I ask that each of you continue your efforts to control expenses. It is important that we carry this effort through to the end of the fiscal year by controlling discretionary activity. This does not mean curtailing business, but it does mean making prudent choices by deferring or eliminating non-critical activity, and purchasing goods or services throughout the year, rather than at the end of the fiscal year, simply because there are available budget funds. Please encourage your contractors to bill us in a timely manner for goods received and services rendered, so we can recognize the expense before the end of the fiscal year.
The following instructions will assist you, when appropriate, in helping the Postal Service™ close its financial books in a timely and efficient manner.
Lynn Malcolm
Vice President, Controller
I. Instructions for Fiscal Year 2008 Closing
All organizations are requested to limit their expenditures to essential spending. Accordingly, all vice presidents should review discretionary spending to ensure the Postal Service attains its financial target for this fiscal year (FY).
The instructions and reporting dates in this Postal Bulletin supplement procedures followed during the normal monthly or quarterly reporting schedule.
II. Fiscal Year
The Postal Service prepares its annual reports on a government FY basis, which comprises 365 days (366 in leap years), always ending on September 30.
III. End of Year Processing Activities and Timelines
Capital and Expense requisitions and requests for contract modifications will not be accepted by Supply Management after September 5.
Capital purchase card transactions will be accepted by Supply Management through September 15.
Also, organizations should limit capital commitments, particularly for Postal Service support equipment, to essential needs.
The schedule for Supply Management processing is as follows:
Hardcopy paper commitment documents must be forwarded to Accounting Services, San Mateo no later than September 19.
Electronic files must be transmitted to Accounting Services as follows:
Appropriate receiving reports or certified invoices for goods and services received by September 30 must be forwarded to Accounting Services, San Mateo no later than October 1.
Note:
1. Expedite processing of receiving reports and certified invoices as these documents are used to charge expenses to the proper FY.
2. Additionally, review contracts to ensure sufficient funds are available by September 19 to process invoices.
3. Supply Management will process all requisitions for the issuance of contracts against FY 2009 funds according to the following priorities:
Priority 1 — Capital commitment requisitions.
Priority 2 — Expense commitment requisitions.
IV. Accruals
As a result of the Business Improvement Process, Headquarters has decided to eliminate the PS Form 8163 accrual process entirely. The PS Form 8163 will no longer be submitted to San Mateo minimizing the additional workload during Year-End closing.
1. Goods received and Services rendered through September 30, 2008, will no longer be accrued at a finance number level. Only invoices certified and received by San Mateo by October 1 will be charged to FY 2008.
2. Headquarters Engineering and IT coordinators will have to meet with Corporate Financial Reporting to discuss amounts that need to be accrued.
V. Submission Schedules (Appendix)
The table below describes the schedule for submitting forms by required submission date.
Form #
|
Item
|
Submit by
|
Submit to
|
Received by Date
|
N/A
|
Back pay awards
|
All offices
|
Eagan
|
Aug 1
|
PS 7381
|
Requisition for Supplies, Services, or Equipment
|
All offices
|
Supply Management (Headquarters)
|
Sep 5
|
PS 17
|
Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return
|
Field offices
|
SSC/SDO
|
Sep 12
|
PS 1839
|
Payment Record for Carrier Drive Out Agreements
|
Field offices
|
Scanning & Imaging Ctr.
|
Sep 12
|
PS 1164-A
|
Claim for Reimbursement for Postal Supervisors (for Employee Business Expenses only)
|
Field offices
|
Scanning & Imaging Ctr.
|
Sep 12
|
N/A
|
E-mail from Topeka KS Systems Accountant to add inventory items to fixed assets or CIP
|
Topeka, KS
|
San Mateo
|
Sep 12
|
PS 1233
|
Project Financial Change/Completion Report (To add site prep cost to an existing assets or CIP)
|
St. Louis
|
San Mateo
|
Sep 12
|
PS 969
|
Material Recycling and Disposal (Retirement)
|
Field Offices
|
San Mateo
|
Sep 17
|
PS 2880
|
Physical Inventory Certification/Adjustments (Retirement or Addition)
|
Field Offices
|
San Mateo
|
Sep 17
|
N/A
|
Hardcopy paper commitment documents
|
Supply Management (Headquarters)
|
San Mateo
|
Sep 19
|
PS 8232
|
Payment for Personal Services Contracts
|
Field offices
|
Scanning & Imaging Ctr.
|
Sep 22
|
N/A
|
Government Printing Office
|
Supply Management (Headquarters)
|
San Mateo
|
Sep 22
|
PS 1727
|
Award Recommendation/Authorization (Quality Step Increase)
|
All offices
|
eAwards
|
Sep 24
|
N/A
|
Health Nurse (COHN) Award
|
All offices
|
eAwards
|
Sep 24
|
PS 1270
|
Idea Proposal
|
All offices
|
eAwards
|
Sep 24
|
N/A
|
Award Report
|
All offices
|
eAwards
|
Sep 24
|
N/A
|
PCES Recognition Authorization or Vice President Award Authorization for PCES in EAS Positions
|
All offices
|
eAwards
|
Sep 24
|
N/A
|
Individual EAS Recognition/Awards Program Authorization
|
All offices
|
eAwards
|
Sep 24
|
N/A
|
EAS Team Recognition Authorization
|
All offices
|
eAwards
|
Sep 24
|
RHD
|
Right-hand Drive Vehicle Incentive Award
|
All offices
|
eAwards
|
Sep 24
|
N/A
|
Inspection Service/Office of Inspector General Award Forms
|
Field offices
|
Eagan
|
Sep 24
|
PS 8162
|
Capital Property Record
|
Field Offices
|
San Mateo
|
Sep 24
|
Spreadsheet Capitalization
|
Addition, adjustment, add-on etc.
