Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: receipts for reimbursement

[fernselzer (fernselzer]

Hi Diana and Mabel:Thanks so much for your ideas   I will pass them on to our 
finance committee.   I agree that requiring 2 signatures on everything makes no 
sense when it's a small amount or something we all agreed to already in our 
small community.  As far as their willingness to use digital receipts, I don't 
really see how that can last but I am hopeful they will transition sooner 
rather than later.   I can tell you right now that the people handling this 
will not opt for the box!  But I agree and that is how I handle my own small 
business.   If it's small amounts, just keep it temporarily in case the IRS 
wants it.   Why waste time organizing it for storage?Fern


-----Original Message-----
From: Diana Carroll <dianaecarroll [at] gmail.com>
To: mabel [at] twomeeps.com; Cohousing-L <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
Cc: fernselzer [at] aol.com
Sent: Thu, Dec 2, 2021 9:17 am
Subject: Re: [C-L]_ receipts for reimbursement

I'm the bookkeeper/finance gal so I set the policy for my own convenience. :)
I used to only allow paper receipts for the reason you state -- it makes sure I 
have everything all in one place.  However, I found that some people submitted 
their receipts more promptly if they had the electronic option so now I take 
both, and just have everything in one of two places. Electronic ones are stored 
in Quickbooks along with the entry for the reimbursement. Paper ones 
are...um...put in a big box of paper. I'm a terrible filer.

Honestly it seems like you have a process problem more than a receipt problem. 
With a pre-approved expense, why do you need two signatures AND another person 
to execute the reimbursement? In fact, with just 11 households, couldn't you do 
it more informally? I have a little form people fill out when they submit 
receipts that asks what the receipt is for. If it's within a team's budget, or 
it's been approved separately at a meeting, I just handle it. If I have some 
question, I ask for clarification from the submitter, from the team it's for, 
or from the Trustees. I ask by email and they can just let me know -- no 
signature needed.
In short, our process is:- Submitter fills out a short form, signs it, and 
attaches receipts. This can be done electronically or by paper. If paper, they 
put it in an envelope I keep for that purpose in the common house, otherwise 
they email it to a special email account for this purpose.- I handle it 
directly it if it's obvious (community approved expense, team budget expense, 
etc.), otherwise I send email to the relevant parties to get more info- I pay 
them and enter the info in Quickbooks, along with the electronic form and 
receipt if available, otherwise I drop the paper in my Big Box o' Paper- And 
it's a done deal
ALL THAT SAID!!! I hear that you are disgruntled by the process you have now. I 
surely recommend talking to the various parties involved in the transaction to 
see if another approach might be acceptable. BUT...have mercy if they say it 
won't work the way you want it to. Keeping track of reimbursement requests, 
receipts, bills, etc. is a job that takes a lot of mental energy to do right. I 
have a regular workflow that is the ONLY way I can make sure everything is done 
in order, correctly, and promptly.  Any variation to that workflow (e.g. people 
try to hand things to me personally at a common meal or something -- don't do 
that!!!) is likely to introduce mistakes that are hard to fix later.    I've 
been our community's bookkeeper for about 14 years...even predating our 
move-in. I've tried many many approaches, and the most important thing is just 
finding ones that work and that I can stick to!
Diana, Mosaic Commons, Central MA



On Thu, Dec 2, 2021 at 11:52 AM Mabel Liang <mabel [at] twomeeps.com> wrote:

Hi Fern,

We have not solved this particular problem.  _However_, what we have 
typically using during COVID is our internal mailboxes or, as some 
people call them, our mail slots.  Paper is passed back and forth via 
the slots, not by face-to-face contact.

But while writing this, one thing _did_ occur to me.  Forms _can_ be 
filled out and signed electronically - I've done it with my Mac, 
including tax returns.  For our expense forms, Ive been filling them out 
on the computer and then printing them out for someone to sign.  Would 
it work, for those who have the capability, to do the forms 
electronically, e-mail it all (form and digital receipt) to the finance 
committee, and let _them_ print it out so they can have their paper 
copies?

Hope that helps!

-- Mabel :-)

  mabel [at] twomeeps.com
  Mabel Liang
Cornerstone Village Cohousing
Cambridge, MA

On 2021-11-27 17:20, Fern Selzer/US/CA/95003/NBC via Cohousing-L wrote:

> Hi all,I am wondering if your community uses digital receipts or does 
> your finance committee have folders with paper receipts or little piles 
> of receipts clipped or stapled together like my community does.  For 
> example, recently receiving a digital receipt from a paid facilitator, 
> I needed to print it out, sign it and get it to another member of my 
> committee (facilitation) to sign it and then hand deliver it to a 
> member of the finance committee before they would pay the facilitator.  
>  Presumably then putting it in their folder.
> This was a pre-approved expense.  We are a smallish community, 11 
> homes.     A couple of people have asked to allow digital receipts, but 
> the finance committee says it's too difficult because they will have 
> some paper receipts and some digital receipts.  I have more 
> disgruntlement with this policy since COVID and the exposure required 
> getting everything signed and delivered.
> If you have a solution for this waste of paper and time, could you 
> please let me know it?  ThanksFernNew Brighton CohousingAptos, CA
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