheet are to be entered on the debit side of the function control account. For gratuities, band and certain other items of expenditure, the corresponding credit entry will appear in the payments side of the cash-book. No accounting action is required for mess contributions (previously called ‘grants’) since they effectively represent a loss to the mess. The amount recovered in levies is to be debited to mess bills in the subscriptions and charges book and credited to the function account. The sums of the function control account debits and credits are then journalled to function income and expenditure lines respectively. The difference between the two figures will represent the subsidies made by the mess. Annex: A. B. Example officers’ mess function costing – full subsidies. Example officers’ mess function costing – fixed-value discount. 408-2 AL3 Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 408-3 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 408 Annex A EXAMPLE OFFICERS' MESS FUNCTION COSTING - FULL SUBSIDIES FUNCTION: Christmas Draw DATE: 9 Dec 10 PART 1 FUNCTION COSTING : COVERS: 275 FUNCTION COSTS GROSS BAR £ 3,375.00 BAR SUNDRIES £ 800.00 GRATUITIES £ 3,375.00 GENERAL COSTS £ 540.00 MESSING £ 3,500.00 ENTERTAINMENTS (DODGEMS) £ 4,071.25 ENTERTAINMENTS (BAND) £ 200.00 £ - £ 15,861.25 TOTAL COSTS (A) Less Subsidies AMOUNTS VAT £ 562.50 £ 133.33 £ £ 90.00 £ £ 678.54 £ 33.33 £ £ 1,497.71 NET £ 2,812.50 £ 666.67 £ 3,375.00 £ 450.00 £ 3,500.00 £ 3,392.71 £ 166.67 £ £ 14,363.54 £ 7,000.00 £ 7,363.54 £ 1,472.71 £ 8,836.25 Subsidies AMOUNT VATABLE ADD VAT @20% (B) TOTAL RECOVERIES (INCL VAT) RECOVERIES Honorary/Additional Guests Full Members + 1 Guest Hon/AddGuests Paying FULL ECONOMIC COST 100 175 TOTAL RECOVERIES Cost/Head £ 57.59 £ 17.59 £ 5,758.64 £ 3,077.61 £ 8,836.25 6829B ACTIONED ON BACCHUS ACTIONED ON AUTHORISED BY RANK: NAME: 408A-1 AL3 SIGNATURE: DATE: PART 2 Name Flt Lt Andrews Fg Off Bailey Sqn Ldr Barker Sqn Ldr Beasley Flt Lt Blyth Fg Off Blackstock Flt Lt Booth Wg Cdr Brook Sqn Ldr Brown Sqn Ldr Collins Flt Lt Davidson etc………… Member +1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 158 Totals 175 Grand total Requested Max 275 275 300 Hon/Add 1 2 2 95 100 AUTHORISED BY RANK: NAME: SIGNATURE: DATE: Cost £17.59 £17.59 £17.59 £17.59 £17.59 £35.17 £35.17 £35.17 £92.76 £150.35 £150.35 £8,249.35 £8,836.25 408A-2 AL3 Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 408A-3 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 408 Annex B EXAMPLE OFFICERS' MESS FUNCTION COSTING - FIXED-VALUE DISCOUNT FUNCTION: Christmas Draw FUNCTION COSTING : DATE: 9 Dec 10 COVERS: 275 PART 1 FUNCTION COSTS AMOUNTS GROSS BAR £ 3,375.00 BAR SUNDRIES £ 800.00 GRATUITIES £ 3,375.00 GENERAL COSTS £ 540.00 MESSING £ 3,500.00 ENTERTAINMENTS (DODGEMS) £ 4,071.25 ENTERTAINMENTS (BAND) £ 200.00 £ £ TOTAL COSTS (A) Less Subsidies VAT £ 562.50 £ 133.33 NET £ 2,812.50 £ 666.67 £ £ 90.00 - £ 3,375.00 £ 450.00 £ £ 678.54 £ 33.33 - £ - £ - £ - 15,861.25 £ 1,497.71 £ 14,363.54 Subsidies £ 7,000.00 AMOUNT VATABLE £ 7,363.54 ADD VAT @20% £ 1,472.71 £ 8,836.25 £ 3,849.55 £ 4,986.70 £ 8,836.25 (B) TOTAL RECOVERIES (INCL VAT) 3,500.00 £ 3,392.71 £ 166.67 RECOVERIES Honorary/Additional Guests 100 Full Members + 1 Guest 175 Hon/AddGuests Paying SURCHARGE of: £ Cost/Head £ 38.50 £ 28.50 10.00 TOTAL RECOVERIES 6829B ACTIONED ON BACCHUS ACTIONED ON AUTHORISED BY RANK: NAME: 408B-1 AL3 SIGNATURE: DATE: PART 2 Name Member +1 Hon/Add Cost Flt Lt Andrews 1 £28.50 Fg Off Bailey 1 £28.50 Sqn Ldr Barker 1 £28.50 Sqn Ldr Beasley 1 £28.50 Flt Lt Blyth 1 £28.50 Fg Off Blackstock 2 £56.99 Flt Lt Booth 2 £56.99 Wg Cdr Brook 2 £56.99 Sqn Ldr Brown 2 1 £95.49 Sqn Ldr Collins 2 2 £133.98 Flt Lt Davidson 2 2 £133.98 etc………… 158 95 £8,159.35 Totals 175 Grand total 275 100 AUTHORISED BY Requested 275 RANK: Max 300 NAME: £8,836.25 SIGNATURE: DATE: 408B-2 AL3 Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 408B-3 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 409 APPLICATION OF VAT Introduction 40901. The purpose of Value Added Tax (VAT) and the application of the VAT regulations to Service Funds and activities, including the requirements for registration, are explained in Leaflet 218. This leaflet provides guidance on the types of VAT, the system of collection and the method of calculating and applying the tax to goods and services; it also provides a breakdown of the classifications into which goods and services are grouped for tax purposes. The leaflet is issued as a guide to OICs and clerical staff of funds and activities which are registered for VAT purposes. Any references below to funds or activities assume those organisations to be registered. This leaflet should be read in conjunction with Leaflets 218 and 410 (VAT Accounting). Type of tax 40902. Input tax. Funds and activities are charged with VAT by their suppliers on the goods and services supplied to them; this tax is known as 'input tax' and must be supported by a legal VAT invoice. Input tax on goods and services which are either obtained for resale or are clearly identifiable as direct trading (ie ‘business’) expenses, is reclaimable from HMRC and is known as 'deductible input tax'. Input tax on goods or services which are not obtained in the course of business is not reclaimable