Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: receipts for reimbursement

[Diana Carroll (dianaecarroll]

I will make an argument for keeping the forms/receipts for longer than
required by the IRS -- informational purposes.  It's only happened a few
times, but I have been asked something like "Who was the contractor we
hired to install the foozbobble garden, how much did we pay them, and did
that include a service agreement?" And, if it's important, I will actually
dig through The Box o' Papers, which is in vaguely chronological order
because of how I put stuff in it.

Whether those occasional needs are worth keeping stacks of paper around, I
can't say. :)

D

On Thu, Dec 2, 2021 at 2:42 PM <fernselzer [at] aol.com> wrote:

> 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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