Updated Financial Audit Forms

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ffrsqpilot
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Updated Financial Audit Forms

#1

Post by ffrsqpilot »

Either I missed it or there was a change that wasn't announced via the MLS messaging system in regards to updated audit forms. Both the Ward/Branch and Stake/District Financial Audit forms are now Version W3 and S3 respectively. There are quite a few changes.

One change that needs to be sent out to everyone involved in Church finances asap involves Question #3 on both forms. Specifically Question #3 now asks the following - "Has each of the bishopric (Stake Presidency on the stake form) members and clerks responsible for finances reviewed the financial training lessons during the last year?" This is a change from previous versions of the question which only asked if they have viewed the lessons. Now apparently it is to be done yearly. My first thought is who decided it needed to be yearly and why didn't they let everyone know. I expect this will generate an exception for almost every unit (ward, branch, stake and district) as nobody has been notified that I know of regarding this change.

Going on, there are multiple changes to the audit forms (mostly clarification or wording) but there are some significant changes that the stake councilor who is the Audit Committee Chairman needs to know about in order to train the stake auditors during the July training period (as outlined in the audit form instructions). Dates for sending the completed forms in and where they are to be sent to have changed. Only temple recommend holding MP brethren are to be called as auditors (used to say Church members). In the definitions section some items have been added while others have been deleted.

One item that has been changed, I am not sure how to explain but I'll give it a try as it will impact the Stake Clerk or Stake Clerk for finances who will have to help reconcile any exceptions found on this section. It has to do with the page "Analysis and Reconciliation of "Other" Category. Read carefully the last sentence in the left hand lower box. It now requires the clerk filling out the form to "Provide detail below or attach the Income and Expense Summary by Subcategory report". Then on the right hand side the box below line #4 is now blank and there is no option of how to explain any difference. Hopefully the clerk who takes care of finances will be able to explain to whomever comes to help him solve the difference knows what caused the problem. Hopefully with the new CUBs system most of the differences have been easy to reconcile but I'm still not sold that CUBs has really helped (personal opinion only so take it for what it's worth).

In any case, I thought I would point out that there are new audit forms and it would be worthwhile for the everyone to become aware that there are some changes that affect everyone from the Stake Audit Committee chairman all the way to the ward/branch financial clerk.
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aebrown
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#2

Post by aebrown »

FFRsqpilot wrote:Either I missed it or there was a change that wasn't announced via the MLS messaging system in regards to updated audit forms. Both the Ward/Branch and Stake/District Financial Audit forms are now Version W3 and S3 respectively. There are quite a few changes.

Thanks for the warning. There has been no MLS message that I know of, and I review every message (at least those that come to the stake level). But I really appreciate knowing of the changes so I can communicate with my audit committee and auditors promptly.
FFRsqpilot wrote:One change that needs to be sent out to everyone involved in Church finances asap involves Question #3 on both forms. Specifically Question #3 now asks the following - "Has each of the bishopric (Stake Presidency on the stake form) members and clerks responsible for finances reviewed the financial training lessons during the last year?" This is a change from previous versions of the question which only asked if they have viewed the lessons. Now apparently it is to be done yearly. My first thought is who decided it needed to be yearly and why didn't they let everyone know. I expect this will generate an exception for almost every unit (ward, branch, stake and district) as nobody has been notified that I know of regarding this change.

That is an interesting change, particularly with no warning about the new requirement. It's also noteworthy that the training lessons are continuing to get more and more out of date, especially since the advent of CUBS. Is it really important for me to have reviewed the reconciliation lesson in the last year, now that it is completely irrelevant? I find it curious that the auditing department would give increased emphasis on the online training at the same time that it becomes less and less helpful and relevant.
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russellhltn
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#3

Post by russellhltn »

And what precisely does "review" mean? Just read the handout?
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lajackson
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#4

Post by lajackson »

FFRsqpilot wrote:My first thought is who decided it [reviewing the online training] needed to be yearly and why didn't they let everyone know.

I wonder if the training will be updated yearly now? [grin]
FFRsqpilot wrote:Only temple recommend holding MP brethren are to be called as auditors (used to say Church members).

