Accounts Payable

The primary responsibility of Accounts Payable (A/P) is the payment of the College's expenses. To accomplish the established mission within the guidelines of the College's and applicable federal and state government guidelines, A/P reviews all invoices from external vendors, as well as internal personnel payments.  It is the responsibiliy of A/P to ensure that each expenditure that is paid by the College is represented by an authorized source document (invoice, check request, or purchase order), has a proper account number, and is paid in a timely manner upon receipt in the office. 

The College's general policy is that funds should be expended only for essential College business.  The College qualifies as a not-for-profit entity under Section 501 (c) (3) of the IRS guidelines and therefore must be diligent in ensuring expenses qualify as a business expense.  Additionally, the College receives grants and awards from the federal government and must be in compliance with the terms of the agencies supporting the College.  The IRS also has strict guidelines for employee reimbursement requirements that the College must maintain to retain its accountable plan status. 

Payment by the College must be supported by a source document, which in most instances is an independent invoice.  The origial invoice represents confirmation from a third-party that a product or service was provided to the College.  The Office of Business Affairs requests the submission of original invoices whenever possible.  Receiving on the corresponding purchase order must be done on BANNER Finance form FPARCVD before payment can be generated.  Please note that order confirmations and quotes do not constitute an invoice and will not be accepted for final payment. Since the College has a centralized purchasing system, the majority of invoices are received in the Purchasing Office located in the Trustco Bank Center.  All requests for reimbursement must contain the underlying detail that comprises the total expense incurred.  This means items paid by credit card must include the charge receipt and/or statement, as well as the supporting documentation evidencing the actual payment. 

Check Requests: 

Check Request form is used to process reimbursements to individuals for expenses incurred on behalf of the College and for services rendered by Independent Contractors. Original itemized receipts must be submitted with the form.

A check request form must include the vendor name, vendor number (which may be found on BANNER forms FAIVNDH and SPAIDEN), vendor address (if other than an employee), FOAPAL to be charged, and proper approval.

Payments to individuals other than a College employee or student for work performed or services rendered should be requested on a check request form. The payee's address and social security number must be noted on the form. Payments to employees or students for work performed or services rendered must be processed through the payroll system.  Please contact Human Resources to determine if an individual would be considered an employee of the College.

Check Request 

Travel Advances:

Travel Advances are available for College members traveling on behalf of the College to cover allowable travel expenses incurred.
A travel advance form must include the traveler's name, date of departure, date of return, description of the travel, amount requested and proper approval.

A travel expense report, as well as any unused funds, must be submitted within one week after the return date. Unused funds must be returned through a check or money order.  No cash will be accepted. Refer to Travel Expense Report for details.

Additional travel advances will not be given to individuals who have not submitted a travel expense report to account for a previously issued travel advance.

Travel Advance 

Travel Expense Reports:

Travel Expense Report is used to reimburse individuals for reasonable expenses incurred for travel directly related to the conduct of College activities

A travel expense report must include the individuals name, address if not a College employee, description of the travel, dates of travel, FOAPAL to be charged, detail of expenses, original itemized receipts and proper approval.

If a travel advance was received for this activity, it must be noted on the appropriate line on the expense report. Unused funds must be returned through a check or money order.  No cash will be accepted.

Travel Expense Report 

Moving Expenses:

Siena College provides reimbursement to newly hired full-time faculty members, and to newly hired full-time, non temporary administrators for qualified moving expenses incurred when the new faculty member/administrator is moving from outside a radius of at least 50 miles from the College in order to accept an offer of employment at the College .

Reimbursement equal to one half of moving expenses incurred, defined as "qualified" expenses in accordance with current Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations, may be made by the College up to a maximum reimbursement of $2,500. (To clarify: reimbursement of $2,500 would occur only if the total qualified moving expesnes submitted were equal to or greater than $5,000)

In rare circumstances in which reimbursement beyond the aforementioned parameters is deemed necessary and/or strategic, a justification must be forwarded to the President for approval; in any event, the amount of any reimbursement for expenses not deemed "qualified" by IRS regulations is considered taxable income and therefore subject to income tax withholding.

Qualified expenses are defined by the IRS as the reasonable cost (as determined by the College) of moving household goods and personal effects (including packing, crating, and transporting, as well as intransit storage for up to 30 consecutive days); and travel to the new home, including lodging but not including meals, In addition, the following conditions must be met: .

- the expenses must be related to starting work at the College;

- the expenses must be incurred within one year of the date the employee begins work at the College;

- the distance from the employee's new residence to the College generally must be less than the distance from the old residence to the College;

- the College must be at least 50 miles farther from the former residence than the former job location; and

- the employee's term of appointment must be for at least 39 weeks; reimbursement provided by the College for moving expenses may be subject to taxation in the event the employee works less than 39 weeks during the first 12 months after arriving at the College.

For complete information on what the IRS considers qualified moving expenses, new employees are advised to go to the Internal Revenue Service website at www.irs.gov and search for Publication 521 (Moving Expenses) for the current calendar year.

A few guidelines to keep in mind (by no means comprehensive) are as follows:

- Reimbursement is provided for transportation of all members of the employee's household for one trip each from the current residence to the new residence, by the most direct route and most reasonable form of transportation.

- If the employee uses a personal vehicle for transportation, he/she may choose to submit either actual gas and oil expenses (original receipts) of use the current year IRS mileage rate for moving expenses. If a rental vehicle is used, the cost of the rental is reimbursable but only actual gas and oil expenses for that vehicle may be submitted. Tolls are also reimbursable in either case.

- Expenses for hotel accomodations for one night at the current location and one night after arrival at the new location may be submitted for reimbursement, as well as hotel accomodations "on the road"; but meal expenses are not reimbursable.

New faculty members and administrators who are eligible for reimbursement are notified of the College's reimbursement policy in their letter of appointment issued by the College. New faculty members should submit a request for reimbursement to the Office of Academic Affairs. New administrators should submit a request for reimbursement to their department head. All expenses must be documented by original receipts.

Travel Expense Report 

Petty Cash:

Petty cash is issued to individuals (not departments) in amounts up to $100.00, to reimburse individuals for small out of pocket expenditures incurred while conducting college business, and/or for travel advances up to the amount of $100.00. Petty cash is noot to be used for payment of services or for purchases where college policy requires the use of a purchase order.

Petty cash requests must be approved by the appropriate budget administrator, be substantiated by original receipts, and the individual receiving the cash must sign for the disbursement in the Office of Business Services.