CUBS Donor Names

ckmcdonald · #21

I also notice that checking the box to include the spouse on the financial reports creates an entry of "Add participant" on the next financial transmission report. This seems like a bug.

#22

The CUBS section on donor names in the Wiki should be updated to include this feature.
Currently it doesn't appear.

TinMan · #23

aebrown wrote:This has already been done in MLS 3.3. You can edit the donor record (Add/Update Donors) and check the box to include the spouse on donor statements. The donations would still be made typically in the husband's name when you process weekly donations, but if you check that box on the husband's donor record, then donor statements will include both husband and wife's names.

Well, that is backwards. They should have defaulted everyone to have their spouse appear together and have you check a box if you didn't want it that way. That would make more sense, it seems to me.

russellhltn · #24

TinMan wrote:Well, that is backwards. They should have defaulted everyone to have their spouse appear together and have you check a box if you didn't want it that way. That would make more sense, it seems to me.

I disagree. In my very limited understanding of US tax structure, the current default is safer, even if it is less common.

TinMan · #25

RussellHltn wrote:I disagree. In my very limited understanding of US tax structure, the current default is safer, even if it is less common.

Why do yo think that?

Especially when it comes out:
Doe, John
Spouse: Doe, Mary

Instead of Doe, John & Mary.

It seems to me that the way it is structured, the IRS would look at it as John Doe's donation and the "Spouse: Doe, Mary" as informational only.

aebrown · #26

TinMan wrote:It seems to me that the way it is structured, the IRS would look at it as John Doe's donation and the "Spouse: Doe, Mary" as informational only.

For tax purposes, if a couple files jointly, any donations made by either person are perfectly acceptable. So "Doe, John", "Doe, Mary", or "Doe, John & Mary" will all work just fine.

But if they file separately, then "Doe, John & Mary" is problematic, since it doesn't specify who made the donation. So the new way of recording these donations works better for that case, which is relatively rare, but does indeed happen, and is just as good for the case of filing jointly.

TinMan · #27

I think I understand the filing jointly thing, but the way the donor record is printed is

Donor: Doe, John
Spouse: Doe, Mary.

I assume hers would be
Donor: Doe, Mary
Spouse: Doe, John

But in the case of separate filings, Isn't the IRS going to simply look at that first line as the donor?

If it said:
Donor: Doe, John
Spouse: Doe, Mary
Children: Doe, Steve
Doe, Sue

Are you saying the IRS would look at the earnings of the wife and children? That hasn't been my experience, but perhaps I just haven't had enough. I still don't understand why it is "safer" to have the default be "don't put both names on the donation slip."

But in the grand scheme of things, I suppose it doesn't really matter. It just seems like more work to change 175 records to be joint names and leave the 2 that want separate ones, than the other way around.

TinMan · #28

Plus, it would be easier going forward if the defaut were both names on the donor records. When someone new moves in the ward and you set up their donation record, it is going to default to the way most people don't want it. It seems to me that since it is such an easy thing to change at Tithing settlement, it would be easier to change only one or two than to change 30 or 40.

aebrown · #29

TinMan wrote:Are you saying the IRS would look at the earnings of the wife and children? That hasn't been my experience, but perhaps I just haven't had enough. I still don't understand why it is "safer" to have the default be "don't put both names on the donation slip."

Nope, I didn't say that.

TinMan · #30

Okay, then more directly, How is

Donor: Doe, John
Spouse: Doe, Mary

"problematic" for the IRS? I understand how:

Donor: Doe, John & Mary

would be for those filing separatly, but I don't see how the first one is. It still lists only one "donor." Or so it seems to me.