For accountants, what does the word “petty cash” refer to? A petty cash fund or petty cash is a small sum of money that is kept accessible for organizations to use for making unexpected, low-dollar expenditures. Postage, stamps, and postage meters may all be purchased with this little sum of money. This is code for “shoebox money,” a term for little amounts of cash that don’t justify the time and effort of using a credit card or writing a check.
When sending mail, do you find yourself in need of stamps? Get your change from the cash register. Broken stapler? Only a little adjustment. Paying for a candidate’s parking expenses if they are interviewed? No big deal. Should we get pizza for the crew who will be staying late? Not much of a difference.
The petty cash fund should be kept in good order regardless of how much money is in it. Make sure that the money is handled properly and that all expenses, no matter how minor, are itemized and accounted for when tax time rolls around. Here’s a simple and effective system for keeping track of your office’s little change. For petty cash management it works fine.
Gains Resulting from a Petty Cash Account
A predetermined amount of money, say $100, should be held in petty cash at all times. The idea is brilliant. Save a tiny bit of money aside for random expenses:
- Constraints on Extravagant Expenditures and Shielding from the Accumulation of Minimal Expenses that Can Quickly Have a Damaging Effect on Your Financial Situation
- Allows employees to make purchases up to a certain limit without submitting an expense report.
- It lessens the possibility that supervisors may have to shell out their own money for supplies.
- Makes it less difficult to get a hold of money Reduces the burden of maintaining records.
Creating a Miniature Cash Reserve: A Guide
One worker is often tasked with managing the petty cash fund. This person has the title of “petty cash custodian” inside the company. The keeper of the petty cash must account for all of its use and provide receipts. By assigning this responsibility to a single person, you may be certain that all company finances will continue to be under your watchful eye.
Petty cash floats are established by cashing a check for a certain maximum amount. This sum often falls between $100 and $500, depending on the size of your business. Departments at larger companies frequently have their own petty cash funds. Choose an amount for your petty cash fund that will cover little expenses for a certain period of time, usually one month. You should set up a discrete petty cash account in the assets section of your financial reports.
Conclusion
Petty cash funds should be kept in a locked box or other safe place, and accessed only when absolutely required by the custodian. Even though the petty cash account is somewhat minor, it still has to be monitored. When dispensing funds from the petty cash fund, the custodian will sign a petty cash receipt completed by the recipient employee. In addition, the receipt will include the total amount paid and the specific goods or services acquired.