Financial Administration
>> SAPAS

Sydney Anglican Parish Accounting System (SAPAS)

Contents

• Features
• Getting started
• Cost
• Which version of MYOB?
• Ongoing assistance
• Licencing, security and back-up
• Contacts

SAPAS has now been available to parishes in the Sydney Diocese since 2002.  There have been a number of refinements and new features added to improve the product over the years.  Currently more than twp-thirds of all parishes are using the system.

Features

SAPAS is a specially tailored computerised accounting system designed to help parishes handle their accounting, reporting and taxation issues.  The package offers -

• Ease of maintaining accounting records in a low cost package that offers operational savings and accuracy and consistency in accounting.
• Compliance with GST, PAYG and BAS reporting.
• Payroll module.
• Comprehensive User Manual.
• Financial reporting for parish councils, including a detailed parish financial database.
• Simplified reporting to the annual general meeting of parishioners and Diocesan offices, (no need to prepare separate Prescribed Financial Statements).

SAPAS has been developed jointly by the Sydney Diocesan Secretariat (SDS) and Benkorp Management Services Pty Limited (Benkorp).  Benkorp is an accredited MYOB consultant and training provider with extensive experience in assisting parishes handle their accounting and financial reporting requirements (refer their website at www.benkorp.com/sapas/index.html).

SAPAS consists of a specially prepared Data File plus a detailed Manual designed for parish treasurers.  The product operates within the MYOB accounting package.  MYOB was chosen because it is one of the most widely used accounting packages (both by Anglican parishes and by small businesses in general) and the product is continually updated to meet the latest requirements of the GST and BAS reporting, etc.

Getting Started

For a parish that already has access to a computer (either in the church office or at the treasurer’s home) the steps to get started with SAPAS are simple -

Cost

• The latest MYOB ‘Accounting Plus' software is available from Benkorp (at a discount from the recommended retail price).
• The actual SAPAS Data File and Manual is available from Benkorp for $143.

(Refer to the Order Form page on www.benkorp.com/sapas/index.html for more details).

Which version of MYOB?

The basic ‘Accounting Plus’ package (which contains a payroll module to handle PAYG and the annual Statement of Earnings) should suit most parishes and is available from Benkorp or most computer retailers.  Parishes with more than one church are encouraged to seek advice either from the Secretariat or Benkorp before proceeding because there are several options depending on whether the financial records are to be maintained in one place for the whole parish (either treating the whole parish as a unit or with specific detail by church plus a consolidation for the parish) or separately by each church (either with or without a parish consolidation).

Ongoing assistance

As an accredited MYOB consultant with detailed knowledge of the SAPAS product, Benkorp are well placed to answer any technical questions that the parish treasurer may encounter in using SAPAS.  Benkorp offer a limited free telephone support service to SAPAS users.  On-site training can be arranged if necessary, currently charged at $132 per hour.

Any issues of principle concerning the structure and reporting of SAPAS or other similar matters can be referred to the Manager, Diocesan and Policy Services at SDS (mrt@sydney.anglican.asn.au or 9265 1682).

Licencing, security and back-up

As noted above, the copy of MYOB purchased for this purpose should be registered in the name of the parish (rather than an individual) to ensure that it remains parish property if a new treasurer is appointed, for example.  SAPAS is licenced to the particular Anglican parish and it is a condition of that licence that it be used only for the purpose of recording and reporting the financial transactions and related data of that parish.

The SAPAS Manual covers the simple security and back-up procedures.  Parishes are encouraged to consider these carefully because, like any computer system, it is important to protect the valuable data that is held within the SAPAS in the event of a computer hardware fault or other corruption.

Contacts

To find out more about SAPAS a parish need only contact either -

SDS (Manager, Diocesan and Policy Services in the Secretarial Division, mrt@sydney.anglican.asn.au or phone 9265 1682)

or

Benkorp Management Services Pty Limited (www.benkorp.com/sapas/index.html or
Cecil Benjamin, phone 1300 138 627).

 

 

Current as at 21 March 2011