CUCC Expo 2024 Accounting Policy Document

24 June 2024

Notes from Expo accounting 2024

  • £200 has been left in the 'Future Investment' pot as a split of drill expenses with 2025
  • The Toll road should be paid at the VERY START of expo, late payment caused a lot of problems this year
  • In 2025 we should strongly consider introducing a 'driver's wear and tear fee'. I didn't feel it would be approprioate to introduce without consulting everyone this year, but this feel that it is the correct thing to do going forward, to encourage driving and reduce the financial burden on drivers for using the toll road.
  • Prices between alcoholic drinks (beers, radlers etc) varied so much that there was no value in splitting them out. All wear entered as the beer (standard)
  • Some recommendations for bank of expo: Base Camp Camping Fee is not an option in the dropdown when editing the simple communal expense catagories

    1 Policy Philosophy

    The intentions of this policy are several-fold:
    1. To permit the financing of an expedition that breaks even.
    2. To avoid unreasonable expenses being passed on to other expedition members.
    3. To ultimately allow the generation of bills for individuals without surprises.
    4. To allocate costs fairly, in so far as does not take excessive effort.
    • Where choices exist, there will be a bias towards encouraging more caving and greater student participation.

    Please also refer to the pages from the expo handbook Accunting Policy

    This is being actively edited by the 2024 treasurer: Lucy

    2 Expo Income

    2.1 Grants

    Grant money, unless obtained for a specific purpose, will be divided per caving member and offset against communal equipment costs.

    The Ghar Parau Award will be split equally

    2.2 Deposits

    All expedition members are expected to pay a deposit before the expedition to finance the purchase of expensive communally bought items, unless they are personally incurring a larger communal expedition expense.

    The deposit will be set at two tiers: standard rate at £200 and an unwaged / student rate at £150 (other concessions at the treasurer's discretion).

    2.3 Personal Contributions

    Charged at the end of the expedition to make accounts balance once all expenses have been submitted.

    3 Expo Expenditure

    3.1 Communal Equipment

    For personal equipment, see 3.4.3.

    One-off purchases will be charged per person. This covers items such as tarps, anchors, first aid supplies, and communal caving/camping gear bought specifically for the expedition.

    Consumable items will be split into "base camp consumable" and "top camp consumable" and charged per person based on nights spent at base/top camp. Such items include fuel, bog-rolls and cleaning supplies.

    Anyone informing the expedition treasurer of an intention not to cave prior to the expedition will not pay for top-camp/caving equipment, except any already purchased on their behalf.

    3.2 Transportation

    3.2.1 To/From Austria

    Transport to/from Austria is considered outside the remit of Expo treasurer. It is up to the driver and passengers to agree a fair split of fuel/ferries/associated costs. However, Bank of Expo may be used to arrange person-to-person swaps between indivuduals when settling these travel costs.

    3.2.2 In Austria

    Fuel and parking for all vehicles being used for communal purposes (i.e. communal shopping and going caving) will be combined and charged per day spent on Expo.

    Driving unrelated to Expo (“Jollies”) should not be included in petrol billed to Expo. It is the driver’s responsibility to enter swaps to distribute this cost between their passengers or settle up privately.

    The toll road cost will be shared equally across all caving members of the expedition.

    3.2.3 Carbon Offsetting

    Travel to and from Expo will be carbon offset. This will be calculated on an individual basis and added to the expo bill. Expedition members are responsible for supplying information on fuel usage (travelling by car) or journey details (train or plane) for the purposes of carbon offsetting calculation.

    3.3 Maintenance

    3.3.1 Food and Drink

    Communal food and drink costs will be split by nights at expo. Personal food/drink items bought by others must be accounted separately in the Bier Book as person-to-person swaps .

    Gösser and limos will be charged individually based on Bier Book tallies.

    3.3.2 Accommodation

    Base camp fees will be shared on nights spent at base camp.

    3.4 Individual Expenses

    3.4.1 Swaps

    Person-to-person transactions are processed through the Bier Book and costs transferred directly. Examples include excursion expenses and personal food/drink.

    3.4.2 Seshes and the Expo Dinner

    Record accurately in the Sesh Book - these will be entered into Bank of Expo as person-to-person swaps.

    Expo Dinner participants will be billed according to their recorded meal choices.

    3.4.3 Personal Gear

    Any items bought specifically for expedition members will be charged directly to the individual. No allowance for wear-and-tear of personal equipment will be made.

    3.4.4 Rescue Costs

    Expedition members are entirely liable for their own rescue costs. Buy insurance.

    Financial and Accounting Responsibilities for Expo-goers
    1. Pay the deposit.
    2. Keep your receipts - place in the plastic wallet in the Tatty Hut.
    3. If you are in any doubt whether the expedition will reimburse an expense do not incur it before obtaining the treasurer’s agreement.
    4. Fill in the relevant pages of the Bier Book accurately.
    5. Where possible, enter details of your expenses on the Expo computer.
    6. Leave money when you leave Austria in order to cover your share of the campsite bill.
    7. Pay your bill within a reasonable timeframe after the accounts are finalised.

    When making paper or electronic entries, please ensure they are clear.

    Implementation of this Policy

    The expedition treasurer, Lucy Hyde (hyde.lucy '@' icloud.com), will manage the expedition’s finances. In the first instance queries should be addressed to her.

    By attending the expedition it is assumed you agree to subsequently clear any debts owed to other expedition members which arise due to application of this policy.

    All expense claims must be submitted to the expedition treasurer by the end of August

    Expenses without receipts may not be reimbursed.

    Any person-to-person swap which the debtor disputes, and for which the creditor cannot provide evidence, will not be processed through the expedition accounts.

    The accounts will be based in pounds sterling. Euro denominated transactions will be converted using the best achievable Euro selling rate at the start of the expedition. This rate will be updated during the expedition should exchange rates change significantly.

    This document can be amended following consultation with those going on the expedition, and general agreement being reached. An updated version will then be circulated.

    The expedition treasurer reserves the right to alter the policy post-Expo, but only where the policy proves unworkable or is found to be in conflict with the initially stated intentions. Affected parties will be advised at the earliest opportunity in order for general agreement to be reached on any modified scheme.