Assistant Accountant: Payroll

Listing reference: atns_000555

Listing status: Online

Apply by: 2 December 2024

Job category: Accounting, Auditing

Location: Bedfordview

Contract: Permanent

Remuneration: Market Related

EE position: No

To ensure the accurate and timeous processing and recording of financial payroll transactions in the General Ledger. To administer the processing and collection of international subsistence and travel (S&T) advances, out of payroll payments, and reimbursements. To prepare clear and concise financial and payroll-related accounting analysis reports. To effectively manage payroll accounting in order to accomplish set targets and objectives. To monitor and ensure that all reports and financial payroll transactions are done in compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), PFMA, National Treasury and other relevant legislation, as well as Finance policies and processes governing payroll administration.

1. Manage Expense Reimbursement Claims: Ensure that claims are processed in accordance with the S&T Annexure, Procedure and Policy for input into the General Ledger. Extract I-Expense approved claims in I-Expense (for status "pending payables approval") and the employee expense report. Review and validate employee expense claims. Receive and/or escalate queries from/to employees via email pertaining to a rejection or enquiry of claims. Investigate, resolve and/or escalate queries to IT/Consultant (where applicable). Communicate query resolution to employee. Submit audited claims to Payroll Accountant for review and interface (Ready for payment). Maintain all other statuses within the I-expense module monthly, ensuring a clean report. Review and update expense templates and expense types according to chart of accounts. Work hand in hand with consultant to ensure correct mapping for taxable/non-taxable items in Payroll module. Ensure elements are tested and implemented in the I-Expense module. Review and update legislative rates in I-Expense module when required. Work with the IT Department to implement the correct legislated rates. Prepare communication in collaboration with the Communications Department to communicate legislated/annexure/procedure changes to relevant stakeholders in the business. Assist in rolling out training to business to ensure correct application of the Annexure/Procedure. Respond to and follow up enquiries such as reallocations, misallocations, and other errors thereby maintaining the correct allocation in the correct reporting periods. Retain electronic report (SharePoint). Attend to ad-hoc requirements for I-expense (new projects). Do monthly filing and ensure easy retrieval of all related documentation and journals.
2. Manage Staff Debtors: Extract S&T clearing account data from Financial System. Save supporting documentation. Tour vest invoices and supporting travel documents electronically, approved travel recons and repurchases. Record advance payments in Excel spreadsheet. Receive approved travel reconciliations from travelers. Follow up on outstanding travel reconciliations, queries, and monies due to ATNS. Review transactions as per approved travel reconciliations considering corrections and errors (TAC and correct rates uses). Escalate queries to the employee via email and ensure queries are resolved timeously. Process credit notes as per travel reconciliations considering corrections and errors. Calculate and process forex profit and loss on repurchase transactions (liaise with relevant staff regarding correct allocation of funds). Prepare supporting schedule reflecting aged balances. Submit for review to the Payroll Accountant and once reviewed, submit the journals systematically for approval and posting. Prepare and submit the accrual file (reverse old and raise new) for approval to ensure completeness and once reviewed, submit the journal systematically for approval and posting. Prepare and submit International Daily Advance Payment schedule to Payroll Accountant for review. Prepare salary deductions and submit to Payroll Accountant for review (where necessary). Email and save the approved schedules on the Payroll Drive (Share Point) for recording on Employees payslip, per SARS requirement. Validate S&T travel calculations for business, where required. Consolidate, prepare, and submit S&T emergency payments to the Payroll Accountant for payment processing via Finance. Perform monthly balance sheet reconciliations and prepare and submit reconciliations in an accurate and timely manner. Do monthly filing to ensure easy retrieval of all related documents and journals.
3. General Ledger - Payroll: Analyze month-end figures for Finance and other departments, ensuring transactions are allocated to the correct codes (Analysis of Expenditure). Contribute to identifying and tracing sources of errors identified on the Trial Balance and making the necessary journal entry corrections. Process monthly and year-end transactions within the set time limits/deadlines. Monthly filing and easy retrieval of all related documents and journals. Assist with monthly interface of payroll. Assist with processing of monthly standard payroll related journals, i.e. leave pay accrual, etc. Perform monthly balance sheet reconciliations and prepare and submit reconciliations in an accurate and timely manner.
4. Travel Allowance Calculator: Ensure the correct functioning of the TAC application when calculating allowances for Business. Review and update legislative rates in TAC module when required. Work with the IT Department to implement the correct legislated rate. Receive communication from IT/Consultant confirming that changes have been affected. Prepare communication through the Communications Department to communicate annexure/procedure/legislated changes to business. Assist in rolling out training to business to ensure correct application of the Annexure/Procedure.
5. Processing of Payroll Cash Book: Ensure that all transactional processing is performed timeously and accurately, and reconciling items are cleared or currently maintained, ensuring valid reasons. Extract the monthly bank statement from the banking platform. Investigate new payments and deposits and escalate accordingly with the bank or applicable internal sub-department, where applicable. Communicate discrepancies with the Payroll Department. Process all payments and deposits electronically. Engage with the Assistant Accountant: Cashbook where queries are identified and obtain resolution prior to closing off month-end processes. Obtain and ensure sufficient supporting documentation is attached for all captured transactions. Analyze and reconcile the cashbook to the bank statement ensuring cut-off on the last working day of the month. Prepare the balance sheet account reconciliation, ensuring that reconciling items are monitored and cleared out correctly and timeously.
6. Reporting: Generate and/or compile monthly, quarterly, and annual reports including but not limited to: Travel Tax Pac. ST Helena fuel expense report. Generate I Expense reports as required. Generate and/or compile ad hoc reports as required.
7. Other Duties: Updating of procedures in area of control to ensure compliance. Document business processes to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the unit.
8. Internal and External Audits: Prepare audit requests as required. Assist with internal and external audit queries and clear audit findings.

1. B. Com Accounting degree or 3-year National Diploma in Accounting/Finance
2. At least 3 years' accounting experience with direct exposure to all aspects of finance
3. Studying towards a degree will be an advantage
4. Knowledge of IFRS and PFMA is required