Frequently Asked Questions

Please allow one week minimum to process a disbursement. The situations listed below will delay processing time. Since Disbursement Services does not control the timing for any of these items, please avoid these issues to aid the smooth processing of your disbursement:

• Budgetary issues with your org
• Incorrect or incomplete account coding
• Incomplete or inappropriately approved supporting documentation
• Paperwork that was not processed correctly (e.g. use of a check request form for items that
  should be purchased via a purchase requisition)
• An incomplete or inaccurate purchase order
• Peak volume times (beginning of school year, Christmas, and fiscal year end closing in May)

Vendors should be sending invoices to the Disbursement Services. If you receive an invoice at your office address, do not assume that the vendor also sent a copy to Disbursement Services. All invoices should be forwarded to Disbursement Services, 1604 Lowery Street. If needed, please make a copy of the invoice for your file.

• Insufficient documentation
• Incorrect account information
• Insufficient departmental approval
• Problems with invoice(s) (PO)

Original invoices are always required for payment. We will not make a payment from a purchase order or contract. For personal reimbursements, travel expense forms and corporate American Express statements, along with original receipts taped or stapled to 8 1/2" by 11" paper, must be attached in a clear and organized manner. We request this consistent format in order to speed processing and prevent receipts from getting lost.

Why are we being asked to provide such extensive documentation? I'm the budget administrator and I've authorized the payment.

We are not questioning your authority to spend your funds, but we do require adequate documentation for the expense. The IRS has "Accountable Plan" rules, which the university must follow to avoid unnecessary taxation.

Checks are processed each day of the week. Your request must be received in Disbursement Services 5 to 7 business days prior to you receiving the requested check.

Winston-Salem State University operates on a net 30 basis. Disbursement Services will process the invoice within 10 business days of receipt.

You need to complete a Vendor Registration Application so the university has the required tax information and can send the check to the appropriate location. This form is located on the Purchasing Website.

Expenses must be approved by the employee with budgetary responsibility for the org that is charged.

The rules above apply to grant expenditures as well. Those expenses will also be checked by the Grants and Contracts Office who is checking adequate funding and cost allowances; however, the Grants Office does not serve as the expense approver. An immediate supervisor must still approve personal reimbursements and the Principal Investigator must approval other expenses.

Wires are processed by our Financial Services office. To request a wire payment, contact Tomara Monroe (x2792) or Melvin Ingram (x2728). Please note that there are department fees for both international ($35) and domestic wires ($23). An ACH payment may be processed by completing a travel prepayment form or pay request form and submitting to Disbursement Services. Confirmation of payment is sent via email to the vendor/payee once the transmission has been sent to our bank.

All documents paid through Disbursement Services are available for viewing through Banner using Web Xtender. We strive to have documents scanned into Web Xtender within 48 hours of payment being processed. However, when receiving large volumes of documents, it may take up to a week before your document is available for viewing online.

Do not call the vendor to make changes to your order. Contact the Purchasing Office to make all changes to your purchase order. Contacting the vendor direct can cause duplicate shipments from the vendor and delay in payment.

Notify the Purchasing Office to cancel the order. Notify Disbursement Services to verify that no invoice has been received for your order.

Contact the Purchasing Office immediately 336-750-2930.

When Disbursement Services processes the payment and the check is actually written against your budget. Merchandise no longer needed as ordered.

Deliver the check to Disbursement Services and state the reason for the refund if known. The refund will be researched and deposit with the Cashier’s office immediately to the appropriate account.

If you have Banner access, log into the system, you can verify if your request for a check has been processed by typing the banner form name (FAIVNDH)-(Vendor Detail History Screen).

Complete pay request form in SU Express and attach the membership renewal notice. The requisition will be forwarded to the Purchasing Office for further verification of information. The Purchasing Office will forward the requisition to Disbursement Services for a check.

Our checks are printed in a self-sealing mailer so we do not enclose a remittance unless it is specifically requested. To request an enclosure, please submit a copy of the form with the payment request and indicate that it needs to be sent with the check.

You must document the business purpose for the expenditure on a pay request form and have a supervisor approve the expenditure.

It is your responsibility to convert the expenditures into U.S. dollars as of the time of travel on your travel expense report. Disbursement Services will do a reasonableness check of your calculation, but will return the form to you if it is not submitted in U.S. dollars. The Disbursement Services web site includes links to easy-to-use currency conversion sites.

A direct supervisor must approve personal reimbursements and procurement charges, even if the expense is made by the Principal Investigator ("PI"). The PI must approve other expenses. All grant expenses are also reviewed by the Grants and Contracts Office, which is checking adequate funding and cost allowances; however, the Grants and Contracts Office does not serve as the expense approver.

Anyone that we pay more than $600 for services, rents or other income payments. The following expenses are generally excluded:

• Most payments to corporations
• Payments for merchandise
• Wages to employees (IRS Form W-2 is filed instead)
• Business expense reimbursements to employees
• Payments to a tax-exempt organization or federal, state or foreign governments

When will 1099s be mailed?

Forms will be mailed by January 31 of the year after the tax year being reported.

I have not received a 1099, but believe I am owed one.

If you were not paid more than $600 in the tax year being reported, you will not receive a 1099. If you were paid more than $600, contact the Disbursement Services Manager 336-750-2732 to inquire into the status of your 1099.

In order to avoid a duplicate payment, Disbursement Services requires an original receipt. If the original receipt is lost or not obtainable, a photocopy can be submitted with a signed statement by the preparer or approver that payment was not already requested.

A direct supervisor must approve your statement. Requesting that a member of your support staff approve your charges could put them in an uncomfortable position and does not constitute an appropriate supervisory review. University Chancellor expenses can be approved by the Vice Chancellor for Finance, or the Provost.

Both the corporate American Express card and the university’s procurement card are only for business-related purposes. Any personal charges may result in termination of card privileges and other disciplinary action.

Personal reimbursements, including corporate American Express and procurement card charges, must be approved by a supervisor, not by a direct report. University Chancellor charges can be approved by the Vice Chancellor for Finance and or the Provost.

If the original receipt is lost or not attainable, a photocopy can be submitted with a signed statement by the preparer or approver that payment was not already requested. If even a copy of the receipt is not obtainable, please contact the Controller 336-750-2733. If the Controller gives approval, we will accept a memo from the expense approver explaining the details of the purchase, the business purpose and explanation of the situation.

Per IRS guidelines, expenses paid or reimbursed without appropriate documentation will be treated as income to the individual and subject to employment taxes and W-2 reporting.

Can my credit card statement or cancelled check serve as a receipt?

No. Examples of appropriate receipts/documentation requires written explanation of business purpose or, conference/itinerary or schedule of events; detailed hotel receipt, or cash register or credit card receipt showing itemized charges.

Please clearly identify items that were not business-related and do not include the cost of those items in your total payment request.

We are a tax-exempt institution. Please tell vendors that we do not accept sales tax charges for purchases of goods or services. If a vendor invoice is submitted with sales tax, Disbursement Services will not pay the tax amount.

Complete a pay request in SU Express with all the necessary information and attach the student stipend form to the requisition. The requisition if approved will be forwarded to the Purchasing Office. The Purchasing Office will forward the request to the Disbursement Services office for payment.