When do checks affect the Budget Allowance?

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lajackson
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#21

Post by lajackson »

Mikerowaved wrote:I started seeing it around the beginning of April up until just last week as a "tag line" on every financial correction and adjustment reply from CHQ.
Perhaps then I should arrange to have to do a financial correction or adjustment. I feel so left out. [grin]
elderlarryhawkes-p40
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#22

Post by elderlarryhawkes-p40 »

Alan_Brown wrote:When you write a check against the Budget category, especially near the end of the year, you may wonder what will happen if the check is written in 2008, but does not clear until 2009. Will it affect 2008's budget allowance, or 2009's?

Fortunately, since MLS transmits information about all checks that are written, a check written in 2008 will be charged to the 2008 Budget Allowance. This is a much nicer system than we had in the old FIS days, when we had to push people to cash their checks by December 31 or the checks would be charged to the new year's budget. With MLS, the only requirement is that the check is written and transmitted before the financial cutoff time (typically noon on the last business day of the year).

Even if a 2008 check is lost and later replaced in 2009, you still don't have to worry about it hitting your 2009 budget, since there will be a credit to the 2009 budget when the original check is voided that balances out the debit that will occur when the replacement check is written.

It's to bad that this first post didn't expound more on the cutoff date mentioned in post #4 & the link to the calendar in #9
http://tech.lds.org/forum/calendar.php?c=2
We wrote a $900.00 check this morning based on the statement above when we read it on the 29th before anybody replied to this post. "a check written in 2008 will be charged to the 2008 Budget Allowance."

Even thought this statement was included, "With MLS, the only requirement is that the check is written and transmitted before the financial cutoff time (typically noon on the last business day of the year)." All three of us in the bishopric made the assumption that it was referring to today, the 31st since it is still a normal working day for most.
May we suggest that Instead of saying "typically" this is how it would/could be, and since there are many new bishoprics doing this for the first time, it would be more helpful to have all of the facts up front for us new people that may be prone to assuming some things, such as in our case.

We do however, appreciate the effort made to explain this matter, and hope our comments are not offencive.
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aebrown
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#23

Post by aebrown »

elderlarryhawkes wrote:It's to bad that this first post didn't expound more on the cutoff date mentioned ... We wrote a $900.00 check this morning based on the statement above when we read it on the 29th before anybody replied to this post. "a check written in 2008 will be charged to the 2008 Budget Allowance."

Even thought this statement was included, "With MLS, the only requirement is that the check is written and transmitted before the financial cutoff time (typically noon on the last business day of the year)." All three of us in the bishopric made the assumption that it was referring to today, the 31st since it is still a normal working day for most.

May we suggest that Instead of saying "typically" this is how it would/could be, and since there are many new bishoprics doing this for the first time, it would be more helpful to have all of the facts up front for us new people that may be prone to assuming some things, such as in our case.

We do however, appreciate the effort made to explain this matter, and hope our comments are not offensive.

When I made that first post on December 28, I posted everything I knew at the time. (I am a moderator, but I am simply a clerk -- I have no more inside information from the Church than any other clerk.) I tried to say what was absolutely true (checks have to be written and transmitted before the financial cutoff time) and distinguish that from what has been true in the past but was not known for this year (indeed, the last 2-3 years the cutoff has been noon on the last business day of the year). I apologize if that distinction was not clear -- I did use the word "typically" which was a pretty strong indication that I had no knowledge of what was coming this year.

However, it was not until 11:20am on December 30 that a Church employee finally posted that the cutoff time would actually be at midnight that very night. If you read the subsequent posts in this thread, you can see that you are not the only one who was frustrated that the notification came so late, and in a way that only a tiny fraction of the clerks would see in time, anyway.

I hope some people in the Church Finance Department see these posts and realize that their failure to communicate this very important deadline in a reasonable way with adequate notice has caused many unnecessary problems. This was particularly unfortunate because the deadline was 12 hours earlier this year than it has been the last few years.

