Organization Information

Finance

Fiscal Year 2018 Closing Guidance: Message from the Controller

Thank you for your efforts to control expenses during fiscal year (FY) 2018. 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, or inform us of any billing delays 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.

Maura A. McDevitt
Vice President, Controller

Cara M. Greene
Acting Vice President, Controller
(effective starting August 24, 2018)

I. Instructions for Fiscal Year 2018 Closing

We request that all organizations limit their expense and capital expenditures, particularly for Postal Service support equipment, to essential needs. Accordingly, all vice presidents should review discretionary spending to ensure the Postal Service attains its financial target for this fiscal year.

The instruction 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, Requisitions, and Contract Actions

To ensure timely processing, submit purchase requests, expense and capital requisitions, requests for contract awards, and contract modifications for FY 2018 to Supply Management for processing as follows:

Requisitions for Contract Actions (IT Hardware, Services, Software, and Telecom)

For FY 2018, submit expense requisitions and requests for contract actions to Supply Management before August 1, 2018. Any requests received after this date may not be processed for award and delivery by September 30.

Requisitions for Contract Actions (Other than IT and Telecom)

For FY 2018, submit expense requisitions and requests for contract actions to Supply Management before August 31, 2018. Any requests received after this date may not be processed for award and delivery by September 30.

Requisitions for Contract Actions (Capital Purchases)

For FY 2018, submit capital requisitions and requests for contract actions by the same dates as above for expense, although Supply Management will accept requisitions through September 7, 2018. Any requests received after this date may not be processed for award by September 30.

Requisitions for FY 2019 Contract Actions

For FY 2019, submit expense and capital requisition requests for contract actions that require a start date before October 1, 2018, to Supply Management before August 21, 2018. Any requests received after this date may not be processed for award by the required start date.

FY Processing of Funds

Accounting Services, San Mateo, will process against the appropriate fiscal year funds based on contract or modification issuance in accordance with the table shown here:

 

For requisitions received…

Funds are processed as follows…

On or before
August 1, 2018

For contracts or modifications (IT Hardware, Services, Software, and Telecom) issued by September 30, Accounting Services, San Mateo, will process against FY 2018 funds

On or before
August 31, 2018

For contracts or modifications (other than IT and Telecom) issued by September 30, Accounting Services, San Mateo, will process against FY 2018 funds.

On or before
September 7, 2018

For contracts or modifications (Capital Purchases) issued by September 30, Accounting Services, San Mateo, will process against FY 2018 funds

On or after
September 1, 2018 (Expense) or
September 7, 2018 (Capital)

For contracts or modifications issued after September 30, Accounting Services, San Mateo, will process against FY 2019 funds.

Transmit electronic files to Accounting Services as follows:

 

Send electronic files for...

To...

No later than...

Contract Authoring and Management System

San Mateo

September 30, 2018

Facilities capital commitments and expense payments

St. Louis

September 30, 2018

IV. Payments and Accruals for Year-End Closing FY 2018

Payments

Submit appropriate receiving reports or certified invoices for goods and services (received by September 30) to Accounting Services, San Mateo, no later than Monday, October 1, 2018.

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 24, to process invoices.

3. Supply Management will process all requisitions for the issuance of contracts against FY 2018 funds according to the following priorities:

n Priority 1 — Capital commitment requisitions.

n Priority 2 — Expense commitment requisitions.

Accruals

We will process monthly accruals for Headquarters (HQ) expense as normal and as communicated to the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and their budget coordinators. Note: Any unusual or non-recurring expense must be communicated to the ELT budget coordinators as a possible adjustment to the normal ELT accrual.

1. All HQ accruals will occur at the ELT or VP finance level.

2. Certified invoices for goods and services received by September 30 must be received by Accounting Services, San Mateo, no later than Monday, October 1. All invoices not received by San Mateo by October 1 will be processed in October 2018, and paid in FY 2019.

3. If goods or services have been received as of September 30, 2018, but the vendor invoice has not been received, or if received, has not been approved and submitted to the Accounting Services Center for payment, these expenses will need to be accrued. Please contact your respective Budget Coordinator to complete the accrual.

V. Forms and Other Required Submissions Schedule (Appendix)

The table shown here describes the schedule for submitting forms and other required documents for FY 2018 Year-End Close.

