Per IRS requirements for maintaining non-profit status, all active Girl Scouts of Northern California troops are required to complete a report each year detailing income and expenditure. Troop leaders and troop treasurers will complete the Annual Troop Finance Report using the Troop Finance Report for 2026 form.
The reporting period is from June 1st to May 31st; submissions are due by June 30th and should include a copy of the most recent monthly bank statement ending May 31st. Note that the Troop Finance Tracking Sheet (Google Sheets | Excel) can be used to organize income and expenses throughout the year.
All troops should follow Girl Scouts of Northern California financial management procedures, which can be found in the Volunteer Essentials section of our website:
For additional assistance, the following resources are available:
- TFR Basics – this recorded guide covers the documentation and information that you will need in order to complete your troop’s finance report and how to gather it.
- Completing the Troop Finance Report – this recorded guide takes you through the process of completing the TFR, and covers each of the following topics, which are linked directly to that portion of the recording for help in specific areas:
We are a new troop with no income or expenses and haven’t opened a bank account yet. Do we still need to submit a TFR?
Yes – it is an IRS requirement that all troops report on their finances so every troop that is listed as active
prior to May 31st will need to submit a TFR for that financial year.
What should we do if we can’t find the ending balance from last year’s TFR?
Your council support staff member can look up your prior year’s ending balance if needed – reach out to
them, or to your Service Unit Treasurer.
Our troop will be disbanding. Do we have to spend all the money by May 31st?
Your troop is still active until September 30th, and you have until that time to complete your activities
before disbanding. You will need to submit a TFR for the current financial year ending May 31st and then
submit a second, final TFR along with your disband form to account for the expenditure of any
remaining balance.
What is the M2 sales report and where do I find it?
This is a report from M2, the fall product management website, which shows the troop’s proceeds from
participation in this entrepreneurship program. The Troop Fall Sales Manager can access it by logging in
at www.gsnutsandmags.com/Admin/Account/Login then clicking on Reports > Summary Report to
find the Troop Proceeds and Bonuses total. Troop access to M2 is year-round, so they can log in and
retrieve this report at any time.
The person who ran fall product for the troop is no longer available and nobody else has a login – how do we get this report?
Email the Entrepreneurship Team at info@gsnorcal.org and they will be able to provide the
information.
I am the troop treasurer and don’t have access to Smart Cookies – how do I get the cookie sales data?
The Troop Cookie Chair will be able to send you this information. If for any reason you are unable to
retrieve it, reach out to the entrepreneurship team at info@gsnorcal.org.
Which number should I record from Smart Cookies?
Access your troop’s financial summary by clicking Reports > Current > Finance > Troop Balance
Summary > View Report. Your troop’s proceeds is listed under Sales Amounts as Troop $$.
What if my troop earned the 10c incentive for Early Bird renewals?
This incentive was added as a payment towards the troop’s balance. At the bottom of the Troop
Balance Summary report, you’ll see it listed as ‘Early Bird Incentive’. Add this to your troop sales
amount to find the total troop proceeds.
Do I report all of my cash bank deposits and ACH debits from cookie sales?
No – much of this was pass-through money which was owed to council so it is neither income nor
expenditure. You should only record the troop proceeds on the TFR.
What do we do with cookie booth donations?
Donations should be converted to Care to Share boxes and allocated to Girl Scouts prior to the end of
the sale. If this step was missed, record the amount under donations.
Can we charge parents event fees if the family didn’t participate in the cookie sale?
All troop proceeds should benefit all troop members equally, regardless of their participation in the
product program.
Where should we record bank fees?
If you were charged fees for cash deposits, use the ACH credit form to request reimbursement. For
non-refundable fees, record under miscellaneous expenses.
How long do we need to keep receipts for?
Keep all receipts for 3 years.
Sometimes parents pay more than we requested for event participation. Where should we record the extra?
Anything extra should be recorded as a donation.
Where do we record badges and patches?
These are awards and recognitions.
What is the cost of unsold product?
If the troop was financially responsible for any unsold items from either of the entrepreneurship
programs, record the actual retail cost of the product here. NB: if the product was sold later to friends/
family etc. do not record this as unsold product.
What is the difference between troop dues and donations?
Troop dues are a special kind of donation, requested of all troop families either at the beginning of the
year or at each meeting. Anything above this amount should be recorded as a donation. Note that
troop dues are always considered optional and should not be a barrier to troop participation for any
family.
What is a council credit disbursement?
If a Girl Scout requested via our online form that some or all of their reward card balance be sent to the troop to pay for Girl Scout activities, the troop will have received a check in the amount requested and should report that income here.
In the 2026 cookie program, for the first time, Girl Scouts were able to select to have the reward amount directly sent to the troop. These disbursements appear on the Smart Cookies Troop Balance Summary report as a payment to council, listed as ‘Girl Reward to Troop’. You can also see the disbursement selections on the Recognition Order Summary by Troop as ‘$XX Council Credit to Troop’ with the quantity listed in the right-hand column.
What is the difference between activity fees and expenses?
A registration, entrance, or ticket fee is an activity/event fee. Expenses that are incurred during the
event (e.g. transportation, food) should be recorded separately.
If you have general questions about completing the TFR, join us for one of our Q&A sessions in June. Register on Eventbrite for one of the following dates:
- Wednesday June 3rd 2026, 7pm
- Tuesday, June 16th 2026, 7pm
- Thursday, June 25th 2026, 7pm
If your troop is retiring, this Disbanded Troop Form must accompany the finance report.
For more detailed questions about your troop’s finance report, connect with your Service Unit Treasurer or your local staff member.
Last updated on June 5, 2026