and is known as 'non-deductible input tax'. The following are examples of goods and services which are subject to the different types of input tax: a. Deductible input tax. (1) Goods purchased for resale. Any goods and services purchased by funds and activities for resale to members, eg beer, spirits, foodstuffs, tobacco, dance groups. (2) Identifiable business expenses. Goods and services purchased for the sole purpose of allowing trading to continue, eg laundering of staff uniforms, tablecloths and purchases of such items as coolers, freezers, optics, cleaning powders, stationery for use in the bar, messing or other trading departments. b. Non-deductible input tax. Any goods or services not obtained in direct support of a trading activity eg polish, stationery, laundering sheets, purchase of silver, free barrels of beer (if charged as a bar expense), etc. 40903. Output tax. When funds or activities supply taxable goods and services to their customers they must charge VAT; the tax charged being known as 'output tax'. 40904. Offsets. Deductible input tax can normally be offset against output tax and the difference paid to (or reclaimed from) HMRC. However, under HMRC advice messes are not permitted to make net recoveries from HMRC (See T-Letter 511/10 or 507/11). Partial exemption 40905. Principle. Service Funds and activities whose output includes goods or services which are classed as ‘exempt’ from VAT (eg Christmas Draw raffle tickets) are regarded by HMRC as being partially exempt. This means that they may only deduct or reclaim that element of their deductible input tax which relates to their taxable outputs. Applying this principle to Christmas Draws again, for example, indicates that messes should not generally reclaim VAT on Christmas 409-1 AL3 Draw prizes, because they do not apply VAT to the raffle tickets. However, because Service Funds are typically low-level traders of exempt goods, the beneficial ‘de minimis’ provision often applies (see para 40906). 40906. De minimis rule. If in any period funds or activities have exempt outputs which are small in relation to their total outputs, they may deduct the whole of their (deductible) input tax for that period, including the exempt element, as if it were fully taxable. This ruling will only apply if the value of the exempt input tax is less that £625 per month (2011) on average and less than 50 per cent of the total input tax, whichever is the greater. Funds or activities in this position should obtain advice from their local VAT office. 40907. Implications of de minimis rule. Assuming that the only exempt inputs to the mess are Christmas Draw prizes (this assumption is the mess’s responsibility to check) then these exempt inputs may attract VAT up to £1,875 in a VAT quarter before de minimis rules cease to apply. Where VAT is £1,875 at a standard rate of 20%, the gross payment is £11,250. Therefore messes may reclaim VAT on up to £11,250 (gross) worth of Christmas Draw prizes, despite not applying VAT to the raffle tickets. 40908. Calculations of deductible input tax. The following formula is issued by HMRC for calculation of deductible input tax in cases of partial exemption (ie where exempt inputs exceed the de minimis limits). The formula is to be used by all partially exempt funds and activities. This method calculates the value (excluding VAT) of taxable outputs as a percentage of the value (excluding VAT) of the total outputs. The percentage is then applied to the total input tax to provide the amount of deductible input tax eg: Value of outputs chargeable at the standard rate (excluding VAT) Value of outputs chargeable at the zero-rate Value of taxable outputs Value of exempt outputs Value of total outputs (excluding VAT) Percentage of taxable outputs = 20,000 / 25,000 x 100 = 80% Total input tax* = £1,200 Deductible input tax = 80% of £1,200 = 10,000 10,000 20,000 5,000 25,000 £960 *This figure must not include any input tax which is non-deductible for reasons unconnected with partial exemption (see para 40902b). Collection 40909. VAT is collected at each stage of the process of production and distribution of goods and services. Traders bear the tax on the increased value of the produce between purchase and resale, the full tax being borne by the consumer at the end of the chain of distribution. An illustration of how VAT is collected at each stage in the distribution of goods is given at Annex A. Calculating and applying VAT 40910. When Service Funds and activities are registered for VAT, deductible input tax is to be deducted when the goods or services are recorded in the books of prime entry. Where goods are subsequently offered for resale output tax is then applied to the selling price, recovered from the consumer and credited to the VAT account (see Leaflet 410 for full details). The following examples illustrate the method used to calculate VAT at each stage: a. Input Tax. To calculate the VAT paid on an article (ie the input tax) it is necessary to apply the fraction rate of tax/(100 + rate of tax) to the sum paid; eg if VAT currently is set 409-2 AL3 at 20%, This fraction is: 20/120 = 1/6 So, for example: Sum paid VAT paid is £2.40 x (1/6) Cost price of item less VAT = £2.40 = £0.40 = £2.00 b. Output tax. Assuming the article at a. is now resold to produce