Business Office - Purchasing
New Fiscal year Purchasing Policies
July 1, 2007
When purchasing commodities, services, or equipment of any kind, please remember the following UF rules:
- 1. A completed requisition (which is available online or in the Business Office) is required to be turned in to the Business Office BEFORE ordering, purchasing, or picking up any tangible item(s) and BEFORE any service, maintenance or repair agreements are carried out. If this is not done, the Business Office cannot guarantee that the PO will be approved by Gainesville Purchasing or that the vendor will be paid.
- 2. When purchasing any single item over $5000, two additional verbal quotes must be attached to the requisition. Requisitions over $25,000 require two or more written quotes, and over $50,000, requires a bid process through the University Purchasing Department.
- 3. When filling in the information on a requisition, the information must be legible, with some form of backup attached which includes vendor address, prices quoted, items or services being ordered, etc.
- 4. All requisitions must have the appropriate signatures, and forms attached. i.e.…Circa (software) orders must have all proper registration, contact and order forms attached. Requisitions that are not properly completed will be returned to the requestor.
- 5. It is extremely helpful (but not required) if you include in the remarks section, a brief description or explanation of what you are purchasing, in the case that it is not easily recognizable. For instance, “Topcon Hiper XT”, under remarks should say, “GPS system for use in grove”. This ensures that your purchases are coded and categorized correctly by Purchasing.
- 6. When choosing a vendor for an item or service, please check with the Business Office, Lorraine or Meredith, to be sure that the vendor you have chosen is currently on the University’s approved vendor list. If they are not on the approved vendor list, they must be added by Gainesville BEFORE a requisition can be entered into the system. If they are not on the approved vendor list, payment will be delayed and cannot be guaranteed. Vendors who are on the CREC campus for any work related purpose must have proof of Workers Compensation Insurance and General Liability Insurance before they are approved vendors. See notice below.
Vendor shall carry Worker's Compensation Insurance as required by Chapter 440, Florida Statutes. If the vendor is exempt from carrying Worker's Compensation, please provide the exemption certificate. During the term of this contract, vendor shall carry at a minimum the following: Commercial General Liability Insurance with liability limits of at least $500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury, death and property damage and shall protect it from claims which may arise whether such claims may arise out of the operations of the vendor or by anyone directly or indirectly employed by the vendor. Automobile Liability Insurance on all vehicles used to carry out the contract against bodily injury and property damage in the amount of at least $500,000 per occurrence. Builder's Risk Insurance at replacement cost if indicated by the nature of the contract. Please note that the University of Florida must be named as an “Additional Insured.”
Your cooperation in following these directives will help to make the purchasing and payment processes smoother and faster for the faculty, staff and vendors. The Business Office is always anxious to assist you and answer any questions you may have regarding purchasing and accounts payable.
Accounts Payable / Reprints
July 7, 2006 - Reprints: Points to remember
- As of 9-30-2005 reprints will no longer be paid for by the University.
- A PDF must be received before using a UF Purchasing Card for payment of reprints.
- A requisition / PO may be used to pay invoices for reprints, please attach a copy of the order form to your requisition.
- Invoices for reprints may be paid “unencumbered” if there is a copy of the reprint attached to the original invoice.
Sales Tax
University of Florida purchases made from Florida merchants are exempt from sales tax, local option sales tax and local tourism-related taxes. Please always make merchants aware of this., for others, providing a copy of the consumer’s certificate of exemption is required. Wallet sized consumer’s certificates of exemption are available from Cheryl Peterson in the CREC Business Office.
Florida merchants have the right to deny an exemption request. A few merchants, mostly hotels, which will not or cannot grant sales tax exemption, do so primarily because their computer system restricts point-of-sale deductions. Since the Florida Department of Revenue issued a Tax Information Publication (TIP) requesting merchants to honor the status, refusals have decreased significantly. If a merchant denies an exemption, the cardholder should note the vendor's refusal on the transaction receipt.
Cardholders are advised to ask out of state merchants to honor the University’s tax-exempt status as well. Many states have reciprocal agreements with the State of Florida and will honor our sales tax exemption, however most out of state merchants will deny your request.
Sales Tax Exemption Certificate |
Click here for PDF |
10/25/06 - PowerPoint Presentation on Purchasing, updated
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