|
Program Managers through Headquarters Payable
|
San Mateo
|
Sep 24
|
N/A
|
eTravel (Approving Official)
|
All offices
|
St. Louis
|
Sep 26
|
N/A
|
eTravel (Receipts)
|
All offices
|
Back Office
|
Sep 26
|
PS 4541
|
Order-Invoice for Vehicle Repair (Commercial Work Order)
|
Field offices
|
Support VMF
|
Sep 26
|
PS 8049
|
Vehicle Hire Pay Adjustment
|
Field offices
|
St. Louis
|
Sep 26
|
N/A
|
Vehicle Hire Payment Certification reports
|
Field offices
|
Support VMF
|
Sep 26
|
N/A
|
CTEL
|
Profitline
|
San Mateo
|
Sep 26
|
PS 4503
|
Vehicle Delivery Control Sheet
|
VMF
|
San Mateo
|
Sep 26
|
PS 4587
|
Request to Repair, Replace, or Dispose of Postal-Owned Vehicle
|
VMF
|
San Mateo
|
Sep 26
|
N/A
|
Tort claims
|
All offices
|
Scanning & Imaging Ctr.
|
Sep 26
|
PS 8230
|
Authorization for Payment
|
All offices
|
Scanning & Imaging Ctr.
|
Sep 29
|
PS 3533
|
Application for Refund of Fees, Products and Withdrawal of Customer Accounts
|
Field offices
|
Scanning & Imaging Ctr.
|
Sep 29
|
SF 97
|
The U.S. Government Certificate of Release of a Motor Vehicle
|
Field offices
|
San Mateo
|
Sep 29
|
N/A
|
Government Travel Account (GTA)
|
St. Louis
|
St. Louis
|
Sep 29
|
N/A
|
Gasoline Credit Card (fleet card) payment and accrual
|
U.S. Bank
|
San Mateo
|
Sep 29
|
PS 3637-G
|
Batch Header for Official Mail (attach supporting documents)
|
Field offices
|
Scanning & Imaging Ctr.
|
Sep 30
|
N/A
|
Capital commitments (CAMS) through APEX-CAMS electronic interface
|
Supply Management (Headquarters)
|
San Mateo
|
Sep 30
|
N/A
|
Telecommunications
|
Raleigh Network Operations
|
San Mateo
|
Sep 30
|
N/A
|
eBuy utilities
|
All offices
|
eBuy Post/Certify Module
|
Sep 30
|
N/A
|
MDIMS — Material Distribution Mgmt Sys invoices)
|
Topeka, KS
|
San Mateo
|
Sep 30
|
N/A
|
NCMS — National Customer Mgmt Sys invoices)
|
Stamp Fulfillment Services
|
San Mateo
|
Sep 30
|
N/A
|
PCTS — Program Cost Tracking Sys invoices
|
PCTS Systems Administrator
|
San Mateo
|
Sep 30
|
N/A
|
UTIL — Energy Initiatives
|
Energy United/NISC
|
San Mateo
|
Sep 30
|
N/A
|
IPAC (Inter-Agency Payment and Collection Certified Invoices
|
Field Offices
|
San Mateo
|
Sep 30
|
N/A
|
NTSP (National Transportation Services
|
Supply Management (Headquarters)
|
San Mateo
|
Sep 30
|
N/A
|
BPA cover sheets
|
All offices
|
San Mateo
|
Oct 1
|
N/A
|
Capital and expense receiving report
|
All offices
|
San Mateo
|
Oct 1
|
N/A
|
Certified Invoices — supplies and services, bulk fuel and oil purchases, motor vehicle parts, non-metered heating fuel
|
All offices
|
San Mateo
|
Oct 1
|
PS 1782
|
Training Request and Authorization
|
All offices
|
San Mateo
|
Oct 1
|
PS 1129
|
Cashier Reimbursement Voucher and/or Accountability Report (Imprest fund)
|
All offices (Imprest)
|
San Mateo
|
Oct 1
|
N/A
|
Project facility system
|
Facilities
|
St. Louis
|
Oct 1
|
N/A
|
Money order vouchers
|
Field offices
|
St. Louis
|
Oct 1
|
N/A
|
Direct Vendor Delivery (DVD) and eBuy**
|
Topeka MDC
|
San Mateo
|
Oct 1
|
N/A
|
NSA — National Service Agreement certified invoices
|
Mgr of Pricing Strategy
|
San Mateo
|
Oct 1
|
N/A
|
U.S. Bank VISA accrual
|
U.S. Bank
|
San Mateo
|
Oct 3
|
N/A
|
Relocation Management Firm (RMF) accruals
|
Accounting, (Headquarters)
|
San Mateo
|
Oct 3
|
N/A
|
Commercial Bank Reconciliations
|
US Bank, JP Morgan Chase, and Citibank
|
Eagan
|
Oct 7
|
** Do not place orders for DVD or eBuy purchases from October 1 through October 4, 2008, except for critical needs.
Address questions concerning these instructions to the appropriate Accounting Services location or Finance Office indicated in the previous table.
— Accounting Policy, Finance, 7-31-08
