Nothing easy these days. Here is what I suggest to my clients for things of this nature. Incorporate the processing of the utility bill (or credit card statement) as part of the day to day AP voucher processing routine. Bill comes in the mail, get the approval, code it and processing via AP invoice entry. When it is time to pay (ACH, Wire, etc is hitting the bank account), cut the check as part of the normal AP check cycle. DO NOT MAIL the check. Give it to the person responsible for the bank recon treasury function. They can put it with BR month end packet. Worried about mailing the check accidentally, change the address to ****DO NOT MAIL**** in the address fields. Check the Crystal AP template to print VOID based on a parameter. Worried about wasting a check, get over it. It is a couple cents. Better yet, start using blank paper stock, these cost even less. For one client, I added a UDF in the AP INV header which displays in the check payment selection panel. They select all of the ACH checks for one run. The key for efficiency is to incorporate the process into the normal AP routine and avoid doing manual checks. I started using this system back in the 80's. It can work very nicely.
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Jeff Schwenk
FORMER 90M Board Member
Bottomline Software, Inc.
Waynesboro VA
540-221-4444
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-08-2020 12:31
From: Larry Bradford
Subject: ACH Payments to Utilities
Let me clarify. What I am saying is if you were to load the autopay from your bank into Sage Manual Check or enter from the bank information without recording the invoice prior to the payment (entering invoice and payment together as one entry into Manual Check Entry), you are effectively recording on a cash basis.
The client needs accrual thus the accrual and deferrals to get the expense into the correct period.
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Larry Bradford
Accounting Technology LLC Consultant and Owner
Accounting Technology, LLC
Fairfax VA
703-913-3500
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-08-2020 11:33
From: Beth Bowers
Subject: ACH Payments to Utilities
Manual Check as "cash basis" - meaning they NEED it to be cash basis? Not that manual checks always have to BE cash basis, since you can pay an invoice entered in a prior month...
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Beth Bowers
Mom to Samson, Peanut, ChiChi, Canton, Cagney and Daisy (NO Oxford comma - shriek!)
Beth Bowers
269-445-1625
Original Message:
Sent: 04-08-2020 11:28
From: Larry Bradford
Subject: ACH Payments to Utilities
That is the other direction we are considering. Auto pay then load into manual check. Of course Manual Check is "cash basis" as the expense and payment need to be in the same period. They then are recording accruals and deferrals.
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Larry Bradford
Accounting Technology LLC Consultant and Owner
Accounting Technology, LLC
Fairfax VA
703-913-3500
Original Message:
Sent: 04-08-2020 11:17
From: Jeff Schwenk
Subject: ACH Payments to Utilities
I think the solution is to call the utility and ask them. Maybe you can incorporate the comment field containing the account # into the ACH payment. It is not just utilities that would have this issue but credit card payment centers as well. The easiest solution is to set the account to auto pay, then issue payment against the incoming ACH.
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Jeff Schwenk
FORMER 90M Board Member
Bottomline Software, Inc.
Waynesboro VA
540-221-4444