CARS/GEARS: Expenditure Reporting

• Submit monthly expenditure reports on time. Reports are due by the end of the month following the reporting period. For more information, please see the CARS Processing Schedule through 2024 (PDF).
• Submit separate reports for each report period and agency type.
• Submit one original report per report period. It is not necessary to submit reports for months in which a local agency has no expenditures to report. Submit reports via email, addressed to DHS600RCARS@dhs.wisconsin.gov.
• Subject line is important. Format the email subject line as Agency #-Agency type-Contract Year-Month & Year Costs Incurred-Agency name.
• Go low to high. List Profiles and associated expenditure information from low Profile ID to high Profile ID.
• List only those Profiles for which you have active contracts.

NOTE: Changes to reported expenditures after the original expenditure report has been submitted should be reported on an “Additional Report” for that Month-Year. Additional instructions are provided below.

• List the month and the year of the Original Report with the erroneous information as the Month Costs Incurred. Corrections which increase reported expenditures should be entered as positive numbers and those which reduce reported expenditures should be entered as negative numbers.
• Submit the Additional/Adjustment report, formatting the subject line to read Agency #-Agency Type-Contract Year-ADDITIONAL- Month & Year Costs Incurred-Agency name.
• Comments are especially helpful on Additional Reports to explain the adjustments being made.
• Additional information may also be included in the body of the email. The GEARS team will reach out if we have any questions. 

Final report due dates are established in your grant agreement contract. Generally, final reports are due no later than 45 days after the contract end date. However, contracts may allow a longer or shorter close-out period or set specific due date for Final reports. Please consult your grant agreement contract document to verify the final report due date.

• Final Report due dates, by profile number are found at the bottom of the GEARS main web page at https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/gears/index.htm. With GEARS, the profile closeout dates will no longer be posted annually, but they will be updated periodically, as new profiles are created or if profile information changes.  
• Prepare your Final Expenditure report in the same manner as an Original Expenditure Report. 
• Submit only one Final Expenditure Report not later than the due date specified in your contract(s). 
• Format the email’s subject line as Agency #-Agency type-Contract Year-FINAL-Report Month & Year -Agency name, where the month and year is the final month of your contract.
• Submit only one Final Expenditure Report not later than the due date specified in your contract(s). 
  • If you need to make a correction to a previously reported Final Expenditure report, submit an additional Final report, which you can mark both Additional and Final, or just have it marked Final. In the body of the email, please be sure to include a message that the report is to correct a previously submitted Final report.  

Note that contracts may require submitting a Final Expenditure report instead of a report for the last month of the contract period, while others allow both an Original Expenditure report for the last month of the contract and a Final Expenditure Report. Please consult your contract for more information.