Reprint Expense Report

Discussions around using and interfacing with the Church MLS program.
brandontysonmoss
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Reprint Expense Report

#1

Post by brandontysonmoss »

Is there a way for me to reprint the expense report of a check in MLS? I printed the check successfully but then the expense report followed got messed up and am wondering if there is a way to do this in MLS?

Thanks,
Gary_Miller
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Re: Reprint Expense Report

#2

Post by Gary_Miller »

NO.....
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aebrown
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Re: Reprint Expense Report

#3

Post by aebrown »

No, there's no way to reprint an expense report. But the good news is that the expense report is simply a convenience -- it is not required for audit purposes or any other documentation purposes. The bishop can still authorize each expense by putting his signature on the individual expense authorization forms (or reimbursement request forms, or whatever your ward happens to call them).
davesudweeks
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Re: Reprint Expense Report

#4

Post by davesudweeks »

aebrown wrote:But the good news is that the expense report is simply a convenience -- it is not required for audit purposes or any other documentation purposes.
I apologize up front, but I can't let this one go without a comment. I would advise you verify with your stake audit committee chairman that the expense report is not required - ask him to put it in writing.

While serving as ward clerk, I spent many frustrating hours sorting and reorganizing our financial records because our stake auditor demanded that every expense report was present and every expense listed was attached to the respective expense report (and, by the way, he went through every single one, every audit). Since we were not privy to the audit instructions, there was no way for us to know that he was taking the audit beyond the expectation. Multiple requests to the Stake to address this went unanswered. The shortest audit I ever had with him was 6 hours, and that was when everything was organized as he expected.

If our ward had a history of financial issues it would have been understandable, but that was not the case. We sometimes had a different auditor and the process went quickly and smoothly every time.

It is easy for someone to say "it's not required" but when the ward doesn't have the information to defend itself in front of an auditor who won't back down from an unreasonable position, it becomes a very frustrating experience. Incidentally, that stake auditor is still there and he is still proud of the fact that his audits take many hours to complete (he usually makes the clerk start right after Sacrament meeting, skip the 2nd and 3rd hours of meetings, and they spend the rest of the day Sunday together...).

This auditor is the only thing about being Ward Clerk that I don't miss...
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aebrown
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Re: Reprint Expense Report

#5

Post by aebrown »

davesudweeks wrote:
aebrown wrote:But the good news is that the expense report is simply a convenience -- it is not required for audit purposes or any other documentation purposes.
I apologize up front, but I can't let this one go without a comment. I would advise you verify with your stake audit committee chairman that the expense report is not required - ask him to put it in writing.
I'm sorry that your stake has an auditor that has difficulty reading, and an audit committee that doesn't respond to reasonable requests. But I'm certainly not going to follow your advice to get my stake audit committee chairman to give me something in writing that is already clearly in the audit instructions.

The instructions say: "Look at the payment records. Make sure the bishop has approved the payments by signing at least one of the following: original invoice, original bill, original receipt, or payment request. The bishop's signature on the MLS Expense Report is acceptable proof of his approval."

That instruction makes it abundantly clear that there is a lot of flexibility in how the bishop's approval is indicated -- he simply has to sign one of 5 listed options. The MLS Expense Report is clearly designated as an acceptable proof of approval. The last time I consulted an English dictionary, the word "acceptable" did not mean "required."

So I have great sympathy for the quite unnecessary pain that you were put through by that overzealous, misguided auditor. Personally, if I were a ward clerk in that situation, I would never have settled for a lack of response from the audit committee. I would have worked through all the avenues available to me -- the stake clerk, stake financial clerk, the audit committee chairman, my bishop, and even directly to the stake president. There's no excuse for blatant disregard for the clearly written instructions on the audit form.
simonawright
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Re: Reprint Expense Report

#6

Post by simonawright »

I fully agree with aebrown with regards what is required based on the question in the audit.

Unfortunately we have a similar problem to davesudweeks in that the Area Auditor is training the audit committees, the Stake auditors and the local office that the expense report must be signed as a condition of having correct paperwork.

I have quoted the audit form repeatedly and asked why they feel that this particular instruction should be changed when the audit is done, but it doesn't make any difference with the leaders and auditors because this instruction is coming from the area auditor.

Until the question is changed I will persist in challenging any recorded exception that is down for this reason.
Gary_Miller
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Re: Reprint Expense Report

#7

Post by Gary_Miller »

davesudweeks wrote:(he usually makes the clerk start right after Sacrament meeting, skip the 2nd and 3rd hours of meetings, and they spend the rest of the day Sunday together...).
Makes the clerk start? No one makes me start audit when I don't want to, especially on a Sunday at anytime. I never let the auditor dictate the time but work with him to come up with one that is convenient for all involved. Our audits are always done on a week night most generally on YM/YW night so the bishop be there to go through the first 10 questions without having to come in at another time.
Gary_Miller
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Re: Reprint Expense Report

#8

Post by Gary_Miller »

simonawright wrote:Until the question is changed I will persist in challenging any recorded exception that is down for this reason.
No need to challenge anything just let them write up the exception and then answer it with the following statement.

In compliance with the Hand Book of instruction and the audit instructions. In that methods for approving payments are "The Bishop approves payments by signing at least one of the following: original invoice, original bill, original receipt, payment request, or MLS expense report." In our ward a payment request with the receipts attached is used for approving payments.

You have taken care of the exception and if the audit chairman wants more information he will ask for it.

Arguing with the auditor, who is usually someone in your stake, just makes for bad feelings.

Also just look at the audit as a way to help you improve in your calling, it never worth worrying about.
alicia1
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Re: Expense Detail Report for Clerks & Auditors is hard to find

#9

Post by alicia1 »

Hi, i have a questions concerning about how can i print a expense if i had not print when the expense was authorized, so my questions is this, Can i print the past expenses if i dont print when i have supossed to do it?
forgive my english im from Mexico, i hope you can help me in this, than you.
jdlessley
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Re: Expense Detail Report for Clerks & Auditors is hard to find

#10

Post by jdlessley »

alicia1 wrote:Hi, i have a questions concerning about how can i print a expense if i had not print when the expense was authorized, so my questions is this, Can i print the past expenses if i dont print when i have supossed to do it?
There is only one opportunity to print the expense report. It is not possible to return and print it some other time. That report is not required in an audit. As long as the bishop has signed the expense authorization then there is no real issue with the absent expense report.

[Moderator note: This post and the previous post were split from another thread of another topic and merged with this more appropriate thread topic.
@ alicia1: Please read the earlier posts in this thread concerning your question for more detail.]
JD Lessley
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