Subrecipient Invoice Direct Processing

Before you jump into processing a direct payment, it's a good idea to make sure you are familiar with navigating in *Define. While it's possible to follow these steps without ever having used *Define before, it could be a little daunting, or there could be issues with:

• Accessing the finanical component in *Define (access is protected)
• General navigation, as it's not super intuitive (really it's not at all intuitive)
   

That aside, let's jump in!

1. Log into *Define (if possible, pull the url window out, shrink it a bit and hover it over this space so you can follow the steps in real time), head into the fiscal component and enter VP2 in the command line.
   • If you don't know what the command line is...
     Do not pass GO, do not Collect $200, go directly to *Define Remedial School!
2. From the action line type new -cursor jumps to Format line: type 01 -then enter
3. Cursor lands on Contract?
   
   In the Contract? space, if you type ? -then enter, you'll see the following help:
   • Required Field:                                                    
     Enter 'Y'es or 'N'o to indicate whether this voucher includes a payment for a business contract that exists in Contracts+  
     If this voucher includes a payment for a business contract in Contracts+, please enter the contract number in the PO/CONTR # field on the relevant transaction(s) in YYYY_####, YYYY-#####, DMS_####, or YYYYNNNNNN format.
     
     Because we are handling a subcontract payment that does not have a PO#, just type N -then cursor auto-jumps to the Template space, which is not applicable, so just -enter
      
4. Cursor auto-jumps to Check Distribution
   At the same time, across the top of the *Define screen, you'll see:
   >> Enter U, C, F, P, or T in the Check Distribution field. <<
   
   In the Check Distribution space, if you type ?, -then enter, you'll see the following help:
   Press ENTER or CLEAR to return to command
   CHECK DISTRIBUTION CODES -
   A code assigned on a payment voucher that determines where the check will go after it is printed. For the most current. list of check distribution codes in *DEFINE use command CT1 and Misc: TBLCHKDS.
   The following list includes the most common distribution codes used by the departments.
   • U  US Mail
   • C  Campus Mail
   • F  Foreign Mail
   • P  Check Pick up
   • T  Attachments
     
     Current Value: _
     NOTE: ______/\
     You can enter the selection you need directly in that screen in the Current Value space, or you can just hit enter to return to the previous screen and add the appropriate letter to the Check Distribution space in the VP2 document.   
     
     Most of these payments require U.S. mail (which often translates into Direct Deposit, more on this later). For somewhat less common international payments, use F for foreign mail, and even rarer is the P for Check Pick Up.
      
     • In order for someone to be able to pick up a hardcopy payment, there is a completely separate process that must ride shotgun with the payment processing. You can read about that on the Check Pick Up webpage maintained by Purchasing Office/Accounts Payable.
        
5. At this point, the cursor auto-jumps to Reimb? (Y/N) and now there's an auto-populated voucher date that reflects the current date VP2 is being created.
   
   If you type ? and then enter in the Reimb? (Y/N) field, you'll see the following:
   Required Field:
   Enter 'Y'es or 'N'o to indicate whether this voucher is a reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses
   
   Reimb? (Y/N) is an option added during the 2010s to automate the process of designating reimbursement costs as exempt from generating a 1099MISC tax form (as part of taxable income). Since we're dealing with a subrecipient payment, type N -then enter.
    
6. Cursor auto-jumps to Goods/Serv Recv Beg (goods/service received begin date) -type start date of period covered on subrecipient invoice (they have to match), format is MMDDYY, no slashes between (like voucher date that appears above).
   
   Upon entering the begin date, cursor auto-jumps to end date -type end date that also matches exactly the subrecipient invoice end date of period covered.
    
7. Cursor auto-jumps to Invoice Receive date. 
   There is no help under the ? in this field -in fact *Define generates an error while kindly telling you it's not your fault, and it's been telling us that since at least 2005, though probably way longer.
   
   There has been debate about the Invoice Receive date over the years.
   Per Office of Accounting and Financial Management:
   
   'The Invoice Received Date: field is the date that the correct invoice/bill/payment request was first received by the paying department (mailed, faxed, hand delivered). This date must be clearly indicated on the invoice/bill/payment request.'
    
   • So that means that if the invoice makes several stops within a department beofre getting to the person who processes payment, the first person to receive it should stamp it with date received and include their name and title and other identifying detail - same goes for anyone else who receives the invoice prior to passing it along to the processor. 
      
     • For invoices that make multiple stops, it's fine for the Grant Admin processing payment to also stamp date received to show when they themselves received it, given invoices are required to be paid out within 30 days per the Prompt Payment Act.
        
8. Upon entering Invoice Receive date, cursor auto-jumps to the DTN field. The DTN is a 7 character field updated by departments. It is filled in to allow easier, more accurate reconciliation - it may be worth checking with the unit administrative manager to see if a DTN number should be entered. Some use them, some don't.
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