This supersedes the closing guidance article in Postal Bulletin 22341 (7-12-12, pages 83–86).
* * * * *
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 noncritical 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.
Tim O’Reilly
Vice President, Controller
I. Instructions for Fiscal Year 2012 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
Contract Modifications and Requisitions
Capital and Expense requisitions and requests for contract modifications for FY 2012 are no longer being accepted by Supply Management.
Capital purchase card transactions will be accepted by Supply Management through September 13. Note: If the transaction is not processed by the vendor within the Visa monthly cut-off, i.e., September 18, the transaction will be applied to FY 2013.
Also, organizations should limit capital commitments, particularly for Postal Service support equipment, to essential needs.
The schedule for Supply Management processing is as follows:
Requisitions for Contract Actions
FY 2012, Capital and Expense requisitions and requests for contract actions are no longer being accepted by Supply Management.
Requisitions for IT Hardware, Services, Software, and Telecom (Exception)
For FY 2012, Capital and Expense requisition requests for contract actions have ended. Any requests received after August 1, 2012, are not guaranteed for award and delivery by September 30, 2012.
For FY 2013, Capital and Expense requisition requests for contract actions that require a start date of October 1, 2012, will not be accepted by Supply Management after August 1, 2012. Any requests received after this date will not be guaranteed for award by October 1, 2012.
Hardcopy paper commitment documents must be forwarded to Accounting Services, San Mateo no later than Friday, September 14.
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 received by Accounting Services, San Mateo no later than Monday, October 1.
1. Expedite processing of receiving reports and certified invoices, as these documents are used to charge expense to the proper FY.
2. Additionally, review contracts to ensure sufficient funds are available by Friday, August 31 to process invoices.
3. Supply Management will process all requisitions for the issuance of contracts against FY 2012 funds according to the following priorities:
Priority 1 — Capital commitment requisitions.
Priority 2 — Expense commitment requisitions.
IV. Accruals
Year-end closing new for FY 2012:
1. There will be no “special” end-of-year accruals for Headquarters (HQ) expenses. Monthly accruals for HQ expenses will be processed as normal and as communicated to the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) budget coordinators.
2. All HQ accruals will be accrued at the ELT finance level.
3. All invoices for goods and services received in the month of September must be mailed to San Mateo no later than September 27 for processing by September 30, 2012. All invoices not received by San Mateo by October 1, 2012, will be processed in October 2012 and will be charged to FY 2013.
V. Submission Schedules (Appendix)
The table below describes the schedule for submitting forms by the required submission date.
Form #
|
Item
|
Submit by
|
Submit to
|
Received by Date
|
PS 1233
|
Project Financial Change/Completion Report (To add site prep cost to an existing assets or CIP)
|
St. Louis
|
San Mateo
|
12-Sep
|
PS 17
|
Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return
|
Field offices
|
SSC/SDO
|
10-Sep
|
PS 1839
|
Payment Record for Carrier Drive Out Agreements
|
Field offices
|
Scanning & Imaging Ctr.
|
10-Sep
|
PS 1164-A
|
Claim for Reimbursement for Postal Supervisors (for Employee Business Expenses only)
|
Field offices
|
Scanning & Imaging Ctr.
|
10-Sep
|
N/A
|
Email from HQ Asset Mgmt Budget & Cost analyst to add inventory items to fixed assets or CIP
|
Topeka, KS
|
San Mateo
|
10-Sep
|
Form 969
|
Material Recycling and Disposal (Retirement)
|
Field Offices
|
San Mateo
|
14-Sep
|
Form 2880
|
Physical Inventory — Certification/Adjustments (Retirement or Addition)
|
Field Offices
|
San Mateo
|
14-Sep
|
N/A
|
Hardcopy paper commitment documents
|
Supply Management (HQ)
|
San Mateo
|
21-Sep
|
PS 8232
|
Payment for Personal Services Contracts
|
Field offices
|
Scanning & Imaging Ctr.
|
17-Sep
|
N/A
|
Government Printing Office
|
Supply Management (HQ)
|
San Mateo
|
21-Sep
|
N/A
|
All Recognition and Incentive Awards*
|
All offices
|
eAwards
|
20-Sep
|
Form 8162
|
Capital Property Record
|
Field Offices
|
San Mateo
|
21-Sep
|
Spreadsheet Capitalization
|
Addition, adjustment, add-on etc
|
Program Managers through HQ Payable
|
San Mateo
|
21-Sep
|
PS 4541
|
Order-Invoice for Vehicle Repair (commercial work order)
|
Field offices
|
Support VMF
|
21-Sep
|
Form 4503
|
Vehicle Delivery Control Sheet
|
VMF
|
San Mateo
|
21-Sep
|
Form 4587
|
Request to Repair, Replace, or Dispose of Postal Service–Owned Vehicle
|
VMF
|
San Mateo
|
21-Sep
|
SF 97
|
The U.S. Government Certificate of Release of a Motor Vehicle
|
Field offices
|
San Mateo
|
21-Sep
|
N/A
|
Gasoline Credit Card (fleet card)
|
U.S. Bank
|
San Mateo
|
29-Sep
|
N/A
|
CTEL
|
Profitline
|
San Mateo
|
28-Sep
|
N/A
|
eTravel (Approving Official)
|
All offices
|
St. Louis
|
24-Sep
|
N/A
|
eTravel (Receipts)
|
All offices
|
Back Office
|
24-Sep
|
PS 8049
|
Vehicle Hire Pay Adjustment
|
Field offices
|
St. Louis
|
24-Sep
|
N/A
|
Vehicle hire payment certification reports
|
Field offices
|
Support VMF
|
24-Sep
|
N/A
|
Tort claims
|
All offices
|
Scanning & Imaging Ctr.
