Job Description and Role of Bookkeeper

Suppliers (Creditors)

  • Invoices received are stamped to note the date of receipt, the authority to accept the invoice as true and fair and also the date of posting for the invoice.
  • Once posted and Sage coded invoices are placed in a file called Invoices awaiting Settlement or Clarification.
  • When payment for an Invoice that is not immediately paid is due, Invoice is taken from Invoices awaiting Settlement/Clarificationfile, recalledfrom the particular supplier accountin SAGE, paid by BACSor Cheque and payment is then posted against the invoicein SAGE.
  • An aged Listing of Creditors is printed monthly or as at when due forreconciliation of the accounts are done accordingly.
  • Queries raised by suppliers about their accounts are resolved. Check the suppliers’ statement of accounts and their accounts in Sage and reconcile accordingly

Customers (Debtors)

1 GCC Housing Benefit

We get paid by the GCC (Glasgow City Council) on weekly basis. The document sent for information on how much we receive weekly includes names of the companions presently in Emmaus Glasgow and may also include those that might have left but not yet removed from the list. The document received for weekly receipt of Housing Benefit is used to update the summary of Housing benefits by Community Member. It is also posted into Sage by Debiting RBS Current Account (1200) and Crediting Housing Benefit (4901).

For those that might have left but still on the list, we get sentInvoice for Overpayment of Housing Benefit. The invoice is posted into Sage by Debiting Housing Benefit (4901) and Crediting the Bank. Please note Invoice for overpayment is paid/settled immediately with no delay.

Reconciliation of GCC account is also done to establish how much is left owed to the GCC.

2. Donors

Under here, Donors accounts are updated by fortnight bank statements and the bank account majorly Cooperative Current Accounts is reconciled.

3. Other Customers

Other customers include people we have done services for which include but not limited to House Clearances and Gardening Services. Invoice is sent to these people and the Cheque/Cash in return is posted against the invoice.

Reconciliation of customers accounts to be done and any queries raised sorted.

Bank

1. Co-operative Bank Account (1220)

Receipts into this bank account is majorly from Donations. Each cash received is posted in Sage to update the Customers account and the Bank Account (1220) is debited. All other receipts which may include Bank interest are also posted accordingly. We do not normally spend from this account as it regarded asReserve.

The bank statements are kept under Cooperative Bank in the BANK 2 File.

2. Co-operative Fund raising Account (1225)

Majority of the money into this account are from Fund raising activities and other donations regarded to be in Reserve. All other income and unusual expenses from this account are also processedand reconciled accordingly.

3. RBS Current Account (1200)

This is one of the main bulk of the job. Payments to Suppliers are checked which include payments by Cheques, BACS and Direct Debits (D/D) and all other payments. The Bank Statement is also reviewed for Income from the Housing Benefits, Shop takings from Dumbarton Road Shop, Donations and other varieties of income.

Post any other information in the Bank Statement but not yet posted in SAGE like Bank Charges for the month or D/D for the Credit Card.Match the Bank statements with the same information in SAGE, and reconcile accordingly.

Place the on line bank statements and the Bank charges notes including the Monthly Bank Reconciliation Reports under RBS Current in the BANK 2 File.

4. RBS High Interest Bank Account (1210)

This account has been set up in just a way that it works itself out by transferring amounts from time to time in and out of RBS Current Account (FROM 00254742, TO 00254742).

The Icon TRANSFER in the Bank Prompt is used to post these transfers into SAGE for proper reconciliation with the on line Bank statements.

5. Business Credit Card

Under here, Purchase Order Slip is ideally filled for each expense and posted into SAGE. The Bank Statement is received monthly and matched with Sage information. Other adjustments regarding Card charges are made for proper reconciliation.

Petty Cash

Petty Cash consumes a lot of time than other parts of the whole process. The vouchers for the Income and Expenditures are detailed and initially maintained on the spreadsheet before posted in SAGE. Daily Shop takings from Ellesmere Shop and Cathcart Shop are Debited in the petty Cash and all associated expenses to Daily Shop Takings Credited. Income & Expenditures are correctly categorised into expense heads.

Cash in Hand are matched against the balances on the spreadsheet on almost daily basis.

At the end of the month every other thing in the spreadsheet is checked. Income not yet already posted is posted into the correct Income head and the total sum of each expense head is posted into SAGE.

Reconciliation is done and the Cash balance is transferred into the following months Opening Balance.

Shop takings

Shop takings from Ellesmere Street and Cathcart Road are posted into Petty Cash account (1230) and maintained on the petty cash spreadsheet and Shop Sale. Shop takings from Dumbarton Road Shop are posted into RBS account (1200) and maintained on Shop Sale as well. Spreadsheet records are matched with Sage postings for reconciliation.

Companion Allowances

Under here, companions’ financial status are maintained which include but not limited to Weekly Allowance received, Deposit to Savings and Withdrawal from Savings, Leaving Fund. Cash dished out to the companions on weekly basis and the whole allowance to be reconciled with the petty cash.

Payroll

1.Salaries

A summary is prepared every month to be sent to the Scottish Training Foundation (STF) which includes the Gross pay for each Employee and Deductions if any. After other adjustments into the Petty Cash including Employer NI Contribution by the STF, a total overall figure for the month is sent to us.

A BACS payment is made from RBS Current Bank account into the STF Bank Account. The TRANSFER button in the Bank Prompt in SAGE is then used to Debit STF (1253) and Credit RBS Current (1200).

The payment schedule is usually received from the STF and the monthly Journal is raised for proper reconciliation.

Weekly & Monthly Reconciliations

Other weekly and monthly reconciliations include but not limited to:

  • Weekly Petty Cash reconciliations
  • Monthly Allowance Sheet reconciliations with Petty Cash
  • Debtors Control Account (SAGE No 1100) reconciliation with Aged List of Debtors
  • Creditors Control Account (SAGE No 2100) reconciliation with Aged List of Creditors.

Board Meeting

This requires maintaining the spreadsheet with Nominal ledger account (Income & Expenditure) for the month and showing bank and cash balances.This should include the full management accounts on monthly basis.

Management Information Reports (MIR)

The MIR is prepared on Quarterly basis and it is sent to form financial data for all the Emmaus in the UK. It includes analysis of Income and Expenditure and some other key information.

End of the year accounts

This involves preparation and presentation of the whole year financial situation to the auditors. This includes but not limited to reconciliation of balance sheet items, preparation of management accounts and depreciation of assets.

Jelili Oyetunde

The Bookkeeper