Finance procedures
Accounts payable
Individual contractors/consultants (sole traders)
These documents outline the principles to be applied by The Australian National University when engaging individual contractors and consultants.
Policy: individual contractors
Procedure: sole traders
Employee/contractor checklist
Contractor agreement template
Sole traders flow chart (PDF, 283KB)
Staff allowance
The following documents outline the basic principles of the staff allowance and its permitted use.
Staff allowance procedure
Procedure for use of PDAs and Blackberries
Tuition fee reimbursement
If you require a current balance of your staff allowance please email FinanceLaw@law.anu.edu.au
Other procedures
The Payment of invoices procedure outlines the process for the payment of tax invoices.
The Reimbursements procedure outlines the process for claiming reimbursements for expenses incurred.
The Advance approval for payment of expenses procedure outlines the process for the advance payment of expenses (conference fees, ordering books online) and the ordering of cabcharge vouchers.
The Sending couriered items procedure outlines the process for requesting the use of a courier dispatch service.
The External examiner payment procedure outlines the process for requesting one off payment to be made to external examiners.
No ABN withholding
Accounts receivable
The Request for invoice procedure outlines the process for raising an invoice.
The Online conference/short course payment procedure provides the process for setup and administration of an online conference/short course payment.
Receipting
Receipting is processed once a week. The payment methods accepted are Mastercard, Visa, cheque and money order. Please ensure that all receipting is accompanied by a request for receipt form and, in the case of a credit card payment, that a signature is present.
Establishing external grants and consultancies
Purchasing
Petty cash
A limited petty cash service is available from the Services Office. A maximum amount of $50 for each claim applies and a receipt and charge code should be provided with the Petty cash - claim for reimbursement form (PDF, 37KB). The following transactions are excluded from petty cash: cashing of cheques, temporary loans, prepayment of goods and services, payments for personal services and payment of creditors' accounts.
Purchase cards
Some staff members hold ANU Purchasing Cards. All ANU Purchase Card Holders must adhere to the rules and regulations set out in the following documents:
ANU purchase card policy
Purchase card holder agreement
Disputed transactions
Purchase Orders
This Purchase order procedure outlines the process for purchasing goods & services on behalf on the University.
Ledger and transfers
Journals
Journals are a method of internally transferring funds between one ANU account and another. To transfer money between two accounts we will need to be advised of the accounts to be debited (restricted to Law accounts only) and credited, supporting documentation of the transfer and a contact name for both accounts. Typically, a memo is provided with attached documentation.
The Ledger enquiries and reports procedure outlines the enquiries and reports available for Q, R & S accounts.
The following documents provide information on how to read and interpret the end of period financial management report:
How to read a financial management report (FMR) (PDF, 32KB)
How to read a special purpose fund report (SPF) (PDF,66KB)
Tax
GST
The Goods and Services Tax is an indirect, broad-based consumption tax levied at 10 percent and applies to taxable suppliers. Further information on GST can be found in the Finance and business manual.
The GST treatment of income received by the ANU for conferences
The GST treatment of grant income
FBT
Fringe benefits tax (FBT) is a Commonwealth tax levied on non-salary type benefits provided by employers to employees. This tax typically applies to entertainment (meals), phone, internet useage and uniform purchases. Where tax invoices, purchase card receipts or reimbursements are presented to the Finance and HR Unit for payment for these items, an FBT declaration form must be attached. The FBT declaration forms are:
FBT declaration guideline (PDF, 23KB)
FBT entertainment form
FBT phone declaration
FBT internet declaration
Expense payment declaration form
FBT can also apply to travel, where a portion of 60% or more is for recreational purposes. This is determined on the personal travel declaration section of the approval to travel form (PDF, 41KB), and the private travel FBT calculator. Where FBT does apply it will be calculated at approximately 100% of the taxable amount. This tax amount will then be charged to the account nominated.
Withholding tax
Withholding Tax (of 46.5%) will apply to all vendors that do not provide an ABN. In certain circumstances a statement by supplier form can be completed and withholding tax will not apply. Further information can be found at Finance and business services.
ANU ABN
The Australian Business Number for The Australian National University is 52 234 063 906
