The Texas PTA deposit form is the record your unit uses to document every dollar of cash and every check collected at an event before the money goes to the bank. To complete it correctly, write in the unit name, date, and source of the funds; list cash by denomination and checks individually; have two people count the money and sign the form; take the deposit to the bank as soon as possible; and file the signed form with the validated bank receipt in your unit’s records.1Texas PTA. Treasurer Resource Guide
Where to Get the Form
Texas PTA posts the deposit form as a downloadable Google Doc on its treasurer resources page at txpta.org, in English and Spanish. Your unit treasurer or council treasurer should also have copies on hand. Because the file is an open document rather than a locked PDF, print a stack of blank copies before an event so one is ready the moment money starts coming in.2Texas PTA. Treasurer
Filling In the Top of the Form
Start with the full legal name of your PTA unit and the date the funds were collected. Then identify the source of the money: membership dues, spirit wear, book fair, restaurant night, or the specific event that generated the revenue. The source entry is not filler. It tells the treasurer which budget line the deposit feeds, and it keeps restricted funds separated from the general operating account.
Cash
List every denomination separately. Count the ones, fives, tens, twenties, fifties, and hundreds; multiply each count by the face value; and write the subtotal on its row. Do the same for coins. Add the rows for a single cash subtotal. If the bank total later disagrees with yours, this breakdown lets you trace the discrepancy to a specific denomination instead of guessing at a lump sum.
Checks
Record each check individually with the payer’s name and the dollar amount. If you run out of lines, attach a continuation sheet. Total the checks, add that figure to the cash subtotal, and write the grand total. That grand total should match the bank deposit slip exactly.
Restricted Donations
If someone gives money earmarked for a specific purpose, such as a contribution designated for playground equipment, note the restriction on the deposit form next to the entry. Once your PTA accepts a restricted gift, it is legally obligated to spend the money only on the stated purpose, and redirecting it later requires written permission from the original donor. Many PTAs head off accidental restrictions on routine fundraiser proceeds by printing a disclaimer on donation forms stating that gifts may be redirected at the organization’s discretion.
Two People Count, Two People Sign
Two people must count the money together and both sign the deposit form to confirm the totals. One of the counters can be the treasurer.1Texas PTA. Treasurer Resource Guide This dual count is the single most important internal control the unit has. It protects the PTA from theft and it protects the volunteers from false accusations, because no one is ever alone with uncounted cash.
A separate but related rule applies to the bank account itself: the individuals authorized to sign checks or make withdrawals cannot be related by blood or marriage and cannot live in the same household.1Texas PTA. Treasurer Resource Guide Keep this in mind when electing officers. A married couple serving as president and treasurer creates a compliance problem even when both are perfectly trustworthy.
Electronic signatures are acceptable. Each signer should keep a copy or image of the completed form, and the electronic version should live on the PTA’s shared drive with viewing access granted to the full executive board.1Texas PTA. Treasurer Resource Guide
Getting the Deposit to the Bank
Texas PTA guidance is straightforward: deposit the money as soon as possible after collecting it. Same-day or night-drop deposits are ideal. If that is not possible, keep the money in a secure location such as a school safe or vault. Never at a volunteer’s home.1Texas PTA. Treasurer Resource Guide The longer cash sits outside the bank, the higher the risk of loss and the harder it is to explain a discrepancy if one surfaces.
Get a validated deposit receipt from the bank. The receipt is your proof that the money moved from the PTA’s hands into the account. The treasurer then compares the receipt against the signed deposit form. If the numbers do not match, investigate and document the difference right away. Waiting until the monthly statement arrives lets the trail go cold.
Recording the Deposit and Keeping the Paperwork
After the receipt and the form reconcile, the treasurer enters the transaction into the unit’s ledger or financial software with the date, the source, and the amount, tied back to the specific deposit form by event name or a reference number. This is what makes the monthly treasurer’s report accurate: each deposit form feeds a ledger entry, and each ledger entry feeds the budget-versus-actual report presented at membership meetings.1Texas PTA. Treasurer Resource Guide
Store the signed deposit forms alongside scanned receipts and invoices on the PTA’s shared drive, and keep them in line with Texas PTA’s records retention policy. Certain documents, such as the unit’s EIN letter and sales tax permit, stay on permanent file.1Texas PTA. Treasurer Resource Guide The IRS expects exempt organizations to keep books and records sufficient to demonstrate compliance with tax rules, and an organization that cannot document its receipts and expenditures risks losing its tax-exempt status.3Internal Revenue Service. Recordkeeping Requirements for Exempt Organizations
Flagging Sales Tax on the Form
If the deposit comes from the sale of taxable items such as spirit wear, gift wrap, or concession snacks, split out the sales tax on the deposit form so the treasurer can track the liability and remit it to the Texas Comptroller on time.4Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Guidelines to Texas Tax Exemptions Noting the tax-collected figure at the point of deposit saves the treasurer from backing it out of totals weeks later.
Why the Form Matters Beyond Bookkeeping
Fidelity bond coverage, which protects the PTA against losses from fraud or dishonesty by anyone authorized to handle its money, often depends on the unit actually following its internal financial controls.5PTA.org. Insurance and Liability If a unit skips the dual count, lets a signer review their own transactions, or fails to review monthly bank statements, the insurer can void the policy and the PTA absorbs the full loss from any embezzlement.6AIM (Association Insurance Management, Inc.). Review PTA Bank Statements – Fraud Prevention Guide A correctly completed and signed deposit form is the documentation that proves the unit followed the rules if a claim ever arises.
The same records support the annual IRS filing. Every deposit feeds the gross receipts figure that determines which Form 990 the treasurer electronically files within 60 days of the end of the fiscal year.1Texas PTA. Treasurer Resource Guide Clean deposit forms make that filing straightforward. Missing or incomplete ones force a reconstruction from bank statements, which is where errors creep in.