a profit of £1, the VAT due (ie the output tax) is calculated by applying the rate of tax (currently 20%) to the selling price, eg: Selling price before tax VAT at 20% Selling price incl VAT 40911. = £3.00 = £0.60 = £3.60 Rounding Down. VAT is always rounded down to the nearest whole pence. Tax classification 40912. follows: Goods and services, both purchased and sold on, are classified for tax purposes as C - Standard rate. Set in Jan 2011 at 20%. RR - Reduced rate. Set in Jan 2011 at 5%. ZR - Zero-rate. The level of output tax is nil but a higher rate could be levied in the future – any input tax paid can still be reclaimed. E - Exempt from tax. No input tax or output tax is applicable). OS - Outside the scope of VAT (eg dividends, grants, interest, etc). equivalent to a non-business item as far as VAT is concerned. This is Full details of the classifications and the ranges of goods and services to which they apply are given in HMRC Notice No 701. A table of the facilities provided by non-public funds and activities under the above classifications is given at Annex B. Annexes: A. B. Illustration of the stages in the collection of VAT. Charges for facilities provided in Service messes. 409-3 AL3 Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 409-4 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 409 Annex A ILLUSTRATION OF THE STAGES IN THE COLLECTION OF VAT Stage Buying price Deductible input tax at 20% Total paid by purchaser Transaction Selling price Output tax at 20% (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) Total paid to seller (h) VAT paid to HMCR (i) 1 - - - 2 2.50 0.50 3.00 3 3.50 0.70 4.20 4 - - 6.00 VAT Totals 1.20 Producer makes goods, sells them to wholesaler for £2.50 plus output tax and pays the output tax to HMRC Wholesaler pays producer £3.00, sells goods to retailer for £3.50 plus output tax and pays to HMRC difference between the input and output tax Retailer pays wholesaler £4.20, sells goods to a customer for £5.00 plus output tax and pays to HMRC difference between input and output tax Retailer sells goods to customer for £6.00. Customer is final user and cannot reclaim any tax Summary of input/output tax 2.50 0.50 3.00 0.50 3.50 0.70 4.20 0.20 5.00 1.00 6.00 0.30 (Note) - - - 2.20 - 1.00 Note: Final tax is paid by the retailer, but tax has been collected at each stage of production 409A-1 AL3 and distribution of the goods. Back to Main Contents Back to Chapter Contents Page 409A-2 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 409 Annex B CHARGES FOR FACILITIES PROVIDED IN SERVICE MESSES Charges met by Extra messing (Note 1) Casual meals (Note 1) Bar sales (Note 1) Subscriptions Misc (Note 2) 1. Single servicemen living-in Recipient C - C OS OS 2. Married unaccompanied servicemen living-in Recipient C - C OS OS 3. Married accompanied and single servicemen living-out Recipient C C C OS OS 4. Civilians (non-industrial) other than 6 and 7 below Recipient C C C C OS 5. Civilians (industrial) other than 6 and 7 below Recipient C C C C OS Recipient of facilities 6. Civilians from Govt Depts attending Service training courses a. Recipient, or when reclaimable… Remarks If MOD is meeting charges they will be exempt as for b. b. Sponsoring authority 7. Contractors employees attending training courses 8. Foreign and Recipient or Contractor C C a. Sponsoring C OS If MOD meets the 409B-1 AL3 Commonwealth personnel (other than 9 below) authority (Note 3) ZR ZR - OS - charges the costs subsequently raised by MOD against sponsor will be zerorated as for 8a, 9a and 10a E E - OS - See 8 ZR ZR - ZR - See 8 C C C C C b. Recipient or MOD 9. Foreign and Commonwealth personnel attending Service training courses a. Sponsoring authority b. Recipient or MOD 10. Staff of SHAPE, NATO, Military etc a. NATO (Note 3) b. Recipient or MOD Notes: 1. These items will also cover extra provision for guest and dining-in nights, catering for outside organisations etc. 2. The mess bill is issued here only as a vehicle for passing on a VAT inclusive charge (eg for theatre tickets, laundry, etc). 3. Where the taxable output of the Service Fund is not likely to exceed the annual limit laid down in HMRC Notice 700/1 ‘Should I be registered for VAT?’ and the fund has no cause to register, the facilities shown as chargeable to zero-rated will be exempt from tax. Back to Main Contents Page Back to Chapter Contents 409B-2 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 410 VALUE ADDED TAX - ACCOUNTING Introduction 41001. The application of VAT to Service Funds and activities is explained in Leaflets 218 and 409. This leaflet describes the procedures to be used to account for VAT in the Service Funds books of account. It is therefore of primary interest to OICs and clerical staff of those funds and activities which are registered for VAT purposes. The procedures explained in the following paragraphs satisfy the requirements of HMRC. The basic rules 41002. The procedures by which Service Funds and activities account for VAT are governed by two basic rules which are designed to keep the accounting process as simple as possible and which must be observed at all times. The rules are: a. Deductible input tax and output tax are to be calculated in the books of prime entry ie the cash-book (CB), purchases book (PB) and the