Financial Services is responsible for budget approval in respect of purchase orders, salary requisitions and contracts and some journal entries (on-line departmental journal entries are not subject to budget approval by Financial Services staff).

In all instances the budget approval process is basically the same. Documents received for processing are checked to ensure that transactions are:

• properly coded and charged to the correct chartfield
• authorized by a person with valid signing authority (salary contracts must also be signed by the employee concerned)
• covered by available funds  
• reasonable and consistent with any restriction that might apply
• supported by appropriate documentation in the form of original invoices, receipts, etc.
• arithmetically correct

Financial Services staff are authorized to give approval in respect of all transactions.

It should be noted that in the case of departmental operating and departmental trust funds:

• No check is made to ensure that sufficient funds are available in the account
• Journal entries, authorization and supporting documentation requirements are less rigorous. However, the preparer of the journal entry must describe, in the space provided at the bottom of the form, the purpose or reason for the journal entry.