Scottish Public Finance Manual

The Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) is issued by the Scottish Ministers to provide guidance on the proper handling and reporting of public funds.


Annex 1: suspense account manager checklist

Review of suspense accounts checklist: suspense account manager

Account Name:
Account Code:

Quarterly

Qtr 1

Qtr 2

Qtr 3

1. Is there a continuing need for this account and is its purpose clear?

Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No

2. Is the account still being used for its original purpose?

Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No

3. Can individual debtors and creditors making up the total balance be separately identified from SEAS reports or otherwise?

Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No

4. Has action been taken to clear any inappropriate entries?

Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No

5. Are balances regularly cleared?

Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No

6. Has the balance changed within the last 3 months?

Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No
7. If "no", is retention of the balance in suspense considered to be justified? Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No

Completed by .......... ......... ........

Year-end

8. Have desk instructions been reviewed and, if necessary, up-dated during the year?

Yes/No
9. Have all balances been reviewed and, so far as possible, charged to appropriate account codes? Yes/No

Completed by ........

A "No" answer implies that action needs to be taken to correct a control weakness. Proposals for such action should be considered and, where appropriate, implemented each time this checklist is completed.

Updated on: January 2019

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