subscriptions and charges book (SCB). The only exceptions being function accounts (para 41004j) where VAT calculations are made within the ledger account. b. Non-deductible input tax is to be charged to the appropriate expenditure accounts, ie the full purchase price is charged. Books of prime entry 41003. Details of the modifications required in each of the books of prime entry to accommodate VAT records are described below together with details of the accounting action required in respect of all transactions affected by VAT: a. Cash-book. Cash purchases and sales attract VAT and this must be accounted for within the CB as follows: (1) Analytical cash-books. Separate columns should be ruled on each side of the CB, headed VAT, and used to record deductible input tax (payments side) and output tax (receipts side) in respect of each taxable transaction. At the end of the month the totals in the VAT columns are posted to the appropriate sides of the VAT account. An example of accounting when an analysed CB is used is shown at Annex A. b. Purchases book. An extra column is ruled in the PB to record deductible input tax on all credit purchases (care must be taken to action only 'deductible' input tax - see Leaflet 409), and the total posted to the debit side of the VAT account at the end of the month. See examples at Annexes C and D to Leaflet 403. c. Subscriptions and charges book. The SCB records credit sales to mess members and provides a convenient monthly summary of the taxable turnover. Members have different liabilities depending on their status (eg RAF or civilians) and the monthly turnover has to be analysed into taxable zero-rated, taxable standard rate and non-taxable totals. At the end of the month output tax should be calculated from the gross departmental totals and: 410-1 AL3 (1) The revised totals posted to the credit side of the departmental accounts in the impersonal ledger. (2) The total output VAT posted to the credit side of the VAT account in the impersonal ledger. An example is shown at Annex A, Example 2. Impersonal ledger 41004. Ledger accounts. In order to complete the double-entry for the VAT transactions in the books of prime entry a corresponding entry must be made in the VAT account in the impersonal ledger. Similarly, there are a variety of internal adjustments within accounts which attract VAT and which are accounted for within the ledger. The following list includes those accounts most affected by the tax and describes, in each case, how VAT should be accounted for: a. VAT. A separate VAT account is to be maintained to which deductible input tax is to be debited and output tax credited. This account provides the interface between the fund and HMRC; it is to be balanced monthly and the balance is to be carried forward at the end of the audit period. An example of a VAT account is given at Annex A, Example 3. b. Bar (including home consumption). Input tax is deductible on all purchases for resale and purchases essential to allow trading to continue eg bar coolers, stock-books, bar staff meals, etc. All bar sales with the exception of certain sundries attract output tax. The bar sales recorded on the credit side of the bar income account are at VAT exclusive prices, the VAT being actioned direct from the CB or SCB. Sundries sold at cost price do not attract VAT and input tax is not deductible and output tax is not recovered. c. Messing. Most food is zero-rated, however, some food and other goods and services purchased by this account may attract input tax which is deductible as the goods or services are considered as trading expenses. Deductions made from a serviceman's pay to cover basic food costs are outside the scope of VAT. All other charges such as the service (public) element involved in preparing and serving goods are taxable. Therefore, all sales from the messing account in respect of casual meals and extra messing attract output tax. Receipts for swill are not liable to VAT. See illustration at Annex A, Example 6. d. Maintenance, silver and library. Purchases debited to these expenditure accounts are not made in the course of business and input tax is not deductible. e. Subscriptions. Output tax is not levied on subscriptions paid by servicemen who are full members of the officers' mess or SNCOs' mess, as membership is compulsory under QRs and thus outside the scope of VAT. Subscriptions paid in excess of the limits laid down in Leaflets 610 and 806 are classed as voluntary contributions and are subject to tax at the standard rate of VAT. Subscriptions paid by civilians and F&C personnel are also classed as voluntary and attract VAT at the standard rate. f. Recoveries. When goods and services on credit are paid initially by the mess, club or activity, and then recovered from the member, input tax is not deductible. g. Gaming machines. Input tax in respect of rental of gaming machines is deductible and is analysed in the PB. Output tax is deducted from the gross takings and entered in the VAT column in the CB. Where machines are hired the amount paid to the hirer will be total takings less hire and service charges and associated VAT. Output tax is to be paid on the gross takings and input tax claimed on hire and service charges. Further information is given in VAT Leaflet 701/13 ‘Gaming and amusement machines’. 