While this may be new to the actual audit form, it has always been in the Handbook.

Thank you for pointing out the update, especially the new deadline for submitting audits. We have already received training from the assistant area auditor responsible for our coordinating council. Most of this was covered in that training. And that is where the formal instruction should be coming from. Your stake audit chairman (a counselor in the stake presidency) should have been trained.

Please note, for the humor and benefit of all, that I said "should have been".
davesudweeks
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#5

Post by davesudweeks »

Also, the Audit Form instructs us to review the training at audits.lds.org. When I tried to log on this evening, it politely told me to "go jump in the lake." I posted a help-request identifying that the Audit Form requires me to access that site to comply with the Audit requirements.

I know where the Financial training is on lds.org, but that is not what the Audit form is asking. Unless something changes between now and our audit, a "no" answer is the only one that is truthful because I am not permitted (by the church) to access the training specified on the audit.
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aebrown
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#6

Post by aebrown »

davesudweeks wrote:Also, the Audit Form instructs us to review the training at audits.lds.org. When I tried to log on this evening, it politely told me to "go jump in the lake." I posted a help-request identifying that the Audit Form requires me to access that site to comply with the Audit requirements.

I know where the Financial training is on lds.org, but that is not what the Audit form is asking. Unless something changes between now and our audit, a "no" answer is the only one that is truthful because I am not permitted (by the church) to access the training specified on the audit.
I just reviewed the new audit forms, and it says "auditing.lds.org" (not "audits.lds.org"). I think you'll find that the training is indeed located at auditing.lds.org, and it's the training courses that you are already familiar with.
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aebrown
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#7

Post by aebrown »

lajackson wrote:
FFRsqpilot wrote:Only temple recommend holding MP brethren are to be called as auditors (used to say Church members).

While this may be new to the actual audit form, it has always been in the Handbook.

That's not exactly correct. There was no requirement that auditors be brethren until the 2010 Handbook. I know this for certain, because our stake leaders carefully read the 2006 Handbook and decided to call a couple of very talented female CPAs to be auditors in early 2010, only to have to release them after the 2010 Handbook came out and added the restriction that auditors have to be brethren.
Questions that can benefit the larger community should be asked in a public forum, not a private message.
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ffrsqpilot
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#8

Post by ffrsqpilot »

Last evening we held our training session for this audit go-around. One question that was brought up was "Is there any direction on what to do with the interest now being posted to the Other account? Can that interest be moved to any category to even include moving it to a Budget category?"

I have been instructing our unit clerks to move the interest out of the "AMFA" category into one of the sub AMFA subcategories. I never thought about the possibility of moving it to a budget category. Is that even possible or are the two entities "Other" and "Budget" still treated like separate bank accounts?

This might be a subject better moved to another thread but I thought I would post it here in case anyone has some input.
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ffrsqpilot
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#9

Post by ffrsqpilot »

Sorry, just remembered another item we discussed last night during our training session. When we were looking at the "Reconciling the Other Account Page" we instructed each of the auditors to attach the "Income and Expense Summary by Subcategory Report" to the audit forms when they turn them into the Stake Audit Committee.

Our rationale for having them include the Income and Expense report is due to the statement in the left hand box that states "Provide detail below or attach the Income and Expense Summary by Subcategory report." When we (Stake Audit Committe Chariman and I) were preparing for the training session we were not sure what the "provide detail below" really required. We asked our Area Assistant Auditor about the statement and he wasn't sure either. Thus we just figured it was easier to attach the Income and Summary report.

Anyone know what kind of detail they (whomever included the new sentence in the box) are looking for?

Thanks for bearing with our learning curve with the new audit forms.
davesudweeks
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#10

Post by davesudweeks »

aebrown wrote:I just reviewed the new audit forms, and it says "auditing.lds.org" (not "audits.lds.org"). I think you'll find that the training is indeed located at auditing.lds.org, and it's the training courses that you are already familiar with.
I should have taken my copy of the Audit form home with me last evening. We don't have internet access at the church so I was relying on memory - a mistake at my age... :-P

I did access the training (dated 2008) and went through all the modules, even though much of it is wrong in CUBS now. Thanks for keeping the forum on the correct link.
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