I hope everyone has welcomed 2023 with renewed spirit of best practices! Speaking of best practices, we are starting our newsletter with a reminder that the university is exempt from èßäapp sales tax on university purchases, which is a great way to kick off our tax conversations in the following articles.
We have entered 1099 season, so if you or your suppliers have any questions, let them know they can contact us directly.
With the new year comes new training opportunities. We will now be offering One Card training annually and would like to highlight a new training channel in Percipio! The eProcurment and Show me Shop Learning channel offers several quick how to videos to help navigate procurement purchases. Additionally, a new policy highlighting sanctions and restricted parties for university suppliers will be in this edition, along with an exciting opportunity to attend a webinar brought to you by our Concur Travel partner and representatives of Southwest Airlines. While new things are fun, we also recommend reviewing some of the other training and features we have available within the Finance channel.
We know the real reason you read the newsletter is for the tech tip. Check out a cool Microsoft Teams feature we have been trying out in University Shared Services. Stay organized and mark off those completed tasks!
Stay safe and have a great 2023!
Sincerely,
Tracy Greenup
University Shared Services Director
Table of Contents:
- Let's Talk Sales Tax
- 1099 Season is Here Again!
- Training Opportunities Continue to Grow!
- New Policy: Sanctions and Restricted Parties
- Concur Travel and Southwest Airlines Information Session Available
- Tech Tip: Stay Organized in Teams with the 'Tasks By Planner' Application!
Let's Talk Sales Tax
We have been working to consistently apply university policies to our different purchasing practices. Sales tax is addressed in several policies stating the university is tax exempt, and sales tax should not be paid on purchases. This is addressed in the following policies:
The university realizes this can be an adjustment for individuals requesting reimbursement. Employees should make every attempt to make tax exempt purchases, by letting the vendor know we are tax exempt. Keeping a copy of our tax-exempt letter when scheduling business meals will help your merchant know our status and allow for proper planning!
You can find a copy of our tax-exempt letter as well as all states of which we are tax exempt on the èßäapp Sales and Use Tax Exemption Information webpage.
If taxes were charged and cannot be returned, it should be noted in the comments on the submitted expense report. Noting an attempt was made will help provide the support needed from a compliance perspective.
1099 Season is Here Again!
Form 1099 tax documents are sent to suppliers reporting the taxable income paid to them by the university. Departments may receive inquiries from suppliers regarding documents received as well as documents that are expected but have not arrived. Please forward inquiries to the Accounts Payable team.
Email apsharedservices@umsystem.edu and we can reprint, reissue, or answer any related questions. Contact center phone hours are from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm Monday through Friday. Calls received after this time are prompted to leave a message. Shared Services teams will return the call directly or respond by email.
What can departments do to assist during this time of year? Help us by ensuring supplier addresses are up to date. A supplier change request can be entered for the supplier address to be updated. Instead of adding a new address, start by selecting the pencil icon:
This will allow any component associated with the address to be updated as well, such as the 1099 address to which the annual documents are sent.
Training Opportunities Continue to Grow!
In an effort to mirror other finance training, One Card holder training will now be offered annually. This will benefit departments by allowing cardholders to access an on-demand class at their convenience to refresh and stay caught up on university policies and procedures when making purchases on behalf of the university. A short quiz will be presented upon completion. Training will occur one month prior to the month the card was issued, each year. Additionally, when the card is set to expire, it will allow the new card to be sent to the cardholder without any delay because the training has already occurred for the cardholder. You can find . Additional information can be found on The One Card Program webpage.
If this has gotten you excited and you would like to learn about other training opportunities, please and search for the Finance Channel. Choose the 'Watch' tab for all on-demand classes available.
New! When visiting Percipio, also check out a new finance-related channel: eProcurement & Show-Me Shop Learning! You will find a selection of short how-to videos related to eProcurement and the Show Me Shop. Email FTSS@umsystem.edu with additional questions and we can connect you with the appropriate team.
New Policy: Sanctions and Restricted Parties
A new Sanctions and Restricted Parties policy applies to all activities, including financial transactions both given or received, and helps ensure business is not conducted with parties that have sanctions issued against them
As an organization incorporated to do business in the U.S., the university is obligated to ensure compliance with foreign assets control regulations. These regulations apply to all persons located in the United States regardless of citizenship. As such, the university cannot engage in activities or financial transactions with people from or located in certain countries and regions.
It is the policy of the university to not engage in any activity subject to foreign assets control regulations (FACR) unless appropriate governmental authorization has been obtained. A list of comprehensively sanctioned countries and regions can be found at the Research Security and Compliance webpage.
Research Security and Compliance and Shared Services has the ability to identify if entities are subject to targeted sanctions. While the for each sanctions program, Research Security and Compliance must review and approve all activities subject to these regulations before they occur. Research Security and Compliance maintains expertise in the analysis and application of sanctions programs as they relate to university activities and will submit applications for specific Licenses from OFAC on a case-by-case basis.
For additional questions please email exportcontrols@umsystem.edu.
Concur Travel and Southwest Airlines Information Session Available
An upcoming webinar info session will highlight the benefits of using Concur, the university’s online travel booking tool. Representatives from Southwest Airlines will also be present to talk about a special promotion offered to university travelers. You could get all the benefits of 'A-list' status on Southwest Airlines for 90 days!
Taking a closer look at the Concur booking tool, you can book airfare, lodging and transportation needs. If you are not familiar with the booking tool, you will get an in-depth look in the functionality of these pages and how to take advantage of the different travel discounts.
Southwest Airlines and the university have a corporate partnership that provides discounts when travel is booked through the Concur booking tool.
The webinar is scheduled for March 8, 2023, at 11:00 AM. You can .
Tech Tip: Stay Organized in Teams with the 'Tasks By Planner' Application!
Taking a closer look at items needing to be completed and tracking those tasks can be achieved by selecting the tasks by planner app. On the side of your team’s window, choose the Apps icon. Select the Tasks by Planner and To Do app and pin it!
Open Teams and choose the tasks by planner icon. Here you can add a task! You can add steps needed to complete each project and can mark off these items as you complete them! You can see if the task is started or and track project completion. Additionally, you can assign the team member needed that will be working to accomplish that task.
This will allow for tracking of longer running projects, team completion, and the ability to review what has been completed when a look-back is needed.
Do you have a tech tip to share? Email us at ftss@umsystem.edu.
Reviewed 2023-02-10