410-2 AL3 h. Washing machines, amusement machines, vending machines, etc. Action is taken as described in sub-para f. i. Restricted subscriptions/levies. Input tax on all purchases is deductible and, where still imposed, specified monthly subscriptions or levies (for example special entertainments) are subject to output tax, as shown in Annex A, Example 2. j. Functions. Input tax on all purchases is deductible. All purchases should, therefore, exclude input tax which has already been posted to the debit side of the VAT account from the CB, PB or departmental trading account, and only the net purchase actioned to the function account. Output tax is charged on the levies raised against members who attend functions, however, the amount of output tax will vary if a subsidy has been approved from mess funds. Examples of how output tax is calculated are given at Annex C. (See also Leaflet 408). Functions include guest nights, ladies guest nights, summer balls, receptions, dining-in nights, etc. k. Miscellaneous. Output tax at the standard rate is to be recovered from income derived from the following sources: (1) Non-public garage income. (2) Admission charges to tombola. (3) Admission charges to cinema (film shows). (4) Swimming pool ticket sales. (5) Block membership subscriptions to swimming pools, bowling alleys, etc where given in lieu of entrance/admission fees. (6) Bowling centre playing fees, shoe and locker rentals. (7) Service Fund club/fund subscriptions and charges for using club/fund equipment. (8) Voluntary donations, but only when in return for a supply or service (eg civilian mess members’ subscriptions). l. Grants. The sources of a mess’s unrestricted annual income have either already been taxed (eg voluntary mess subscriptions of civilian personnel, bar income, gaming machine profits etc) or are outside the scope of VAT (eg compulsory mess subscriptions of RAF personnel, investment dividends, interest etc). Therefore, subsidies from the mess unrestricted annual income are not subject to VAT. Similarly grants made from the public account are not subject to VAT. Outside organisations 41005. Functions held in messes, or clubs by and at the expense of outside organisations (eg civil bodies, societies, etc) on a grace-and-favour basis are to be accounted for under normal VAT rules. Sale of non-public property 41006. Sale of non-public property comes under the regulations dealing with the sale of second-hand goods and output tax is liable on the full selling price. Silver, works of art and 410-3 AL3 antiques are subject to a special ruling where the original buying price is assumed to include VAT; output tax is therefore paid only on the difference if sold at a profit. Consequently if items are sold at cost or less than no tax is chargeable. Items purchased before the introduction of VAT will be assessed as having been purchased on 1 Apr 73. Further information is contained in HMRC Notice No 700. Staff entertainment expenses 41007. When a Service Fund provides free entertainment for its employees (eg staff party etc) and can show that the cost is borne by the fund, any input tax incurred is deductible, subject to the normal VAT rules. These rules apply only to the staff and not to attending mess or club members. Benevolent funds 41008. Funds which provide for the dependants of Service personnel and whose income is by voluntary subscription, donations from service personnel, etc, (eg RAF Benevolent Fund), are outside the scope of VAT and are not required to pay tax on monies received or on disbursements made to beneficiaries. They will, of course, pay tax which may be included in the price of any goods purchased. Annual balance sheet 41009. The balance on the VAT account should be shown on the balance sheet under the liabilities section if a credit, or under debtors in the assets section if a debit. Stock certificates 41010. Monthly stock sheets are to be prepared using VAT exclusive prices and the total value entered in the appropriate stock account. Where input tax is not deductible stocks are to be valued at the VAT inclusive price. Return of VAT - Form 100 41011. At quarterly intervals all registered Service Funds are to complete a return of their input and output VAT for HMRC. The input and output taxes are totalled in the ledger account and the figures entered on VAT Form 100, the difference being the amount owed to or by the fund for VAT. Guidance on completing VAT Form 100 is given in HMRC Notice No 700 ‘The VAT Guide’. Annexes: A. B. VAT accounting using an analysed cash-book. Accounting for VAT in function accounts. Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 410-4 AL3 Leaflet 410 Annex A Not Released 410A-1 AL3 Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 410A-2 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 410 Annex B ACCOUNTING FOR VAT IN FUNCTION ACCOUNTS (EG SUMMER BALL ACCOUNTS) 1. Members pay whole cost. £ Oct 31 2. Oct 31 p Purchases (1) PB 580.82 Bar sales IL2 109.81 Messing IL4 79.94 Output VAT IL6 115.58 £ Oct 31 Cost £770.57 VAT @ 10% £77.06 SCB 847.63 £ £ Grant covers whole cost. p Purchases (1) PB 580.82 Bar sales IL2 109.81 Messing IL4 79.94 Oct 22 Grant IL1 p 770.57 770.57 Part grant plus members pay remaining cost. £ Oct 31 847.63 847.63 770.57 3. p p £ Purchases (1) PB 580.82 Oct 1 Grant Bar sales IL2 109.81 Cost £270.57 Messing IL4 79.94 VAT @ 10% £27.06 VAT output IL6 27.06 IL1 SCB p 500 297.63 410B-1 AL3 797.63 797.63 Note: 1. All Purchases exclude DIVAT. 