Finding 1061619 (2022-002)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
P
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2022
Accepted
2024-08-27
Audit: 317989
Organization: County of Caldwell (TX)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Daily receipts are being posted incorrectly to a general receivable account instead of the correct revenue account.
  • Impacted Requirements: This misposting led to 578 journal entries needed to correct revenue, resulting in inaccurate financial information presented to the Commissioners’ Court.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: The County Treasurer should ensure all revenues are posted correctly, with additional training provided to staff, while the auditor's office focuses on auditing rather than correcting entries.

Finding Text

Criteria - A primary control over accurate financial statements is the timely and accurate recording of each receipt of revenue to the appropriate revenue account within the accounting software. Condition – The Treasurer’s Deputy Clerk posts the daily receipts to a general receivable account in the accounting software rather than the appropriate revenue account in the accounting software. The County Auditor’s department then allocates the revenue to the appropriate account by journal entry. These were 578 of the 1,149 journal entries made to the accounting software to correct the revenues recorded by the Treasurer’s office. Effect – Inaccurate financial information was provided to Commissioners’ Court as revenue was recorded to the accounts receivable account rather than the revenue account in the accounting software system. Therefore, revenues were understated throughout the year. Cause – The Treasurer is recording the revenue as a receivable in the balance sheet account rather than a revenue in the Statement of Revenues and Expenditures. The County Auditor is then correcting the entries at a later date. Recommendation – The County Treasurer should be posting all revenues to the appropriate accounts on the Statement of Revenues and Expenditures. They should only post to the Balance Sheet accounts when transactions are directly related to a liability or a receivable. The auditor’s office should be auditing these transactions not performing them. The County Treasurer and assistants should receive additional training in recording revenue (with continued support from outside professionals, if necessary), until revenue is recorded correctly within the software system.

Categories

No categories assigned yet.

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 485176 2022-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 485177 2022-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 485178 2022-003
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 485179 2022-004
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 485180 2022-005
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 485181 2022-006
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 1061618 2022-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1061620 2022-003
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 1061621 2022-004
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 1061622 2022-005
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 1061623 2022-006
    Significant Deficiency Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
21.027 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds $2.39M
14.228 Community Development Block Grants/state's Program and Non-Entitlement Grants in Hawaii $243,728
97.036 Disaster Grants - Public Assistance (presidentially Declared Disasters) $191,008
16.593 Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners $17,910
97.042 Emergency Management Performance Grants $7,200