Electronic reimbursements

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kenmcalister
New Member
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2018 11:19 pm

Re: Electronic reimbursements

#101

Post by kenmcalister »

davesudweeks wrote:We plan to keep a mix of paper and electronic. If we receive the paper receipts and issue a paper check, there will be a paper copy of everything for the auditor to review. If we receive all electronic, and issue an ACH reimbursement, there will be no paper copy of anything. If we scan paper receipts to make them electronic so we can issue an ACH reimbursement, we plan to keep the paper at least until the next audit provides guidance.

My experience with church auditing is there is huge variation in personal opinion of the "requirements" by certain auditors and very little training by the stake to ensure they are all doing it the same (I have had audits stretch over multiple days and totaling over 8 hours due to auditors thinking their role is to personally inspect every reimbursement issued in the past 6 months and adding requirements that don't exist in any handbook and training document). This is why we are stepping cautiously down this path as we have had no clear direction from the stake and the direction in the instructions is vague. I understand we should not be commanded in all things, but when a rogue auditor is allowed to make life miserable for the wards for years and the stake doesn't respond, it is very frustrating.
Dave, I feel your pain. As a stake fin clerk we are left in the dark also. I am just finding out about this ACH business yesterday and trying to wrap my head around what is required. With no direction or process flow from SLC the stake can not help if they were not trained or given the information. And with the auditors going rouge, that is because there is no training for them either. Seems to be all in interpretation instead of real training and guidelines. I work the financial system in our stake around the audit questions and what is going to be asked and required. When the questions change and there are no advanced notice we all get hurt with audit findings.
chriswoodut
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Posts: 417
Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2011 9:42 am
Location: Utah

Re: Electronic reimbursements

#102

Post by chriswoodut »

I've created a flowchart of what process we are going to try using. Maybe this is helpful to others. It is based on feedback I received on this thread and our preferences for our ward based on our previous process. If you want to make a copy of this for your own editing enjoyment, I think you can do that under the File Menu after you open it ("make a copy" option).

Google Presentation Flowchart:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/ ... sp=sharing
MurdockM
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Posts: 60
Joined: Thu Feb 04, 2016 8:35 pm
Location: USA

Re: Electronic reimbursements

#103

Post by MurdockM »

chriswoodut wrote:I've created a flowchart of what process we are going to try using. Maybe this is helpful to others. It is based on feedback I received on this thread and our preferences for our ward based on our previous process.
Awsome, Thanks so much. As a financial clerk everyone else has been asking me about the new system. (from the Ward clerk to the Bishop).
I especially like your chart because it gets the Bishops permission before the expense is entered into the system.
camroncall
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Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2015 8:45 pm

Re: Electronic reimbursements

#104

Post by camroncall »

chriswoodut wrote:I've created a flowchart of what process we are going to try using. Maybe this is helpful to others. It is based on feedback I received on this thread and our preferences for our ward based on our previous process. If you want to make a copy of this for your own editing enjoyment, I think you can do that under the File Menu after you open it ("make a copy" option).
As I was reading this forum I thought to myself that I needed to make a process for my ward to follow. There are a lot of good things to take from these pages in the absence of more direct training. This is what I had in mind. Thanks.
robertmax
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Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2018 7:29 am

Re: Electronic reimbursements

#105

Post by robertmax »

It looks to me that with the new electronic reimbursement option that receipts for expenses can be uploaded. We currently have a form that the payee will fill out and the bishop signs to approve the expense and we would then enter that data into MLS. For auditing purposes, does this mean our specific form may not be required? If approvals can all be done online, it seems that way.
chriswoodut
Member
Posts: 417
Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2011 9:42 am
Location: Utah

Re: Electronic reimbursements

#106

Post by chriswoodut »

robertmax wrote:It looks to me that with the new electronic reimbursement option that receipts for expenses can be uploaded. We currently have a form that the payee will fill out and the bishop signs to approve the expense and we would then enter that data into MLS. For auditing purposes, does this mean our specific form may not be required? If approvals can all be done online, it seems that way.
The new system assumes that an approval happens before you enter it into LCR. It does not dictate that process. Your process sounds similar to ours. For electronic email requests, I'm saving the email thread to a PDF and uploading it into LCR with the receipts as proof of the approval. If someone gives me a paper form, I'm scanning it and the receipts and emailing it to the bishop for approval and then following the same steps (export email thread approval to PDF, upload PDF and receipts into LCR).

My flowchart: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/ ... JO2qpxRLQc
drepouille
Senior Member
Posts: 2859
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 6:06 pm
Location: Plattsmouth, NE

Re: Electronic reimbursements

#107

Post by drepouille »

chriswoodut wrote:The new system assumes that an approval happens before you enter it into LCR. It does not dictate that process. Your process sounds similar to ours. For electronic email requests, I'm saving the email thread to a PDF and uploading it into LCR with the receipts as proof of the approval. If someone gives me a paper form, I'm scanning it and the receipts and emailing it to the bishop for approval and then following the same steps (export email thread approval to PDF, upload PDF and receipts into LCR).
That is exactly what I have been doing this past week. Printing the email thread to a PDF really helps to preserve the history of each expense for the auditor. I even have the bishop trained to check for needed approvals a couple times a week.
Dana Repouille, Plattsmouth, Nebraska
jennyg89
New Member
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Apr 23, 2019 5:09 pm

Re: Electronic reimbursements

#108

Post by jennyg89 »

Okay but where do I go to actually fill out and get a reimbursement? I set up my bank account to do it, but... then what?
russellhltn
Community Administrator
Posts: 34418
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: U.S.

Re: Electronic reimbursements

#109

Post by russellhltn »

jennyg89 wrote:Okay but where do I go to actually fill out and get a reimbursement? I set up my bank account to do it, but... then what?
The system is not open to the general membership, or even ward leaders (other than the bishopric and clerks).

I'd suggest sending a email to the organizational head and/or the ward clerk with an attached receipt.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
drepouille
Senior Member
Posts: 2859
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 6:06 pm
Location: Plattsmouth, NE

Re: Electronic reimbursements

#110

Post by drepouille »

Arrgh! Receipts came to me via email. I saved the email thread, including the Primary president's approval, as a PDF. When I created the expense, I uploaded that email PDF, and planned to simply drag the three receipt attachments from Gmail to the expense. However, I clicked Save after I had reviewed the approval PDF, so the expense went immediately to the Approve Expenses bucket. Luckily, the bishop was able to quickly approve the expense. Then I was able to attach the three receipts to the expense after he had approved it.

It would be lovely if I could back the new expense out of the Approve Expenses bucket when I make a stupid mistake like that. I really did not want to reject the entire expense when I just wanted to attach more receipts for it.
Dana Repouille, Plattsmouth, Nebraska
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