Step 1. Calculate current year departmental appropriation transfer
Calculate the balance of the current year departmental appropriation at the date of transfer by subtracting the expenditure incurred by the transferring entity to the date of transfer from the departmental appropriation provided for the current financial year.
Expenditure to date of transfer
A transferring entity's financial system may not be capable of accurately measuring the expenditure incurred from 1 July to the date of transfer. If this is the case, expenses can be used as the starting point for calculating the expenditure to date.
- For example, if expenditure is not uniform throughout the period the amount may be calculated as follows:
- If expenditure has been incurred on an even basis, the following alternative method can be used:
Appointing current year appropriation balances
Once the balance of the current year departmental appropriation is ascertained, it will be necessary to allocate the amount between the transferring and receiving entities according to their changed functions. The amount attributable to the receiving entity can be estimated, for example, as follows:
Note: Both entities will need to negotiate and apply an amended or alternate equitable formula where the staffing ratios in the transferred function vary from the transferring entity's average, or if the appropriation would be more accurately apportioned if based on capital or supplier rather than labour requirements.
Step 2. Calculate prior year appropriation transfers
The receiving entity may be entitled to unspent prior year appropriations relating to, for example, accrued employee liabilities and unspent funding on transferring assets.
These accrued amounts would have been appropriated for the period from 1 July 1999 (the commencement of the accrual financial framework) to 30 June of the year preceding the year of the restructure.
Expenditure to date of transfer
Prior year appropriations available for transfer should be calculated by subtracting year to date payments relating to the prior year appropriation to the date of transfer, from the opening prior year appropriation receivable as at the start of the financial year.
Apportioning prior year appropriation balances
As discussed at Step 1, unless a transferring entity's system are capable of accurately apportioning the funds, it will be necessary to estimate that amount. For example, entities could use employee numbers transferred to allocate prior years' appropriation receivable.
Note: Both entities will need to negotiate and apply an alternative equitable formula where the staffing ratios in the transferred function vary from the transferring entity's average, or if the appropriation would be more accurately apportioned if based on capital or supplier rather than labour requirements.
Step 3. Calculate total appropriation transfer
Calculate the total appropriation by adding the current year appropriation receivable (at Step 1) to the prior year appropriations to be transferred (at Step 2).
Please note that any negative balances in the Central Budget Management System (CBMS) appropriation balance report need to be corrected before appropriation balances can be transferred.