For those who have worked for government organizations at various levels, you may have heard the term ‘use it or lose it’ in the context of spending unused funds at year-end. The concept is you are given a budget for the fiscal year, and if you lapse funds, they will be returned to the Centre never to be seen again. In fact, some managers fear the following year budget will also be reduced because if you did not need that much last year, you probably don’t need that much next year either.
Unfortunately, the above mentality leads to questionable decisions such as purchasing frivolous goods or services, as well as ‘business retreats’ on cruise ships. However, when ́March Madness ́ is used to stock up on necessary items such as office supplies, rations for kitchens, or fuel for vehicles and equipment, it is generally acceptable. However, if the value of these types of ‘inventoriable’ items becomes excessive, accounting policies may require you to move the value of the product on hand from the expense section of the Income Statement to the asset section of the Balance Sheet which means you will show a lapse regardless. This also applies go items you order but do not receive until after year- end even if you paid for them in advance; these become prepaid expenses which are listed with the inventory items on the Balance Sheet which means you have lapsed the funds.
Caution: For not-for-profit societies, your funder will be dictating what you can and cannot spend money on and how you will report it for their purposes. But remember, you must prepare your accounting records based on Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) which we discuss in the next chapter. In the above examples you could have a discrepancy between what you have Deferred on the Balance Sheet and what the funder report indicates due to the fact you have reported some of the spending as inventory and others as a prepaid expense. As long as you are clear in your reports as to why there is a difference, it should be acceptable. If you think this is like having two sets of books, I akin it to the for profit sector where an item is an eligible expense for accounting purposes but not tax deductible therefore a reconciling schedule is required.
The secret to not lapsing funds is to pay attention to what is happening right from the start, including solid and realistic forecasting throughout the year. Remember the two types of accounting one where we are told once per year we are in trouble, the other where we are told on a monthly basis, we are gong to be in trouble unless we do something different; this can not only apply to overspending but can also include under spending. This is important as funders do not want year-end surprises in either direction.
Legitimate uses of potential unused funds can include special initiatives or projects; however, you must remember these have to fit within the mandate of the program and the terms and conditions set out in the contract or subsequently approved by the funder. Special initiatives may include renovations to facilities, replacing aged furnishings or equipment, additions to the library or other program supplies, or delivering training which has become long overdue.
If you are using the funds to hire additional staff for a special project or to catch up on service delivery shortfalls, ensure you clearly articulate the terms of employment as being temporary, or consider a contractual relationship keeping in mind our earlier discussion regarding contractual versus employee-employer relationships. The reason for ensuring you articulate the temporariness of the employment offer, is if this additional employee is above your normal compliment, once the new year approaches, you may be in an overstaffing situation, the termination of which can have labour relations implications.
Depending on the particular government entity, lapsed funds are normally returned to the Centre, and may or may not become a part of the particular department’s following year budget. My experience in the Canadian federal public service, is if the funds eventually make their way back to the lapsing department, they are earmarked for a special initiative which may or may not include the programs which lapsed the funds in the first place.
Most funders require at least annual reporting where the fate of the unused amounts are determined in a timely manner. However, I have encountered situations where it was over three years before the funder requested reports then decided they wanted their money back. I will be honest with you and say in my opinion both parties dropped the ball as they both should have been communicating performance and financial results on a timely basis. For those who argue it was the funder’s money so who cares, remember the funder received the money from either donors or taxpayers, both of whom should want to know what the result was of their contributions.
Unused funds are returned to Deferred Revenue on the Balance Sheet as the amounts are either owed in future services or back to the funder. These amounts should be recorded in Current Liabilities regardless of how old the amounts are.
Depending on the jurisdiction and method of not-for-profit accounting, not all unused funds are returned to Deferred Revenue. In most cases this only applies to ‘restricted’ funds such as contracts and grants where the use of the funds is specified and can be earmarked for return to the funder. This means unused general donations and profit from service fees remain as net income and make their way to the Net Assets (Equity) section of the balance sheet which we discuss further in the next chapter. I remind you to confirm what applies in your jurisdiction and
For the purposes of cash management, I strongly encourage organizations to not use these lapsed funds for other initiatives as it is not your money, and it may be called in at any time. As far as earning interest on these unused funds, I will leave this discussion for you and your funders but have observed both scenarios one where the interest was shown as a program revenue which means it formed part of the surplus, and the other where it was added to the operating reserve fund.
In closing, refer to your contract terms and conditions; many agreements regardless of whether they pay you in advance or reimburse based on approved claims, indicate they are a cost recovery agreement based on approved actual expenditures, and they articulate the treatment of surplus funds as whether permitted to carry forward or to be returned. However, I have also seen contracts which are silent on this part which in my opinion means you have the authority to carry such funds forward and use as you see fit, but within the intended mandate.
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