410B-2 AL3 Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 410B-3 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 411 PREPARATION OF MONTHLY STATEMENTS OF ACCOUNTS Introduction 41101. To assist OICs with financial planning and budgetary control, detailed statements of account should be drawn up each month for every major Service Fund on a station. Simplified statements should be prepared for each subsidiary activity and banked fund. This leaflet describes the basic requirements for the production of monthly statements of account: the actual information given in practice will vary with the size and complexity of individual funds and accounts, and with the requirements of their OICs. 41102. As a general rule a detailed statement of account will only be prepared for the three main funds (the officers' and SNCOs' messes and the Service Institute Fund) but one should also be prepared for any other fund that maintains ledger accounts (ie it is treated as a separate company on Sage). The simplified statements prepared for small activities will normally only show the balance held in their account and any income/expenditure over the month. All statements should be prepared and promulgated as soon as possible during the month following that to which they relate. Closing the ledger account 41103. The fund clerk should ensure that all postings to the ledgers from the books of prime entry (eg cash-book, purchases book, journal, etc) are complete. Stock values as extracted from the certificates rendered by the stockholders and reserves in respect of accruals and prepayments (see Leaflet 404) should be entered in the appropriate ledger account. 41104. The balance on each account should be calculated and entered on the appropriate side of the ledger account so that both sides agree. Each account should then be ruled off and totalled, and the balance, stocks and reserves should be brought down on the opposite side of the accounts. Trial balance 41105. The trial balance is a schedule of the debit and credit balances extracted from the ledger, plus the cash and bank balances. As the double entry system requires the value of debit entries to equal the value of the corresponding entries on the opposite side of the accounts, the trial balance must agree. 41106. The trial balance is to be recorded in a suitably ruled book, which is to be retained for audit. The balances brought down in the ledger (including stocks and reserves), plus the cash and bank balances, should be listed on the trial balance and the two sides totalled and compared (see example at Annex A). 41107. the error(s): If the trial balance does not agree, the following procedure should be used to trace a. Ascertain the difference between the two sides. b. Check the addition of each side of the trial balance. 411-1 AL3 c. The trial balance difference might result from only one error and the following checks should be made as a first stage in tracing the error: (1) Divide the difference by two and check to see if the resultant amount appears in the trial balance; if it does, the entry may be on the wrong side. (2) If the difference is divisible by nine, look for a possible transcription error, eg £154.60 as £15.46, £48.29 as £29.48 or £75 as £57. d. Examine the previous trial balance and compare the entries with the current trial balance; this may reveal the omission of an account. e. Examine each ledger account and check that the additions and the balances are correct. f. Check that the previous month's balances and reserves have been brought forward correctly. g. Examine the control accounts and verify that the balances agree with the total of individual balances controlled, eg mess bills, purchases, subsidiary cash-book. h. Check all postings from the books of prime entry to the ledgers, and all internal ledger postings, at the same time checking that the contra entries in the cash-book are correct. i. Check the bank reconciliation and the additions and amounts carried and brought forward in the cash-book. 41108. The agreement of the trial balance is no more than prima facie evidence of the arithmetical accuracy of the accounts, and certain kinds of error can be made which will not prevent the trial balance agreeing. Examples of these are: a. The omission of a complete transaction from the accounts. b. The posting of an item to the wrong account. c. Errors in the books of prime entry. d. Compensating arithmetical errors. Income and expenditure accounts 41109. Once the trial balance is agreed the balances in the revenue line entries should be extracted from it and posted to the appropriate sides of the income and expenditure account. This account can then be balanced and the resultant balance, representing surplus or deficit on the month's trading, should be added to/subtracted from the capital balance in the monthly statement of account. No ledger entries should be made. Statement of account 41110. Working from the remaining figures in the trial balance, a statement of account is to be prepared in the form of a balance sheet (vertical presentation) as shown in the example