Accounts Payable | Elizabethtown College

Accounts Payable Policies

Guides and Policies

Accounts Payable Information

• Requests for payment and reimbursement are submitted to the Business Office by completing a purchase requisition or a purchase order.

• A form W-9 is required when issuing payment to a new vendor. Completed W-9s may be returned via a secure document upload.

• Original receipts must be submitted with all payment and reimbursement requests.

• Required signatures must be present on the purchase requisition. See the approval limits below.

• The College does not reimburse for sales tax due to our tax exempt status. Please see the Business Office to request a tax exempt form if needed.

• Reimbursement requests for $75.00 and under will be paid with cash. Cash for reimbursement requests is issued at the front desk in the Business Office.

• Reimbursement requests for over $75.00 will be paid with a check.

Reimbursements

Under IRS Publication 463, for reimbursements to be considered non-taxable, reimbursement requests and related documentation must be received within 60 days after the expense is incurred. Therefore, the following rules should be followed when requesting a reimbursement.

• Employees must submit their expenses no later than 60 days after the expenses were paid or after the date of return from travel.

• All expenses must have a business connection and have been incurred on behalf of the College.

Fiscal Year End Processing

To achieve proper valuation of the College’s assets at fiscal year end, invoices must be charged in the fiscal year in which the goods are received and used, services are performed, or the travel takes place.

Therefore, invoices for goods not delivered to you, services not performed, and travel that will not take place until after June 30 will be charged to next year’s budget. Invoices for goods, services, and travel on or before June 30 should be submitted to Accounts Payable for payment as soon as possible, but not later than July 31.

Online Forms

The following forms are available under the downloadable forms section.

• Purchase Requisition – completed for purchase and reimbursement requests

• Purchase Order – completed for requests $5,000.00 and over or if needed by the vendor

• Travel Voucher – completed to receive an advance or reimbursement of travel related expenses such as mileage and meals

• Faculty Research Grant Funds Request – completed to use funds from a faculty research grant

• Professional Development Funds Request – completed to use funds from a professional development account

• Transfer Request Form – completed to transfer funds from one budget account to another

Approval Limits

Invoices and purchase requisitions for payment must be reviewed and approved at each respective level outlined below based on the dollar amount of the request. For example, a purchase for $15,000.00 should have the approval of the respective budget manager, senior leadership team member, and one individual authorized to approve purchases $10,000.00 and above.

President: Purchases/Contracts/Const. Contracts: Unlimited
Senior Vice President for Administration & Finance: Purchases/Contracts/Const. Contracts: Unlimited
Assistant Vice President for Finance: Purchases/Contracts/Const. Contracts: $50,000
Vice President for Operations & Auxiliary Services Purchases/Contracts/Const. Contracts: $25,000
Executive Director of Business & Financial Services: Purchases/Contracts/Const. Contracts: $25,000
Senior Leadership Team: Purchases/Contracts: Under $10,000
Associate Deans / Assistant Vice Presidents: Purchases/Contracts: Under $7,500
Academic Deans: Purchases/Contracts: Under $5,000
Managing Directors: (Only those who oversee a departmental budget) Purchases/Contracts: Under $2,500

Travel Advances

Requests for advances must be pre-approved and are paid through the accounts payable office by check. All unused advance travel funds must be returned to the accounts payable office within fifteen (15) days of the completion of the trip. The completed travel voucher and the appropriate supporting documentation should accompany the funds. No further travel advance shall be granted until a settlement voucher is filed from the previous advance. NO unused advance may be carried over to a subsequent report.

Credit Card Payments

The use of a department’s purchasing card is highly encouraged. If a vendor accepts credit card payments and you are unable to do so with a department card, please contact Dana, ext. 1214, to make arrangements for the use of the Business Office’s purchasing card.

Reimbursements for goods charged on a personal credit card will no longer be made without advance approval of the Provost and/or VP for Administration and Finance. Sales tax WILL NOT be reimbursed. See your department head or call Dana, ext. 1214, for the required information.

Processing Deadline

All requisitions and purchase orders should be submitted to the Business Office by 10 a.m. Wednesday morning. Bills received after 10 a.m. Wednesday morning will be paid the following week. Checks are produced every Friday, except during holiday weeks.

Fast Checks

These checks can be ready for mailing within 3 hours. Use of this type of check is to be reserved for emergencies only. Abuse of this system will result in your department not being able to use them. The approval process is the same as for regular checks.

Department Parties, Gifts of Appreciation & Related Purchases

The cost of staff parties, either on or off campus, and related gifts which primarily benefit an individual or celebrate a private occasion are not an authorized expenditure from departmental budgets. Examples of individual/private occasions include but are not limited to birthday parties, retirement parties (except as authorized as an official college function), administrative assistant's day celebrations, baby showers, weddings, welcoming baskets for new employees, etc. Official social functions of the College are authorized expenditures of departmental budgets. Official functions are those sanctioned by the College and have legitimate business purposes or further the College mission. Examples of official functions include faculty receptions, awards luncheons/dinners, business meetings, tributes to graduating seniors, student recognition events, annual phonathon, etc.

Accounts Payable FAQ

I submitted a requisition for reimbursement. Why was I not reimbursed the sales tax portion of my refund?

Elizabethtown College is a tax-exempt institution. Please contact the Business Office if a tax exempt form is needed.

To what fiscal year budget will my purchase be charged?

All purchases will be charged to the fiscal year in which the goods are received or the services are performed.

What should I do if I receive a refund check from a vendor?

If a vendor sends a refund check for any item previously paid with College funds, please submit the check and any backup directly to Accounts Payable with a brief explanation as to why you received this refund. Please indicate the PO#. Accounts Payable will process the credit to the designated department on the original purchasing document.

Does Accounts Payable process honorariums?

If the person whom we are paying is on the Elizabethtown College payroll (includes work study students, part-time employees, etc.) the payment must be processed through Human Resources. If it is determined that the payment should be processed through A/P, please be sure to provide his/her Social Security number and the current mailing address.

What if I need a payment to be made in foreign currency?

Contact goodhartb@etown.edu for arrangements. For an estimate, visit the Universal Currency Converter site.

How can our department pay another department?

Send a transfer request form to the Business Office indicating the account to charge and the account to credit.

How does Petty Cash work?

If an employee or student is due a reimbursement under $75, petty cash will be given instead of a check. Advances for under $75 are also given in cash. A signed requisition, along with an original receipt, must be presented to the Business Office to receive petty cash.