Which of the following is a necessary control procedure for cash disbursements?

First, it is imperative that you and your management team take the process of disbursing money, and in this case the vendor set up, extremely seriously. The tone at the top is about integrity and ethical behavior. Policies should be followed, and monitoring and review should be done openly. When I say openly, I mean the people who are authorized to do the work see that there is someone reviewing and checking their work.

Second, risk assessment. What are the risk regarding a new vendor? For one, the vendor may not be real. I remember a nursing home that purchased 100 new beds. However, no one could ever find those beds. It turned out the AP clerk created a company, sent an invoice, and paid the invoice.  Are there vendors with similar names?  There have been plenty of instances where the AP clerk creates companies with similar names to get invoices approved and paid.  So we know that the vendor data can create risk.

This leads to our next assessment, control activity.  What policies and procedures could you set up to prevent errors or fraud?  You could require W-9 forms from vendors, create a vendor request form to be completed and signed by someone outside of the accounts payable department and reviewed and approved by management, review vendor listings for duplicate vendors, or vendors with similar addresses, and making sure any changes to vendor data are authorized and memorialized.

Through all these processes, open communication is essential. Sales, purchasing and other departments should be discussing new vendors, cancelled vendors, and updates to vendor data in meetings and/or with the management team.

And finally monitoring. When we know someone is watching, the chances of doing something fraudulently is reduced. Generating reports to review for duplication of vendors, similarities of vendor names, and duplicate or similar vendor addresses is a good step. Reviewing weekly change reports on vendor data is also important. Verifying vendor request forms are set up properly and authorized is another way to monitor. All unusual items discovered in your monitoring of the vendor data should be investigated which will demonstrate to the accounts payable department that you and your management team are watching.

Strong internal controls are necessary to prevent mishandling of funds and safeguard assets. They protect both the University and the employees handling the cash.

Safeguarding Cash Link
  • Restrictively endorse checks immediately upon receipt stating “For Deposit Only – Syracuse University”
  • Keep cash/checks in a locked and secure area until they can be deposited. Access to the area should be restricted to only designated individuals. If a person with custody responsibilities leaves their position, any keys should be collected or combinations changed. Remember that while cash or checks are in your custody you are responsible for it.
  • Make timely deposits. The sooner cash/checks can be deposited, the less exposure to theft or loss of funds. Ideally deposits should be made within 24 hours. If amounts are insignificant (less than $100), then deposits can be made weekly.
Recording Cash Receipts Link
  • All cash receipts should be recorded immediately by use of a cash register, data entry into a computing system, pre-numbered receipt book, or handwritten log. Receipts can be in manual or electronic format and should contain the amount received, the name of the payer, purpose of the payment, and its form (cash/ check/credit card).
  • Provide a receipt. Ideally receipts should be pre-numbered and two-part. One copy should be provided to the payer while the other copy is kept on file. Total deposits can be verified independently by another person by accounting for each sequentially numbered receipt.
  • Cash receipts should not be used for petty cash disbursements, check cashing, making change, or for any personal reasons.
Reconciliation Link
  • Verify the deposit by agreeing Cash Operations deposit slip to the general ledger on a monthly basis
  • Cash registers and credit card machines should be balanced daily. Over/short amounts should be monitored.
  • A dated and signed record of the reconciliation should be maintained
Segregation of Duties Link

No one person should be allowed to collect, handle or transport and deposit checks/currency without some additional control feature to ensure that all funds are accounted for. Examples of such controls are as follows:

  • The person collecting and recording the receipt should not be the same as that making the deposit. Additionally, a person independent of recorder and depositor responsibilities should reconcile the deposit to the general ledger. If there are only one or two people in the department, a review by management of the reconciliation can provide a compensating control.
  • When cash or checks are received regularly in the mail, if feasible, two persons should be present when the mail is opened. One person should total and record the remittances (log). The other should prepare the deposit slip and forward it with the cash/checks to Cash Operations. The deposit slips should be reconciled by a third person to the general ledger.
  • Keep transfers of cash from person to person to a minimum. Accountability is lost when several people handle cash before it is deposited. If transfers must take place be sure to document it. If you are the transferor you should get a receipt, if you are the transferee you should verify what you are receiving before you provide a receipt. Use of a drop-off/pick-up log can be beneficial when transporting deposits.
Gifts/Personal Checks Link
  • If external gifts directed to the University are received, they should be forwarded to Advancement and External Affairs immediately for processing.
  • Personal checks should not be cashed.

Related SU policy: Gift Acceptance Policy

Fees and other Revenues Link

Use an accounts receivable account to process billing and collection for routine revenue activities. If you are unsure if a cash receipt should be recorded as revenue or an offset to an expense, contact General Accounting in the Comptroller’s Office for assistance. Internal controls surrounding this type of activity include:

What are the control of cash disbursement?

Controlled disbursement is used to regulate the flow of checks through the banking system on a daily basis, usually by mandating once-daily distributions of checks (typically early in the day). This is done in order to meet certain investment or fund management objectives.

What are the three most important controls over cash disbursements?

5 Important Internal Controls for Cash Disbursements.
Segregate duties. The foundation of a good internal control system is segregation of duties. ... .
Review authorized signors. ... .
Consider requiring dual signatures. ... .
Remember the wire transfers. ... .
Reconcile bank accounts in a timely manner..

What are the cash disbursement procedure explain each?

A cash disbursement is the outflow of cash paid in exchange for the provision of goods or services. A cash disbursement can also be made to refund a customer, which is recorded as a reduction of sales. Yet another type of cash disbursement is a dividend payment, which is recorded as a reduction in corporate equity.

What are the 4 internal control measures for cash?

There are four internal control measures for cash. They are employee background checks, use of written protocols, separation of duties, and securing assets and cash in safe locations.