NESFA® Treasury Procedures: Storing and Retaining Records
Filing current Treasury records
All paperwork associated with Treasury should be stored in a single set of
files. This is the recommended organization:
- Reference numbers. The supporting documentation for each entry into the accounting software
should be numbered sequentially using the form yyxxx, where yy is the
NESFA fiscal
year (May 2009 - April 2010 was FY43) and nnn starts at 001 and increases
monotonically. So the first form filed would be 43001, the next 43002,
etc. There are usually 400-500 pieces filed in a fiscal year. Create a
file folder for each group of 50, numbering them yy001-yy050, yy051-yy100,
etc. Within each such folder, file the forms in sequence. Make sure all receipts,
etc., are securely stapled.
- Unfortunately, Peachtree puts check numbers into the same field as reference numbers,
so that a check number, in effect, becomes the item's reference number.
Therefore, checks constitute a second set of numbers. Since mostly bills are paid
by checks, they are filed separately from the sequential reference numbers described above.
And, worse, interspersed with check numbers, there are electronic payment (EP)
numbers as well. See below.
- For each fiscal quarter (May-Jun-Jul, Aug-Sep-Oct, Nov-Dec-Jan,
Feb-Mar-Apr) create a folder which will hold all paperwork that isn't
part of numbered documentation. Not all these subcategories have been
used every year. That fact must be taken into account when searching old
records.
- Bills—all paperwork associated with bills paid by NESFA. If a bill
was paid by check, the check number and date should be written on the
bill. If the bill is paid electronically, give it a reference number
beginning with EP followed by the fiscal year number and a 3-digit serial
number beginning with 001; e.g., EP44001 and attach a copy
of the record of payment (probably made by printing the web page displayed
after authorizing the payment. These bills are filed chronologically,
and may include several series of check and pseudo-check numbers interspersed
together.
- Payments—all paperwork associated with payments made to
NESFA, including check stubs, cover letters and the like.
- Unfortunately, most payments made to NESFA included in bank deposits
which get a regular 5-digit reference number and are filed as in the first
paragraph above. This subcategory appears not to have been used in recent
years, and probably should be eliminated.
- Taxes—Anything to do with taxes, whether federal, state, or municipal.
- Misc or Correspondence—anything that doesn't have a better home.
- Bank—anything to do with our bank accounts, including statements
which don't get filed in the sequential files, deposit slips, letters,
and the like.
Long-term filing
All done in the Treasury filing cabinets in the far back room.
- Forms and charge slips from NESFA Sales at conventions should be clearly
marked and filed.
- Tax returns and all supporting data including working papers should be
filed in the Tax drawer
- After closing out a FY, file the FY's paperwork (current Treasury records)
in a separate file drawer