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SUBJECT:

Asset Transfer

SOURCE:

Capital Asset Management

ORIGINAL DATE

OF ISSUE:

April 2002

DATE OF

LAST REVIEW:

December 2022

CSOP NO:

3.0

RATIONALE:

The Asset Transfer document is required when giving or selling capital equipment to another university organization. The Asset Transfer document should be initiated when the asset is physically removed from the organization. The exception to this is a transfer to Surplus Stores. When sending equipment to Surplus Stores, the equipment should be transferred prior to Surplus’ receipt of the equipment. Failure to promptly initiate an asset transfer can result in an unfavorable audit finding.  

  

For “External Transfers” (transferring a grant-funded asset to a non-IU entity), the asset would be retired from the university asset database.  The correct document for External Transfers is an Asset Retirement.  See CSOP 2.0 Asset Retirement.

CSOP:

When assets are no longer needed by an organization, the department should first see if the asset can be used by another organization within Indiana University. The purchasing redistribution list is used to advertise assets to other university organizations. Messages to the redistribution list can be sent using the Request for Redistribution of Goods form found: https://purchasing.iu.edu/resources/forms/sec/form-redistribution3.php

 Here is what you need to know before you issue an asset transfer document:

  • An asset can be transferred to any operating account the receiving organization deems appropriate except for auxiliary service accounts (66* accounts), plant fund accounts (95* accounts) and contract/grant accounts (4* and 5* accounts). The only exception is when transferring to Surplus' 66* account. 
  • Transfers of federally funded assets require approval from the Office of Research Administration. Depending on the book value of the assets and the account status, they may need to seek approval from the granting agency since the agency can request the return of the asset or require the proceeds from the sale. For this reason, assets with a federal contribution will roue to an ORA work group for approval. This will be the first workflow stop for the document. Until the document has been approved by ORA, ownership for the receiving organization cannot be assumed. 
  • Before the transfer is issued, the new location needs to be confirmed, as it is needed to complete the document.  
  • Issuing a transfer document not only moves the asset to a new plant fund account, it also moves the inventory responsibility.
  • Asset Transfer Documents are routed to the fiscal officer or delegate of the current owner account and the receiving owner account.
  • Once the transfer is approved, any new depreciation expense will post to the new plant fund. The transfer does not move previous current year depreciation expense, and it will not be moved manually because it creates a reconciliation issue between CAMS and GL that carries forward until the new fiscal year.
  • The general ledger entries generated by the asset transfer will reverse out the asset balance amounts from the current chart/organization and add them to the chart/organization of where the asset is being transferred to. For more information on the ledger entries generated by the Asset Transfer Document, see CSOP 14.0 Capitalization Entries to the General Ledger.
  • On the Asset Transfer document, any information in the Organization Information section will be cleared unless copied to the "New" column of the document.

Technology assets may still have a market value which could bring revenue to the organization when the equipment is no longer being used or needed. As technology ages it loses value and becomes a burden to the organization and Indiana University. Unused assets should be transferred promptly to surplus to maximize sale proceeds.

Transfer Between University Organizations

Transfer to Surplus

Interdepartmental Sale of Equipment


Transfer Between University Organizations

Bloomington and Indianapolis

After the transfer has been agreed upon by both organizations, either organization may process the Asset Transfer Document. The current owner will retain responsibility until the receiving organization's fiscal officer approves the transfer document. The transferring organization should contact the receiving organization to ensure that the item is transferred into the appropriate account.

Use the Notes button on the Asset Transfer Document to identify the person your organization has been working with to transfer the equipment. This information will be helpful to the fiscal officer or delegate when they are approving the document.

 

East, Northwest, South Bend and Southeast

For the campuses listed above, the campus capital asset representative issues the Asset Transfer document. The organization can send their request to their their campus capital asset representative making sure to include the asset or tag number, the account number of the receiving organization, and the building name and room number.


Kokomo

The Kokomo campus requires the organization to complete a "Capital Equipment Transaction form." This form can be acquired by contacting your campus capital asset representative.


Transfer to Surplus
The disposal of surplus equipment at Indiana University is governed by policy: FIN-PURCH-11 Disposal and Redistribution of University Property.

