Documentation – Page 3 – KCJM

New Financial Year has just started, and everyone is busy in closing books of accounts of last year. Sometimes, the closing of financial year is done in the month of June or July. If Accounts and Finance running from one financial year to another as it is, without change, sooner or later, it will become absolute. So, this is my advice that at least follow this 5 things at the beginning of the Financial Year.

1. Annual Budget

NGO has establish to fulfill a mission with the vision in mind. And to achieve that, one needs long term plan which breakdown in a yearly column. That is called Annual Budget. Now a days, its a trend that from big funding agency to CSR companies to small donors, everyone asking whether you have prepared Annual Budget or not. The right time for the preparation of Annual Budget for NGOs is in the Last week of March or first week of April, not later than that. Read this blog on Annual Budget.

2. Changes in Multi-Year Projects

If you have multi year project, most likely budget of such project will change with the change in financial year. Mostly salaries and staff payments have incremental components and increase in the next financial year. Thus, Accountant must have to ascertain such changes in new financial year in particular budget and should communicate to program team well in advance.

3. Update Financial Manual

Financial Manual is a policy document and need to review every year. Every year, there are many changes in laws and regulations which affects the financial transactions of your organization. Generally, accountant used to start following the new laws and regulation but forget to modify Financial Manual Accordingly.

Example

Cash Expenditure limit was decreased from Rs. 20000 to Rs. 10000. But still many NGO has the limit of Rs. 20000 in their Financial Manual. Nobody bothers to read and update it.

4. Splitting Tally Database

Mostly, Accountants in NGOs are lazy to split Tally company and whereby separating database according to Financial Years. I have seen many NGO accounts, where tally database is same since last 8 to 10 years. Obviously, because of this, size of database increase and speed to work in Tally getting slow to worse. So, It is advisable to split the tally company at the end of the Financial Year.

5. Chart of Accounts

Chart of Account is the base of accurate accounting and desirable presentations of Income & Expenditure Accounts and Balance Sheet of NGOs. As, compared to corporate, NGO do not have standard format for its Financial Documents, but they can be created as digital documents in PDF format using software as sodapdf online. I observed, that accountant creates and alters ledger accounts as and when required. So, this is one of the important point to follow at the start of the Financial Year to prepare Chart of Accounts or modified according to the need.

Did I miss something?

Hope this will help you in your NGO, if you have any question, you can ask here or chat with us. Also your comments are welcome on the above subjects.

Disclosure of Related Party Payments

As per Accounting Standard 18, issued by Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, business entity has to show disclosure of Related Party Payments. This Accounting Standard is applicable from 1st April 2001. You can read full Text of AS 18 here.

NGO and Accounting Standard 18

AS 18 is also apply to NGOs in some cases. NGO has to show such disclosure when salary, remuneration or any other payments made to Chief Functionary, Trustees or Top management and associated with NGOs.This disclosure will form part of annual audited financial statements.

Some Examples

Remuneration paid to Trustee, Managing Trustee, Chief Functionary
Consultancy paid to Trustee etc…
Consultancy paid to Related NGOs where one of the Trustee
However Reimbursement of Traveling Expenses to attend meeting is not covered by this AS.Where to show such disclosure

Generally, this disclosure is to be made in financial statement of NGO. As per Income Tax Act, even Auditor of NGO has to disclose such kind of payments to his Audit Report under section 10B. In my opinion to reflect greater transparency, one has to show it in Financial Statements, Audit Report and even in Annual Report of organization.

Summary

As public money involved in NGO, it is accepted that each and every transaction must be very very transparent. Such kind of disclosure serve the above purpose and also it works as an internal check system in broader senses.