So I'm sorry that your first experience with this forum was a frustrating one, but I hope this post helps explain how things happened with this issue. And no, nothing you said was offensive -- it is quite helpful to hear specific experiences (good or bad) that people have. Feel free to return here often to gather information and to post questions (and answers).
elderlarryhawkes-p40
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#24

Post by elderlarryhawkes-p40 »

Alan_Brown wrote: However, it was not until 11:20am on December 30 that a Church employee finally posted that the cutoff time would actually be at midnight that very night. If you read the subsequent posts in this thread, you can see that you are not the only one who was frustrated that the notification came so late, and in a way that only a tiny fraction of the clerks would see in time, anyway.

I hope some people in the Church Finance Department see these posts and realize that their failure to communicate this very important deadline in a reasonable way with adequate notice has caused many unnecessary problems. This was particularly unfortunate because the deadline was 12 hours earlier this year than it has been the last few years.
Just a quick update.
Well, after going though this learning experience, to know how to finish out the end of the year when it comes to writing checks, it seems that ether the deadline was not correctly put on the calendar or someone at the church read this thread and made and adjustment. We got our December statement and it did include the $900 check that we wrote and transmitted the morning of the 31st.

Any way, thanks for everyone's help by providing the useful information here that helped us learn the process, and thanks to whomever might have adjusted the cutoff time to something after the morning of the 31st so our check would be on December 2008.;)

Larry
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mkmurray
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#25

Post by mkmurray »

elderlarryhawkes wrote:Just a quick update.
Well, after going though this learning experience, to know how to finish out the end of the year when it comes to writing checks, it seems that ether the deadline was not correctly put on the calendar or someone at the church read this thread and made and adjustment. We got our December statement and it did include the $900 check that we wrote and transmitted the morning of the 31st.

Any way, thanks for everyone's help by providing the useful information here that helped us learn the process, and thanks to whomever might have adjusted the cutoff time to something after the morning of the 31st so our check would be on December 2008.;)

Larry
Hopefully this means the Church decided to show some leniency after realizing the tardiness of their communications.
SmithGW
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When do checks affect the Budget Allowance?

#26

Post by SmithGW »

It's too late for this year, but we will try to remember to get this information out to you for the next year's closing in time to be useful, perhaps in a Tip of the Week. Thanks for making us aware of the need.
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aebrown
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#27

Post by aebrown »

smithgw wrote:It's too late for this year, but we will try to remember to get this information out to you for the next year's closing in time to be useful, perhaps in a Tip of the Week. Thanks for making us aware of the need.
Actually, I don't think it is too late to get this information out for 2008. Obviously it would have been much better before the deadline, but it could still be helpful. There is bound to be some confusion when expenses that MLS says were in 2008 show up in 2009 on financial reports. This is a rather confusing topic, and it's not at all clear to new clerks (and even to many old clerks).
lajackson
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#28

Post by lajackson »

smithgw wrote:It's too late for this year, but we will try to remember to get this information out to you for the next year's closing in time to be useful, perhaps in a Tip of the Week. Thanks for making us aware of the need.
If the cutoff was at the end of the day on the 31st, there is not a problem. If it was at noon, there will be some confusion.

For the record, I would prefer the end of the day, even if it was not the 31st, than a noon cutoff. With a noon cutoff, there is no efficient way to do anything after the cutoff time and make the reports work when you have to go back and look at things in MLS.
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mfmohlma
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#29

Post by mfmohlma »

smithgw wrote:It's too late for this year, but we will try to remember to get this information out to you for the next year's closing in time to be useful, perhaps in a Tip of the Week. Thanks for making us aware of the need.
Looks like you got it through to the tip of the week, though I'm sure somebody will wonder why it came out now. :D
elderlarryhawkes-p40
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Last day for Budget checks to post on statement

#30

Post by elderlarryhawkes-p40 »

cward wrote:This information is also available on the Clerk and Technology Support Calendar.

http://tech.lds.org/forum/calendar.php?c=2

It was posted on the calendar as soon as the cut off time and date was made know to us. Also, there are other dates posted on the calendar related to tithing settlement and when year-end reports are due. Check it out at the above link.
When is the Last day for Budget checks to post on the statement for 2009? :confused:

Wanted to encourage whom ever posts this info on the calendar to do so sooner this year so the information is timely to be useful. Several reminder messages via MLS throughout the next several weeks in December would be helpful to ensure all wards properly plan their year end budgeting. :)
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