General Accounting

See Below For Help With The Following Topics

• Closing Schedule Deadlines
• Journal Entries and Interdepartmental Invoices (IDIs)
• General vs. Trust Funds
• Banner Accounts
• Banner Funds
• Wires and Interagency Transfers

To Be Processed in The Current Month

• Wire transactions will take approximately one week to process once they are fully approved and received in General Accounting, so plan accordingly when submitting.
• The last day to process decentralized feeds is the fourth business day back from the last business day of the month
• To be included in the current month, journal entries and IDIs must be received no later than the fourth business day back from the last business day of the month

Journal Entries and Interdepartmental Invoices (IDIs)

Journals and IDIs are processed using an Excel template and PDF copy with backup and approvals. These items are fed into Banner and Image Now. Please take the mandatory class in Percipio – ACT 305.  After taking this class, you can request access to the team and template for processing these actions. The class will instruct you on the process and how to become a member of the Team and have access to everything.  This is required for preparers and approvers.

Need help selecting a funding source? Here is a great document that outlines the major differences between your General and Trust Funds:

Account Codes

Data Dictionary (Revenues and Expenses) Updated 06.30.2025 (xlsx)

Search the Data Dictionary above for the appropriate account code. Contact General Accounting if you have any questions. New account codes should only be requested if an appropriate account code does not already exist.

To request a new Banner account, email John Lengyel. Once the request is submitted and approved, John will enter the account into Banner, and it will be ready for use.

Departments requesting a new fund must complete and submit the Banner Fund Establishment Form, located on the Controller's Forms Page, electronically. If a department needs to update or change an existing fund, they should use the Banner Fund Change Request form, also available on the Controller's Forms Page. Email Kim Blankenburg for questions about establishing Banner funds.

To determine which funds an individual is listed as a budget authority on, departments can run the SSRS report "Budget Authority by Fund", located under Financial Reports > Campus Reports > FOAPAL Reports > Budget Authority by Fund. This report will indicate whether the individual is listed as Budget Authority 1, 2, or 3.

Please see the UNC Chart of Accounts (PDF) for questions regarding the definitions of program codes.

Fund Facts (PDF) for maintaining and/or making changes to your Fund.

Reference the Basic Spending Guidelines (PDF - Updates Pending) for more information.

Wires

Wires must be submitted via Emburse or uShop. Wire transfers are the required payment method for foreign individuals or entities for the following
reasons:

• Foreign payments must be reviewed and approved by the NC Office of State Controller prior to
  processing to ensure IRS compliance for proper tax withholding.
• The state does not allow direct deposits to a foreign bank. A wire is transmitted directly to the
  foreign bank.
• Paper checks cannot be processed in another country’s currency. A wire transfer can be transmitted in most any currency.

To process a wire request, the department requests the foreign individual or entity’s banking wire information and completes the wire transfer request form found on the Controller's Forms Site.

Interagency Transfers

Interagency transfers must be submitted via Emburse or uShop. The state of NC prefers payments between state agencies be processed as inter-agency transfers. This is a more efficient and timelier method of payment than a paper check. State agencies using this method of payment will include their 4 digit NCFS code on the invoice. Departments should complete the inter-agency transfer form found on the Controller's Forms Site.

For more information regarding wires and interagency transfers, please reference the Expenditure Guidelines and/or the Wire and Interagency Guide.

Every financial transaction has a rule code associated with it. The rule code indicates what type of transaction it is, and in some cases where the transaction originates. Rule codes also determine how a particular transaction is reported and sometimes has default postings associated that happen behind the scenes. Following is a list of rule codes by category. For a full list of Active Rule Codes, see SSRS report under FOAPAL Reports.

• Budget
• Controller
• Establishing a Banner Org
• Finance Training
• Fixed Assets
• SSRS
• Payroll
• Student Accounts and Cashier's

• Internal Revenue Service
• NC Department of Revenue
• NC Office of State Budget
• NC Office of State Controller
• NC Secretary of State
• NC State Treasurer