 

Form #

Item

Submit by

Submit to

Received by Date

PS 1839

Payment Record for Carrier Drive Out Agreement

Field offices

eIWS online forms

September 7, 2018

PS 1164-A

Claim for Reimbursement for Postal Supervisors (for Employee Business Expenses only)

Field offices

eIWS online forms

September 7, 2018

PS 17

Stamp Requisition \u2044 Stamp Return

Field offices

Stamp Service Center

September 7, 2018

PS 1233

Project Financial Change/Completion Report — to add site prep cost to existing assets or Construction-in-Progress (CIP)

St. Louis

San Mateo

September 14, 2018

N/A

Email from accounting assistant to add inventory items to fixed assets or CIP

Topeka Material Distribution Center (MDC)

San Mateo

September 14, 2018

PS 969

Material Recycling and Disposal (Retirement)

Asset Accountability Service Center (AASC)

San Mateo

September 21, 2018

PS 2880

Physical Inventory — Certification \u2044Adjustments (Retirement or Addition)

AASC

San Mateo

September 21, 2018

N/A

All Recognition and Incentive Awards

All offices

eAwards

September 12, 2018

N/A

Hard copy paper commitment documents

Supply Management (HQ)

San Mateo

September 21, 2018

N/A

Government Printing Office

Supply Management (HQ)

San Mateo

September 14, 2018

Spreadsheet Capitalization

Addition, adjustment, add-on etc.

Program Managers through HQ Payable

San Mateo

September 25, 2018

PS 4503

Vehicle Delivery Control Sheet

Vehicle Maintenance Facility (VMF)

Marlene Kocken, Fleet Management

September 14, 2018

PS 4587

Request to Repair, Replace, or Dispose of Postal Service-Owned Vehicle

VMF

San Mateo

September 21, 2018

SF 97

The U.S. Government Certificate of Release of a Motor Vehicle

Field offices

San Mateo

September 21, 2018

PS 1902

Justification for Billing Accounts Receivable (Non-payroll)

Field offices

San Mateo

September 14, 2018

PS 4541

Order-Invoice for Vehicle Repair (Commercial work order)

Field offices

Support VMF

September 14, 2018

N/A

Tort claims

All offices

District Tort Claims Coordinator

September 21, 2018

N/A

eTravel (approving official)

All offices

St. Louis

September 21, 2018

N/A

Vehicle hire payment certification reports

Field offices

Support VMF

September 21, 2018

PS 2551

Non-Goods and Non-Services — Payment Authorization

All offices

eIWS online forms

September 23, 2018

PS 3533

Application for Refund of Fees, Products, and Withdrawal of Customer Accounts

Field offices

eIWS online forms

September 23, 2018

N/A

USPS Telecom Data invoices

Calero

San Mateo

September 30, 2018

N/A

Inter-Agency Payment and Collection Certified invoices

Field offices

San Mateo

September 21, 2018

N/A

National Transportation Services

Supply Management (HQ)

San Mateo

September 30, 2018

PS 1129

Cashier Reimbursement Voucher and \u2044or Accountability Report (Imprest fund)

All offices (Imprest)

San Mateo

September 28, 2018

N/A

Government travel account

St. Louis

St. Louis

September 21, 2018

N/A

Gasoline credit card (fleet card)

U.S. Bank

San Mateo

September 28, 2018

N/A

Project facility system

Facilities

St. Louis

September 21, 2018

N/A

eBuy utilities

All offices

eBuy post/certify module

September 30, 2018

PS 2146

Employee’s Claim for Personal Property

All offices

San Mateo

September 28, 2018

N/A

Commitments through APEX-CAMS electronic interface

Supply Management (HQ)

San Mateo

September 30, 2018

N/A

Direct Vendor Delivery and eBuy*

Topeka MDC

San Mateo

September 30, 2018

N/A

Telecommunications Expense Management

Raleigh Network Operations

San Mateo

September 30, 2018

N/A

Material Distribution Management System invoices

Topeka MDC

San Mateo

September 30, 2018

N/A

National Customer Management System invoices

Stamp Fulfillment Services

San Mateo

September 30, 2018

N/A

Program Cost Tracking System invoices (PCTS)

PCTS Systems Administrator

San Mateo

September 30, 2018

N/A

UTIL — Energy Initiatives

Energy United \u2044 NISC

San Mateo

September 30, 2018

N/A

Solution for Enterprise Asset Management invoices

Topeka MDC

San Mateo

September 30, 2018

N/A

Basic Pricing Agreement cover sheets

All offices

San Mateo

October 1, 2018

N/A

Capital and expense receiving report

All offices

San Mateo

October 1, 2018

N/A

Certified invoices — supplies and services, bulk fuel and oil purchases, motor vehicle parts, and non-metered heating fuel

All offices

San Mateo

October 1, 2018

N/A

National Service Agreement — certified invoices

Manager, Pricing Strategy

San Mateo

cc: CFR

October 1, 2018

N/A

U.S. Bank Visa accrual

U.S. Bank

San Mateo

October 1, 2018

N/A

Relocation Management Firm accruals

Accounting (HQ)

Relocation

October 1, 2018

N/A

Commercial bank reconciliations

JP Morgan Chase and Citibank

Eagan

October 14, 2018

*Do not place orders for DVD or eBuy purchases from September 28 through October 1, 2018, except for critical needs.

Address questions concerning these instructions to the appropriate Accounting Services location or Finance office indicated in the table shown above.