At all times

Cheques
Ensure all cheques are crossed out when you receive a chequebook from your bank.

Ensure all cheques are signed by two approved signatories.

Ensure all cheques are made out to a person and not to cash.

Never sign bank cheques, even for people you trust.

Ensure cheques are not signed by an employee or the principal, nor must cheques be signed by two members of the same family.

Payments
Make all payments by cheque, except for small payments from petty cash.

Support all payments with invoices, receipts and dockets.

Ensure that Goods received and Paid stamps or markings appear on all paid invoices.

When using photocopies of invoices as support for payments, ensure they are stamped or marked Not previously paid.

Take advantage of discounts.

Operate petty cash on an imprest system.

Receipts

Issue receipts in sequential date order as per takings, for the total of funds collected.

Ensure two independent people are responsible for collecting and counting money.

Issue receipts to people responsible for collecting and counting money.

Banking
Check banking corresponds to receipt totals.
Bank or securely store all money daily.

Cashbooks
Keep cashbooks up to date.
Match the sequence of entries in the cashbook with the sequence of receipts and payments.
Do not use white-out in the order book, cashbook, receipt books or chequebook butts.

Management
Regularly transfer surplus subcommittee funds to the main account.
Keep an account of all receipt books, order books and chequebooks in a register of accountable forms.
Keep a register of equipment held by the P&C.
Control plant and equipment to prevent theft and loss.
File and hold all P&C records for appropriate periods (See Retention periods)

Employees
Ensure your employees are receiving the correct wages, leave entitlements and pay slips.
Keep your insurance and workcover payments up to date.

Have an accessible copy of all industrial awards relevant to your employees.
Keep your tax and superannuation payments up to date.

Getting started
Ensure you know what subcommittees exist and which ones operate a separate account.
Reduce the number of subcommittee accounts to the minimum.

Ensure that all accounts are using order books for purchases, official receipt books to collect money and chequebooks to make all payments (excluding petty cash payments).
Ensure that a register of accountable forms exists.

Ensure that all accounts are current and balanced, especially if the financial year has already begun.

Monthly responsibilities
Present the following complete and up-to-date financial documents for each account to the P&C monthly meeting:
cashbook
statement of receipts and payments
bank reconciliation (with supporting bank statements)
trading statements, if a subcommittee has stock or inventory (recommended monthly, but acceptable if only done each term).
Sign off all financial reports.
Have another executive member check the bank reconciliation before each meeting.
Ensure all subcommittees present a financial report to each P&C monthly meeting and:
view the bank statement when checking the bank reconciliation
check the bank reconciliation against the cashbook and initial both documents.
Monitor receipts and payments against budget.
File all financial reports, bank reconciliations, payment vouchers and any other documentation that may be required by audit to verify the financial position of the P&C.

Yearly responsibilities
Stocktake plant and equipment.
Generate annual financial statements.
If multiple accounts are held, combine annual financial statements from the P&C and subcommittees into consolidated annual financial statements.
Have annual financial statements certified by executive members of the P&C.
Arrange audit of annual financial statements. Recommend an auditor with appropriate qualifications and experience for appointment at the annual general meeting for the following year.
Send copies of the audited financial statements to your district Executive Director (Schools) at your district office. Your principal can provide contact details.
On receipt of a qualified audit report, you must include a response addressing the reasons for the qualification when logging the audited financial statements with your District Office.
Prepare a budget for next year. Set up a committee for that purpose and work with the members.