For capital equipment it is important the surplus staff know beforehand what equipment is coming.  To this end, Surplus requires that the transfer document be issued prior to surplus' receipt of the equipment. A copy of the asset transfer document should be attached or accompany the equipment. When moveable capital equipment is taken to Surplus Stores, the yellow capital asset tag should remain on the equipment. Non-capital assets should also be taken to Surplus Stores. However, non-capital assets should not have an Asset Transfer document initiated, and the white non-capital asset tag or the organization's tag should be removed.

With this requirement it will be important to monitor the routing and approval progress of the asset transfer document. The IUIE report "Unapproved Documents in Inbox by Chart and Org" can be a useful tool for monitoring the routing progress. In IUIE, the report can be found in the following folder: Kuali Financial/Capital Asset Management System/Inventory Control Reports.

Bloomington

In addition to issuing the Asset Transfer document for capital assets, the organization must submit a Bloomington IU Surplus Item Transfer request form. The form requires the following information:

  • Department Name

  • Building

  • Room Number

  • Contact First Name

  • Contact Last Name

  • Phone Number

  • Account Number

  • Sub Account

  • Contact Email Address

  • Item List (if your item is a capital asset, you must include the Capital Asset Tag Number and the KFS Asset Transfer Document Number

    • Quantity
    • Description
    • Is it working? Yes/No
    • IU Tag Number
    • KFS Asset Transfer Document Number

Bloomington Surplus can be reached by:

When transferring a capital asset to surplus on the Bloomington campus, please enter the following information on the Asset Transfer document:

  • receiving account number to 6625800

  • campus code to Bloomington

  • building number to BL615

  • room number to 127

For disposal of computing equipment, Surplus Stores has requested the organization also complete a Transfer of Computing Equipment form available at https://iu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_87cdmXdcJM3bjmt. This would be in addition to the Asset Transfer document for capital equipment.

East, Kokomo, and Southeast

Periodically the Bloomington Surplus will arrange for collection of items from East, Kokomo, and Southeast campuses. The equipment may be gathered into one location or remain in the organization until the equipment is sent to Bloomington. The surplus assets will remain on the organization's inventory until the equipment is sent to surplus; however, the location should be updated to reflect the actual location of the equipment.

Indianapolis

In addition to issuing the Asset Transfer document for capital assets, the organization must submit an IUPUI Surplus Form. The form requires the following information:

  • date the pickup is needed

  • your location

  • organization name

  • account to be charged (when required)

  • date of Request

  • contact Name

  • contact Phone Number

  • quantity

  • item Description

  • Is it working? Yes/NO

  • identifying #, University tag number if available

Schedule a pickup for IUPUI Surplus via the website at https://surplusims.eas.iu.edu/online/pickuprequests/add.

For more information regarding IUPUI Surplus, email at surplusp@iupui.edu or visit the web site at: https://surplus.iupui.edu/.

When transferring a capital asset to surplus stores on the Indianapolis campus, please enter the following information on the Asset Transfer document:

  • receiving account number to 6072860

  • campus code to Indianapolis

  • building number to IN343

  • room number to 101

Northwest and South Bend

For the Northwest and South Bend Campuses, contact the campus purchasing department for disposition of equipment.


Interdepartmental Sale of Equipment

When there is an interdepartmental sale of equipment, a Transfer of Funds document will be needed in addition to the Asset Transfer document. The Transfer of Funds Document is used to record a sale of capital equipment between Indiana University organizations. The Transfer of Funds Document should be used when the original purchase was coded with a capital object code. When the equipment is purchased using expense object code 5323 CAP Equipment for Resale the asset is capitalized using the Internal Billing Document. 

For capital assets, the Transfer of Funds Document is the only document that will not create a duplicate asset or overstate the asset and therefore the only document that can record an interdepartmental sale of equipment.  In both the "To" and "From" sections of the document, use the transfer object code 9970 Transfer of Funds Capital. 

 

DEFINITIONS:

Capital Equipment- must have an acquisition value of at least $5,000 and a useful life expectancy of one year or more.

Equipment-The term “equipment” includes delivery equipment, office equipment, machinery, furniture and fixtures, factory equipment and similar fixed assets.

CROSS

REFERENCES:

CSOP 2.0 Asset Retirement
Policy FIN-PURCH-11.0 Disposal and Redistribution of University Property
Policy FIN-ACC-170 Capital Movable Asset Physical Inventories, Tagging and Location Changes

RESPONSIBLE

ORGANIZATION:

Organizations that purchase and maintain capital assets.