Budget

We had a reimbursement request come in 29 Dec 2021. It completed the approval process in 2021. The check was printed today and it is showing as coming out of the 2022 budget. Any way of changing it, or is that just the way it is?

My understanding is that it's just the way it is. If the check would have been printed in 2021, it would be a 2021 expense. In our stake, the wards are allowed to roll some amount of unused budget to the next year so if you are in that situation, you could cover the check that way without affecting the organization's 2022 budget (when I was clerk, we would increase the organization budget by the amount to cover the expense so their net annual budget was not affected).

This is similar in nature to all the 2021 expenses that members/leaders will find receipts for in the upcoming months, and request reimbursement (I've personally seen a June request made when a Sept receipt from the previous year was found). In these cases, although the expenses were technically part of the org's 2021 budget, they will each be processed as 2022 expenses. Some units don't worry too much, since at the end of 2022 they will once again have members not submit their requests in time, and in 2023 they'll be requesting reimbursement for 2022 expenses. But other units try and make in-year budget adjustments as davesudweeks posted.

One concern I have about increasing the budget is the all too human tendency to base next year's budget on this year's. Particularly is that check is rather substantial as it might be for a year-end event.

As as alternative, I'd suggest transferring the amount from some other budget category to cover the check. That way the budget is not increased. If labeled nicely, it is still understandable as to what's happening.