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Accounts Payable

Timeline for Completion of Accounts Payable Tasks

TIMELINE QUICKLOOK:

Travel reimbursements:  3 days from FP/AP box to the DBA for approval.

Non-travel reimbursements:  1 day from the FP/AP box to the DBA for approval.

Invoice payments:  5 days from the FP/AP box to the DBA for approval.

All Financial Processing/AP group personnel should be checking the FP/AP box in the mailroom at least twice a day.  At this time, all requests should be date stamped as received.  If there are pieces of information required but not received on a reimbursement request or order, then a log should be kept either on a separate sheet of paper or on the back side of the main summary page as to what is missing, when it is requested, and when it is received.  This will show due diligence if a reimbursement or order is not completed in the usual timeline.  From the FP/AP box to workflow, all non-travel reimbursements should take one business day, and all travel reimbursements should take three business days. 

Budget Errors/Overrides

BUDGET ERRORS QUICKLOOK:

Email budgets@math.uh.edu with subject line "Budget Check Error S/T XXXXX" attach voucher coversheet, list date of purchase (reimb only), date of receipt of the reimbursement request (reimb only), and budget nodes and amounts of additional expenses to be posted on the same cost center.

In the event of a budget issue, the budgets@math.uh.edu should be emailed with the coversheet of the voucher that did not budget check.    If the voucher involves a reimbursement, specify also the date of purchase and the date of receipt (of the reimbursement request).  If additional vouchers on the same cost center are imminent, send additional information in the same email of the amounts and budget types (scholarships/fellowships, travel/business expenses, M&O) that will be required to be utilized in the cost center.  If the voucher does not budget check within one week, an email to the DBA should be created to request a voucher override.  The override request should include the cost center's speedtype, the 1074 of that cost center, and the voucher coversheet and backup.

Purpose/Benefit Statements

All purpose and benefit statements should specify:

  • The item and its intended use.

  • The benefit to the cost center (research, teaching, student learning, new faculty setup, administration and operation of ____________, etc.).

  • The name of the sponsoring cost center.

Purpose and benefit statements on projects should be in the format:  "<Item and use of the item> for research sponsored by the <sponsor name> project being charged."

Purpose and benefit statements on non-projects should be in the format:  "<Item and use of the item> for <benefit> sponsored by <cost center name>."

Approval of Transactions

The approval of all financial transactions must be given by a certifying signature or electronic approval of a certifier.  Certifying a transaction affirms that the transaction is reasonable, allowable as per all policies governing the transaction and the cost center being charged, and allocable to the cost center charged being charged.

Allowability:  A charge may be allocable and reasonable, but is it allowable? Ask yourself if this charge allowable per policy for the university and per policy for a particular cost center.  For allowability on a cost center, we use the Check Cost Center Button.  Then on the Overall Expectations for Performance, see the Quality of Work section for policies that govern UH and UHS.  A good example of allocable and reasonable but not allowable is a sympathy card or flowers. 
 
Allocability:  A charge may be allowable and reasonable, but is it an appropriate charge to this particular cost center?  I.e., does the charge benefit the program associated to the cost center?  
A good example of allowable and reasonable but not allocable is a copier machine in Math charged to a teachHOUSTON cost center.
 
Reasonable:  A charge may be allowable and allocable, is it also a reasonable charge?  Use your judgement on a reasonable expense.  In the end though, it needs to be reasonable to the certifying signature approving the transaction.  A good example of allowable and allocable but not reasonable is a first class flight, because you can still get there in coach. 

Approved Membership List http://www.uh.edu/finance/Doc_Ref/General_Ref/ProfOrgMemb.htm

Checklist Reviews/Forms

Voucher Coversheet Audit

Voucher Work Aid

See the forms at the top of the Reimbursement and Purchasing Guidelines for Non-AP Employees.  (Trung note: need to update this link) This is also a good resource for backup necessary for different types of vouchers.