|
24-Sep
|
PS 1902
|
Justification for Billing Accounts Receivable (Non-Payroll)
|
Field offices
|
San Mateo
|
21-Sep
|
PS 8230
|
Authorization for Payment
|
All offices
|
Scanning & Imaging Ctr.
|
25-Sep
|
PS 3533
|
Application for Refund of Fees, Products and Withdrawal of Customer Accounts
|
Field offices
|
Scanning & Imaging Ctr.
|
25-Sep
|
N/A
|
Government travel account (GTA)
|
St. Louis
|
St. Louis
|
27-Sep
|
PS 3637-G
|
Batch Header for Official Mail (attach supporting documents)
|
Field offices
|
Scanning & Imaging Ctr.
|
28-Sep
|
N/A
|
Arbitration — Related Payments
|
All offices
|
San Mateo
|
28-Sep
|
Form 2146
|
Employee’s Claim for Personal Property
|
All offices
|
San Mateo
|
28-Sep
|
N/A
|
Commitments (CAMS) through APEX-CAMS electronic interface
|
Supply Management (HQ)
|
San Mateo
|
29-Sep
|
N/A
|
Direct Vendor Delivery (DVD) and eBuy**
|
Topeka MDC
|
San Mateo
|
29-Sep
|
N/A
|
Telecommunications Expense Management (TEMA)
|
Raleigh Network Operations
|
San Mateo
|
28-Sep
|
N/A
|
eBuy utilities
|
All offices
|
eBuy Post/Certify Module
|
29-Sep
|
N/A
|
Material Distribution Management System invoices (MDIMS)
|
Topeka, KS
|
San Mateo
|
29-Sep
|
N/A
|
National Customer Management System invoices (NCMS)
|
Stamp Fulfillment Services
|
San Mateo
|
30-Sep
|
N/A
|
Program Cost Tracking System invoices (PCTS)
|
PCTS Systems Administrator
|
San Mateo
|
30-Sep
|
N/A
|
UTIL — Energy Initiatives
|
Energy United/NISC
|
San Mateo
|
28-Sep
|
N/A
|
Inter-Agency Payment and Collection (IPAC) Certified Invoices
|
Field Offices
|
San Mateo
|
27-Sep
|
N/A
|
National Transportation Services (NTSP)
|
Supply Management (HQ)
|
San Mateo
|
28-Sep
|
PS 1129
|
Cashier Reimbursement Voucher and/or Accountability Report (Imprest fund)
|
All offices (Imprest)
|
San Mateo
|
28-Sep
|
N/A
|
BPA cover sheets
|
All offices
|
San Mateo
|
1-Oct
|
N/A
|
Capital and expense receiving report
|
All offices
|
San Mateo
|
1-Oct
|
N/A
|
Certified Invoices — supplies and services, bulk fuel and oil purchases, motor vehicle parts, nonmetered heating fuel
|
All offices
|
San Mateo
|
1-Oct
|
N/A
|
Project facility system
|
Facilities
|
St. Louis
|
29-Sep
|
N/A
|
Money order vouchers
|
Field offices
|
St. Louis
|
29-Sep
|
N/A
|
National Service Agreement (NSA)–certified invoices
|
Mgr of Pricing Strategy
|
San Mateo
|
1-Oct
|
N/A
|
Relocation Management Firm (RMF) accruals
|
Accounting, (HQ)
|
Relocation
|
2-Oct
|
NA
|
Solution for Enterprise Asset Management (SEAM)
|
Topeka, KS
|
San Mateo
|
30-Sep
|
N/A
|
U.S. Bank Visa accrual
|
U.S. Bank
|
San Mateo
|
1-Oct
|
N/A
|
Commercial Bank Reconciliations
|
U.S. Bank, JP Morgan Chase, and Citibank
|
Eagan
|
4-Oct
|
* Per PMG memo dated July 1, 2011, awards for nonbargaining employees are suspended.
** Do not place orders for DVD or eBuy purchases from September 29 through October 1, 2012, except for critical needs.
Address questions concerning these instructions to the appropriate Accounting Services location or Finance office indicated in the table above.
— Corporate Accounting, Controller, 9-6-12
