Re: Invoice payment -- "general accounting practice"

From: <acqnet-l_at_lists.ibiblio.org>
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2015 15:51:10 -0600 (CST)
To: acqnet-l_at_lists.ibiblio.org


I've dealt with library invoices for 20 years, and I've never heard of anything like that. Is there someone who teaches accounting on your campus who could explain it? 

Lonnie 

-- 
Lonnie Beene, M.L.S., M.A. 
Acting Library Director 
Acquisitions Librarian/Assistant Professor 
Frazar Memorial Library 
McNeese State University 
Lake Charles, Louisiana 
----- Original Message -----
From: acqnet-l_at_lists.ibiblio.org 
To: acqnet-l_at_lists.ibiblio.org 
Sent: Wednesday, November 18, 2015 9:27:00 AM 
Subject: [ACQNET-L] Invoice payment -- "general accounting practice" 




Hi all, 



I am hoping to find out if your institution’s Accounting Office is doing something similar to what our College’s Financial Services Office calls “general accounting practice.” Recently, we were informed by our Financial Services Office that payments for renewals/subscriptions will come out of our budget matching exactly when the subscription term takes place. Our fiscal year starts June 1 and ends May 31 the following year. 



Say we just a renewal invoice for database subscription for 01/01/2016 – 12/31/2016 that is billed at 1200.00 for the renewal. Our Accounts Payable is now splitting the $1200 into two fiscal year because the subscription period falls into two separate fiscal years. So this is what they are doing now – they split the total into two amounts by charging five months of the subscription (Jan. 1 – May 31, 2016), $500 against current fiscal year budget. And holding $700.00 to be put against next fiscal year which it starts on June 1, 2016. They would still pay the whole bill in full $1200 to the vendor/provider. So basically at the Library we have to invoice $500 for current fiscal year in our ILS and set a reminder to invoice the other $700 when new fiscal year starts in June. We’ve never had to invoice this way for the past 12 years since I’ve been here until very recently. The Accountant in our Financial Services Dept. called this as a “General Accounting Practice.” I was wondering how general this practice really is as she calls it and if any other institution’s Accounting Office/Dept. is doing something similar? I guess I’m looking for endorsement to this “general accounting practice” to lower my blood pressure … sigh! 



Thanks in advance for any information you are willing to share! 



Best, 

Dung-Lan 



********************************************* 

Dung-Lan Chen 

Bibliographic Services/Acquisiti ons Librarian 

Lucy Scribner Library 

Skidmore College 

815 N. Broadway 

Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 

Voicemail: 518-580-5511 

Fax: 518-580-5541 

Email: duchen_at_skidmore.edu 

********************************************* 


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Received on Thu Nov 19 2015 - 01:53:28 EST