at Annex B. The figures shown in the statement are the totals of balances under each main heading, supporting detail being supplied in such schedules as are considered necessary. As a further aid to management control, the following information is also to be included, where applicable: 411-2 AL3 a. Income and expenditure account. b. A liquidity statement (see Leaflet 304). c. A statement of the gross profit percentage achieved by each trading activity including the figures for previous months of the audit period (see Leaflet 309 and the example given in Annex B). Information for OICs of subsidiary activities and banked funds 41111. When the monthly statements of account have been completed, notification of the balance on their accounts should be sent (in the form of Annex C) to the OICs of all subsidiary activities and banked funds who may query the balance with the book-keeper at any time to resolve any differences. The example given at Annex C will be suitable for the majority of small clubs and activities who only operate one account; it may be necessary to expand the statement where an activity has two or more line entries and, where any form of trading takes place, eg bars or canteens, a statement of gross profit percentage should also be supplied (see example at Annex B). Annexes: A. B. C. Example of a trial balance. Example of a monthly statement of account. Example of a simplified statement of account for issue to subsidiary activities. 411-3 AL3 Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 411-4 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 411 Annex A EXAMPLE OF A TRIAL BALANCE Item Cash in hand DR CR £ £ 234.67 Floats Bank current account 200.00 1,383.54 Bank deposit account 5,000.00 Equity shares 42,574.73 Bonds 15,659.62 Capital property 14,255.00 Tangible property 2,874.57 Mess bills 3,648.56 Investment provisioned income 183.24 Official function provisioned income 634.83 Bar stock 6,826.54 Sundries stock 476.23 PRS prepayment 120.00 Trade creditors 9,966.59 VAT liability Outstanding functions Independent examination accrual 256.78 235.67 500.00 Contingent liability 20,487.00 Unrealised profit/loss on equity Unrealised profit/loss on bonds Accrued unrealised profit/loss on equity Accrued unrealised profit/loss on bonds 1,000.32 159.30 1,574.40 500.33 Unrestricted income 18,897.88 Property held 17,109.57 Subscription income 45,876.48 Investment income 723.59 Bar sales income Sundries sales income 68,150.85 679.60 Bar surplus income 106.47 Official function income 67,568.31 Function admin fees income 838.41 Christmas draw prizes income 11,927.50 Bonfire night grant 600.00 Deployed families grant 150.00 COs’ Benevolent Fund grant Station families’ day grant 300.00 500.00 Bar cost of goods sold Sundries cost of goods sold 57,399.22 5,879.55 411A-1 AL3 Bar expenses Bar surplus expenditure Maintenance expenditure Improvements expenditure Official function expenditure Insurance expenditure Entertainments expenditure PMC’s contingency expenditure Christmas draw prizes expenditure Internal audit fees Independent examination fees 1,909.87 106.47 16,510.83 8,486.40 52,568.31 897.69 14,132.94 378.74 11,927.50 240.00 500.00 266,599.05 266,599.05 Back to Main Contents Back to Chapter Contents Page 411A-2 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 411 Annex B EXAMPLE OF A MONTHLY STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT OFFICERS' MESS STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT AS AT 31 MAY 10 £ £ Assets: Equity shares Bonds Capital property Tangible property Long term assets 42,574.73 15,659.62 14,255.00 2,874.57 75,363.92 Cash in hand Floats Bank current account Bank deposit account Mess bills Provisioned incomes Stocks Prepayments Current assets 234.67 200.00 1,383.54 5,000.00 3,648.56 818.07 7,302.77 120.00 18,707.61 Liabilities: Creditors Outstanding expenses Accruals Current liabilities 9,966.59 492.45 500.00 10,959.04 Net current assets 7,748.57 Net assets 84,950.75 Represented by: Contingent liability Property Unrestricted Income Fund Accrued unrealised profit on investments Profit from income and expenditure account (FY 09/10) Unrealised profit on investments (FY 09/10) 20,487.00 17,109.57 18,897.88 2,074.73 23,383.69 1,159.62 83,112.49 411B-1 AL3 MONTHLY COMPARISON OF GPP (ACHIEVED) AGAINST TARGET FIGURE May 2010 Month of Audit Period Account 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Ave GPP % Target GPP % Net Diff % 10.1 10.3 9.4 9.8 9.9 10.1 9.9 10 -0.1 Sundries 2.3 2.4 3.1 3.0 3.2 2.8 2.8 3 -0.2 Home C 4.9 5.0 5.0 5.2 4.8 5.1 5.1 5 +0.1 Bar 411B-2 AL3 Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 411B-3 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 411 Annex C EXAMPLE OF SIMPLIFIED STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT FOR ISSUE TO SUBSIDIARY ACTIVITIES To: OIC Rugby Club Fund MONTHLY STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT The balance held at SFAS in respect of the above fund as at 31 May 10 is £127.83. The attached transaction history details all deposits and withdrawals for the month of May 10. (Only include where Sage software is available) You are requested to check these records against your own records to confirm the figure. If there is any discrepancy you should contact the SFAS book-keeper as soon as possible. Signature………………………………. Rank……………………………………… . Appointment…………………………….. Date…………………………………… 411C-1 AL3 Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 411C-2 AL3 AP3223 Leaflet 412 PREPARATION OF ANNUAL ACCOUNTS Introduction 41201. A complete set of accounts is to be drawn up annually, to an accounting date as directed by HQ AIR Service Funds. The accounting date may be changed with the approval of DACOS CS, subject to the requirement of the Charities Acts, that no accounting period shall exceed 18 months. 