STATE OF CONNECTICUT
NANCY WYMAN COMPTROLLER	OFFICE OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER 55 ELM STREET HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT 06106-1775	MARK OJAKIAN DEPUTY COMPTROLLER

MEMORANDUM NO. 2004-27

July 1, 2004

TO THE HEADS OF ALL STATE AGENCIES

The percentage rates for unemployment compensation and the various retirement plans listed on the attached chart are effective July 1, 2004. These rates should be used for any fringe benefit cost recovery taking place on or after July 1, 2004. In 2004-2005, there will no longer be composite rates encompassing all fringe benefit components.

Actual Cost Fringe Benefits

Since November 2003, with the implementation of the Core-CT HRMS module, the state share of certain fringe benefits has been charged to agencies on an actual cost basis. This includes group life insurance and medical insurance, which are calculated based on the actual cost of the state's share of insurance premiums. In addition, FICA-Social Security and FICA-Medicare have been calculated based on the existing Federal tax rates instead of the percentage rate developed in the past by the Office of the State Comptroller. The actual cost method will continue to be used in Fiscal Year 2004-05.

Fringe Benefit Recovery

All personal service expenditures from Federal and Private Grants and any other funds other than the General Fund and Correction Industries Internal Service Fund are subject to fringe benefit recovery.

Charging Employees to the Correct Funding Source

In Core-CT, fringe benefits are charged to the same funding source as the personal services expenditure. If an employee is paid from the correct funding source, Core-CT will charge the actual cost of fringe benefits to the proper funding source. Therefore, coordination is needed between agency payroll and financial staff to ensure every effort is made to pay employees from the correct funding sources.

Avoiding Temporary Funding Sources

To reduce the number of payroll corrections, agencies are asked to charge payroll expenses to the proper funding sources, even in cases where anticipated funding is not yet available, but is expected within the current fiscal year. In these cases, the account will be allowed to go negative temporarily. However, if the anticipated funding does not become available, the agency will be responsible for addressing the negative balance.

Salary and Fringe Benefit Payroll Corrections

If an agency pays an employee from the wrong funding source, fringe benefits will be charged to the wrong funding source as well. For corrections, the agency will be responsible for identifying the salary amounts and fringe benefit amounts that need to be transferred.

Salaries can be transferred through spreadsheet journals using the source code of PC, although there are limitations to this approach. In addition, when the salary transfer is between a reimbursable funding source and a non-reimbursable source (e.g., a Grant Fund SID and the General Fund), the agency will need to submit a CO-826 form to identify the fringe benefit amounts to be transferred by fringe benefit account.

The Impact of Payroll Corrections on Financial Reporting

It should be noted that spreadsheet journal transfers of salary and fringe benefits in the Core-CT financials module are not reflected in the HRMS system or in the payroll tables in EPM. Therefore, if using HRMS for reporting purposes, agencies must track the corrections they make through spreadsheet journals and the use of CO-826 forms. 

Fringe Benefit Variances - New Requests Required

All variances approved in Fiscal Year 2003-04 or earlier will be deleted for check date August 20, 2004. Variances for Fiscal Year 2004-05 will require a new request.

Full and Partial Fringe Benefit Variances

In most cases, full fringe benefit variances can be accommodated in Core-CT through the use of fringe benefit allocations that run when payrolls are posted. Fully exempted fringe benefit expenditures will be transferred to the appropriate central appropriation.

For partial variances, Core-CT will charge the funding source the full amount for fringe benefits. Agencies with approved partial variances should submit CO-826 forms to recover the portion of fringe benefits that have been exempted.

If there are questions, please call the Cost Reporting Unit of the Budget and Financial Analysis Division at (860) 702-3352.

NANCY WYMAN
STATE COMPTROLLER

NW: REG 

Attachment - Actual Cost Fringe Benefits and Percentage Rate Fringe Benefits

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