Cheque Requisition
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Cheque Requisition's (ChequeReq's) are the main form of reimbursement for general EUS expenses. Basically, you buy something for your group (it needs to be an approved purchase), and the EUS will pay you back. You can pay in cash, credit, or debit- it doesn't matter, as long as you get a receipt/proof of purchase. Generally speaking, credit or debit is recommended on the off-chance you lose the receipt; there's still a record of the transaction on your bank account.
Contents
The Form
The form itself is very self explanatory. You essentially fill in the amounts from your receipt in the first 4 fields.
The name indicated in the "Payable to the order of" will be the name printed on the cheque once it's processed. In most cases, the Cheque Req will be filled out for someone to get reimbursed on a purchase. In other cases, when you need a cheque to be made out to a company, this same form will be used.
The "account name" and "account number" can be obtained from the account booklet located in the EUS Office (see diagram below).
What you write in the "reason for cheque" field will be the description that shows up in the account prinout. It should be a brief description of the purchase. Please do not write a story why you're making the purchase, just a quick description.
Financial Officers
Anyone can prepare cheque reqs, but they need the signature from one of the approved financial officers of the account. Generally this is the President and VP Finance of the group. You must let the EUS VP Finance know who your financial officers are if you have not already done so. This is so that your financial officer can have another layer of control on your group's internal finances. Remember, anyone can prepare a cheque req, but you need a verified financial officer to sign it.
If any step is incorrect, illegible, or lacks documentation, the cheque req will be rejected. Stapling receipts to the front of the cheque req form is grounds for rejection, so make sure everything is neat and organized before submitting. You have been warned.
Proper Receipts
A proper receipt shows the pre-tax amount, the provincial sales tax, and the government sales tax. It also shows the TPS (GST) and TPQ (PST) numbers of the business. Note Quebec receipts may list the French abbreviations:Provincial: PSTTVQ
Pizza places and other small cash businesses commonly give you handwritten receipts without the proper information, but these can still allow you to be reimbursed- just don't expect to get charged the pre-tax amount if you don't have the tax numbers. Likewise, pizza places, cab drivers, and other businesses often will take cash tips, but if you want to be reimbursed for the tip, get them to write the tip on the receipt and sign for it.
Paying a Vendor Directly
For large expenses or regular expenses, you may prefer for the EUS to pay the vendor directly. To do this, you need them to first send you an invoice. An invoice must have the following:
- Sales tax included and the sales tax numbers.
- The invoice must be addressed to:
- Engineering Undergraduate Society of McGill University
- The address must be:
- 3480 rue University, McConnell Building, Room 7
- Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0E9
Failing to meet the above criteria means that we cannot process the invoice. It is also the responsibility of the Financial Officer of your group to fill out the cheque req and submit it with the appropriate documentation. Submit the invoice at least 10 days in advance of when the money is needed. If your banquet is the next day and you need to get money to pay for it, you might be in trouble. Note that cheques to companies will be mailed unless otherwise indicated.
Other Cases
50% Tax Rule
Expenses where a good or service is provided for free (i.e. free food costs), 50% of the tax will be charged. This 50% charge is not applicable when tickets are sold to the event. Indicate on the cheque req if tickets were sold or else your account will get charged the average of the pre- and post-tax amounts.
Foreign Purchases
Foreign purchases are typically made in a foreign currency, but the EUS can only print cheques in Canadian dollars, so an additional step is needed to ensure that you are reimbursed the correct amount. Submit a statement (credit statement preferably) along with the receipt to show the actual conversion and price you were charged. For this reason, you should try to make ALL purchases in the United States or other countries with a Canadian credit or debit card.
Cheque Receipt
Currently, to receive a cheque that has been processed, the person for whom the cheque is written must approach Dianne in the EUS Office, and she will hand that individual the cheque. Cheques are prepared on Wednesday and should be picked up on the Friday of that week.
Note that it is also possible to have a cheque mailed to you if you will not be in montreal. Simply indicate this on the cheque req, with the appropriate mailing address.