41202. The purpose of this leaflet is to describe the procedure to be followed when preparing the annual accounts. Closing the ledger accounts 41203. The ledger accounts are to be closed and a trial balance compiled and agreed as described in Leaflet 411. Balances representing profits or losses on revenue accounts are to be transferred to the income and expenditure (I&E) account. When all such balances have been transferred, the I&E account is to be closed and the balance transferred to the Unrestricted Income Fund within the capital account. Balance sheet 41204. The accounts remaining in the trial balance after the I&E account has been prepared should be used, subject to adjustments for debtors, creditors, etc, to prepare a balance sheet in vertical format. Comparative figures for the corresponding previous period are to be shown on the left-hand side. An example of the layout is given at Annex A. 41205. To avoid distorting the surplus or deficit of the current period special care is needed in the treatment of extraordinary items of income and expenditure. The significance of the amount should be considered and if the sum is small, no special treatment is necessary and the transaction should be processed through the accounts in the normal way. If, however, the amount is significant, it is to be disclosed separately on the balance sheet and explained by way of a footnote. Examples of such items are: a. Profits or losses arising on the sale of investments. b. Items relating to previous periods, for which no provision was made at the time. c. Uninsured losses. 41206. The Contingent Liability to the RAF Central Fund is to be included within the capital section of the balance sheet and, where a mess or club has entered into a contract, the balance of the commitments due in respect of each contract is also to be shown as a footnote on the balance sheet. 41207. Investments should be revalued at the end of each financial year and shown on the balance sheet as fixed assets at market value. The historic cost (purchase value) of investments should also be disclosed as a footnote to the balance sheet. An example of the layout is given at Annex A. Supporting information 412-1 AL3 41208. The following documents are to be presented with the balance sheet: a. Schedules supporting the summarised information given in the balance sheet. (where applicable) b. The income and expenditure account. c. A liquidity statement. d. Mess bill control account (where applicable). e. GPP analysis (where applicable). See Annex B to Leaflet 411.. The supporting documents (see also para 41209) are to be firmly attached to the balance sheet and assembled, with an outside cover, as shown at Annex A. Audit 41209. Once the balance sheet has been completed it will be subjected to detailed scrutiny by the Service Funds Internal Audit Board (SFIAB) (as required by QR 1298) and formal Independent Examination (where applicable). The supporting accounting records and documents will have also been subject to the running audit throughout the accounting year. Certification 41210. On completion of the SFIAB audit and any civilian audit the following certificates are to be entered on the balance sheet and completed by the officers responsible: a. Certificate as to correctness. Balance sheets are to be certified as to their correctness by OIC SFAS and the following officials: (1) Officers' mess - by the PMC. (2) SNCOs' mess - by the OIC (or CMC if no OIC exists). (3) Service Institute Fund - by the PSI. (4) Other non-public funds - by the OIC. b. SFIAB’s certificate. The following certificate is to be signed by the President and members of the SFIAB: Certified that the RAF Briton XXXX Fund has been audited in accordance with QR 1298 and AP3223 Chapter 5. PSFIAB: Signature…………………………………………………… Rank / Name……………………………………………… Date………………………………………………………… SFIAB Member: Signature…………………………………………………… Rank / Name……………………………………………… Date………………………………………………………… 412-2 AL3 Audit Clerk: Signature…………………………………………………… Grade / Name……………………………………………… Date………………………………………………………… c. Civilian auditor's certificate. Whenever a civilian auditor is employed, an audit certificate is to be entered on the balance sheet and signed by the auditors confirming that the balance sheet is in agreement with the books of account and gives a true and fAir view of the state of affairs of the fund as at the date of the end of the audit period. 41211. Independent examiner’s certificate. On completion of the Independent Examination of the accounts, where applicable, the independent examiner’s certificate is to be attached to each balance sheet. Annex: A. Example of statement of accounts. 412-3 AL3 Back to Chapter Contents Back to Main Contents Page 412-4 AL3 Leaflet 412 Annex A Not Released 412-5 AL3