Asset Accounting
We process all incoming invoices for fixed assets. This includes verifying the requirement for capitalization, determining the full acquisition and production costs, establishing depreciation periods, and entering all data into SAP Asset Accounting.
The complete fixed asset inventory is maintained in a register and regularly reviewed as part of the physical inventory count.
As part of the annual financial statements, we calculate and record depreciation and prepare the necessary reporting for the annual financial statements.
© Universität Siegen
FAQ for Asset Accounting
When purchasing new fixed assets through the procurement department, the form “
” (see Appendix 6 of the Fixed Asset Accounting Guidelines) must be completed as part of the procurement process. If you are unsure whether an item qualifies as a fixed asset, please feel free to contact us.- Note: For procurements subject to customs regulations, the Procurement Department
must be involved. - Whether a fixed asset must be inventoried depends (in addition to its useful life,
which must be greater than one year) on the acquisition cost:
If the asset is independently usable and valuable, and the net acquisition cost is between 250 euros and 1,000 euros, the item is capitalized as a low-value asset (GWG).- If the acquisition costs exceed 1,000 euros net, the asset is recorded in
under the corresponding asset class (e.g., scientific equipment, operating and
office equipment, etc.) and the useful life is entered according to the
official depreciation table.
- The invoice must be reviewed by the purchasing department to ensure its factual and
mathematical accuracy and must be signed off. Furthermore, the
account assignment (cost center or PSP element) must be specified. If there are special agreements
regarding payment terms (special discount for taking advantage
of a cash discount even outside the specified period, etc.), please note this on the
invoice.
If the account assignment involves financing from a BgA (commercial enterprise), the percentage to which the purchases are used there must be specified (-> BgA stamp).- If the financing account differs from the user account (e.g.,
when the School finances items for a professorship (pro-rata) as in the
equipment renewal program), please specify the inventory cost center/inventory PSP. - If it is known that the useful life of a fixed asset is limited (e.g.,
due to a limited project duration), please indicate this on the invoice.
Otherwise, the useful lives from the official depreciation table apply. - If a fixed asset is used at another institution or abroad for teaching and/
, and/or research purposes, please also inform us of this.
- Please fill out the appropriate form, “Reclassifications of Operating Expenses”
(LINK TO BE ADDED FOR NEW SYSTEM), including the document number, amount, and new account assignment, and then send the form to us at
. - Please note: Invoices can only be reclassified as long as the
fiscal year is still open (until the end of February of the following year).
- Notifications of changes are required when
- the location or
- the user or the user account assignment (cost center / PSP) changes permanently.
- If a device is to remain assigned to its own cost center/PSP and appear in the report
even though the asset is physically located at a different organizational unit
, this can be reflected using the Inventory Cost Center field. This is
always the case when the financing and using cost centers differ from one another
. An email regarding the change of location is sufficient here. - If, however, the asset is to be transferred entirely to a different cost center, the
master record must be updated or the asset transferred—in this case, please use the
inventory change form.
Additional information (room number, other designations if applicable, etc.) can be noted on the asset cards and subsequently updated in asset accounting accordingly. If technically possible, the label should be affixed to the corresponding asset
and the card should be signed and returned to us at
. If the label could not be affixed, please note this on the card as well
. The label can then be disposed of or simply attached to the asset card
.
- You can view the fixed asset portfolio for your own cost center/PSP via the SAP Portal
if you have the "
" access authorization. The fixed asset portfolio can be found here under Financial Reports –
Asset Reports. - Here you will find instructions for the Asset Portal Report
- If the item is no longer needed: The person in charge must complete the inventory change form
(LINK TO WEBSITE), taking into account the various
types of disposal, and attach the relevant documentation if necessary. It must be ensured
that the item is sent to its final destination (scrapping,
transfer to third parties, etc.). Failure to do so complicates the
subsequent inventories when identifying the items, as the item
is no longer recorded in the inventory in terms of value but is still present.
In the case of sale: The sale of university assets is only possible if there is no use for the corresponding fixed asset within the school (
). Please
inquire about this in advance by sending an informal letter within your school.
If there is no longer any interest in the item there, it can be sold
. Fixed Asset Accounting determines the remaining book value of the item to be sold as recorded in the books and, based on this value, sets a
sales value from which sales proceeds may also be generated. If
the market value exceeds the remaining book value, the market value must be used. Please send us
an informal letter confirming that the item is no longer in use within the School, the inventory change form for the
asset disposal, and the purchaser’s details. Any surplus or shortfall in proceeds
will be credited to the account from which the original purchase
was paid.- Note: Computers and laptops must first be formatted by ZIMT for licensing reasons
. - Sales to private individuals are generally not permitted for liability and warranty reasons. This applies without restriction to IT and technical
equipment.
- Definition: Assets under construction are items of property, plant, and equipment that are still in the process of being completed (
); in other words, they are investments that have not yet been completed (
) as of the balance sheet date. - The following criteria may be helpful in identifying an asset under construction:
- Is the asset being constructed over a longer period of time (> 2 months)?
- Are multiple components being purchased and installed for the asset?
- Will the asset only be operational once the final component has been installed?
Will the asset be in operation for at least one year after construction is completed?
- If all criteria can be answered with “Yes,” the system is considered a system under construction (
). In that case, please indicate on all subsequent invoices (all receipts for materials,
that are installed, regardless of what they are, any necessary licenses,
software, or third-party services such as planning, installation, or
construction work…) that these are investments for the facility under construction at
with the number XY (you will receive the inventory number after the first invoice for the AIB has been posted at
). Upon completion of the plant, please notify us at
of the commissioning date and attach the acceptance report.
The plant under construction will then be capitalized, and depreciation will begin to accrue.
Your contacts
Dipl.-Kfm. Hans Henner Wickel
Employee
Contact
hans_henner.wickel@zv.uni-siegen.de
+49 271 740-4953
AR-NA 122
Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 2a
Opening hours
Monday:
7:30-16:00
Tuesday:
7:30-16:00
Wednesday:
7:30-16:00
Thursday:
7:30-16:00
Friday:
7:30-16:00
Dipl.-Verww. Katharina Roth
Employee
Contact
katharina.roth@zv.uni-siegen.de
+49 271 740-4896
AR-NA 122
Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 2a
Opening hours
Monday:
7:00-15:00
Tuesday:
7:00-15:00
Wednesday:
7:00-15:00
Thursday:
7:00-15:00
Friday:
7:00-15:00