1 Policy Statement

An Accountable Advance arises when money is paid to a University staff member or student, prior to an expense being incurred, to cover the anticipated University business expense.

An Accountable Advance will not be made to a non-staff member or an organisation without prior written approval from the Chief Financial Officer.

2 Principles

An Accountable Advance will be supported by the raising of an invoice in the USQ Accounts Receivable Ledger in the name of the recipient.

The recipient accepts full responsibility for the advance, the safe custody of the funds and any related documentation, and the subsequent acquittal of the advance.

Accountable Advances must not be approved for costs that can be ordered, invoiced, paid by Petty Cash or charged to a University Corporate Credit Card.

An Accountable Advance must not be approved, and will not be issued, where a prior Accountable Advance has not been acquitted in accordance with this policy and/or the University’s Travel Policy.

3 Procedures

3.1 Accountable Advances for Travel Expenses

Accountable Advances for Travel Expenses will be approved by the relevant delegate where they consider it would be unreasonable to expect travel related expenses to be met upfront by the traveller.

The traveller (recipient) must complete an Accountable Advance Application for Travel Expenses form.

The traveller makes an application for an Accountable Advance subject to them agreeing to acquit the advance in full and /or return any unspent advance to the Cashier, Financial and Business Services.

The balance of any advance for travel that is cancelled or not fully completed must also be returned to the University.

Where the traveller is an employee of the University, the traveller must authorise the University to recover from the traveller’s pay an amount equal to the advance, or where the advance is not acquitted or repaid in full, by the fourth pay after completion of travel, whichever is the earlier.

The relevant delegate must not approve an Accountable Advance for an employee unless the traveller has given this pay deduction authorisation.

Accountable Advances for Travel Expenses will not normally be approved for airfares, accommodation, hire cars or other substantial costs. Only where the University’s Corporate Travel Office confirms that these costs cannot be booked and paid in advance via a University Corporate Credit Card, will an advance be approved.

Financial and Business Services will not normally pay an Accountable Advance more than seven (7) days prior to the travel departure date. Accountable Advances will be paid by EFT into the traveller’s primary bank account.

The traveller will acquit their Accountable Advance for Travel Expenses as soon as practicable after the completion of the travel, but within ten (10) working days of the return date indicated on the Accountable Advance Application for Travel Expenses form, in accordance with USQ Corporate Travel Office procedures and USQ Travel Policies:

• Conference and Other Assisted Travel

• Directed Travel

Accountable Advances for Travel, not acquitted in accordance with the above procedures will be subject to the University’s normal debt collection procedures.

3.2 Accountable Advances for Other University Business Expenses

Accountable Advances for Other University Business Expenses will be approved by the relevant delegate only where the cost is not substantial and the nature of the event prevents the use of standard University purchasing procedures including Petty Cash.

The recipient of the advance must complete an Accountable Advance Application for Other Business Expenses form.

An Accountable Advance request will include a ‘deemed event completion date’.

The recipient makes an application for an Accountable Advance subject to them agreeing to acquit the advance in full or return the advance to the University, within 14 days of the deemed event completion date.

Where the recipient is an employee of the University, the recipient must authorise the University to recover from the recipient’s pay an amount equal to the advance, or where the advance is not acquitted or repaid in full, by the fourth pay after the deemed event completion date, whichever is the earlier.

The relevant delegate must not approve an Accountable Advance for an employee unless the recipient has given this pay deduction authorisation.

Accountable Advances for staff at the Toowoomba Campus will normally be paid by the collection of cash at the University’s nominated service provider, currently MECU Toowoomba Campus. All other Accountable Advances will be paid by EFT into the recipient’s bank account.

The recipient will acquit their Accountable Advances for Other University Business expenses by completing an “Expense Payment Request” form and attaching original tax invoices, receipts and documents supporting the claim and acquittal, as soon as practicable after the completion of the event, but within ten (10) working days of the deemed event completion date indicated on the Accountable Advance Application for Other Business Expenses form. The recipient will return any unspent advance to the Cashier, Financial and Business Services.

Accountable Advances not acquitted in accordance with the above procedures will be subject to the University’s normal debt collection procedures.

4 References

• Financial Accountability Act 2009

• Financial and Performance Management Standard 2009

• Queensland Government Financial Accountability Handbook

5 Definitions

6 Other Policy Information