Invoices for Family Services Auto Deductions

[valkraus]

For members receiving support from Family Services under the Fast Offering funds, we have recently started to get auto deductions, but there is no invoice or receipt. How do we get a receipt for these expenses? If we can't, how will this work for the audit?

[jdlessley]

When you go to LCR > Finance > Expenses > Expenses Summary is there an entry for the expense? If so, when you click the reference number you will get an expense detail page. Is there a small PDF icon to the right of the line starting with "Reference #"? If the icon is there, you can click it to open the expense document that is the invoice for the expense.

[waltbristow]

Is this a member of the Ward wants to be paid for mileage to some activity or to drive to some meeting?

I've never heard of reimbursing members for expenses like that

[lajackson]

Is this a member of the Ward wants to be paid for mileage to some activity or to drive to some meeting?

Probably not. Family Services usually charges for counseling visits. In this case, they have started billing the ward directly.

Auto deductions refers to the fact that the deductions are charged automatically to the ward account, not whether or not the member drove to the appointment. You are correct in your assessment that members are not normally reimbursed for their travel expenses except in some specific circumstances.

[sbradshaw]

Is this a member of the Ward wants to be paid for mileage to some activity or to drive to some meeting?

Probably not. Family Services usually charges for counseling visits. In this case, they have started billing the ward directly.

Auto deductions refers to the fact that the deductions are charged automatically to the ward account, not whether or not the member drove to the appointment. You are correct in your assessment that members are not normally reimbursed for their travel expenses except in some specific circumstances.

One example of a circumstance where members are often reimbursed for travel is seminary teachers (see https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/hel ... s?lang=eng).

[davesudweeks]

I used to see this regularly when I was clerk and we had a member receiving counseling that the welfare fund covered. At first, I was unsure so I printed the invoices, had the bishop sign them, and filed with our expenses (this was in the days before EFT reimbursements and all-electronic documentation). Through several audits, the auditors never looked at the documentation and indicated that the fact that they were auto-billed by Family Services was enough for them.

Of course, your mileage may vary, but I stopped printing them and worrying about them - never had an audit flag regarding them.

[BrianEdwards]

We had the same situation a couple years ago, and there was a series of auto-deductions without receipts, that we needed to "audit-proof". In our case the member's Family Services visits had ended by audit time, so we used email verification from the Bishop that he had approved all the existing Family Services expenses for that member, and included a copy of the Bishop's email (I can't remember if it was before or after we were audited). This was sufficient for us.

It is a bit interesting that Family Services doesn't automatically provide receipts, since the Church is very particular about this for all other expenses.

[rknelson]

These auto deductions come without a "recipient" name associated. The invoice does provide a clue so it can be assigned to a recipient. Can anyone point me to how to assign a recipient? (All fast offering disbursements should have a recipient listed.)

[jdlessley]

• Click on the INV:XXXXXXX reference number to open the expense detail.
• Click the Adjust Expense button.
• Enter the recipient name or select the name from the drop-down list box for the RECIPIENT data field.
• Finally click the Save Changes button.