CUBS Donor Names

[jdlessley]

You would then be very polite, smile, and suggest that, if we wished to have our contribution credited that way, from now on we would need to fill out two slips and write two checks, one in each of our names.

Just to be nit picking - it is not necessary to write two checks because MLS can handle multiple donors from one check. What is important is that there be a donation slip for each donor.

[lajackson]

Without going too deep into taxes:
. . . if they are filing separately,

Deep enough. Throw in community property laws, income based child support court orders, alimony, and a few other goodies and you're almost there.

Just to be nit picking - it is not necessary to write two checks because MLS can handle multiple donors from one check. What is important is that there be a donation slip for each donor.

Excellent point. I had forgotten that. Although this, too, has interesting tax ramifications. But that is neither here nor there as far as MLS financial procedures go. The donation slips do provide clerks the best direction.

[RossEvans]

I think the main problem is one of members' expectations, and this change will probably surprise some folks. In the past, members who filled in slips captioned as "Doe, John & Jane" have been used to seeing their donation statements follow the same style. That is no longer possible.

Tithing settlement provides an opportunity to explain this change in person and answer members' questions.

[TinMan]

I am half way through tithing settlement and have had the question come up twice about donor names. Both questions from stay at home moms.

For them it isn't a "tax question." It is a "value of women" question. When we handed the families their donor statements, mom gets a blank one that shows she has not paid any tithing in the year because it is all under the husbands name. In both cases, the wives are the ones that run the household finances, balance the family budget and see that the tithing is paid, yet seem to get no credit on the forms we hand out.

So my question is: Is the information here still accurate that with the new CUBS, I can have my clerk change the donor statement to show "Doe, John & Jane?"

[aebrown]

So my question is: Is the information here still accurate that with the new CUBS, I can have my clerk change the donor statement to show "Doe, John & Jane?"

Not really. MLS will let you change the donor name, but the next time you do a Send/Receive, it will change it right back to the name of the individual on the linked membership record, so there's no point in doing it. I wish it didn't let you change it at all.

I know it can be an emotional issue, but we just need to kindly educate members that it is simply an accounting procedure -- it has nothing to do with a person's value. There's also nothing stopping a couple from making all the donations in the wife's name -- if they file taxes jointly it wouldn't make any difference. But that's up to the couple.

[TinMan]

Thank you for the ideas. I will put them to the test...

[russellhltn]

Thank you for the ideas. I will put them to the test...

If you're thinking about fudging the receipts to make someone happy, I'd suggest you think again. There's a reason the church did that. It might very well be a tax reason. You don't mess with the IRS.

If these are stay at home moms with no income, then they wouldn't pay any tithing. If they were to donate Fast Offerings under their own name, then they wouldn't be getting blank sheets of paper at Tithing Settlement.

[timothy.fratta]

I have had the exact same comments as TinMan from sisters in my ward and, believe me, just saying "It's a new church procedure" doesn't get us very far at all. Frankly, it's a very blunt position and I wouldn't be surprised to see the policy change back in the future. From a sister's point of view, this is a real smack in the face: everywhere in church literature it says that sisters are of equal importance as brethren . . . except for tithing statements?
I agree that a family can opt to make all statements in the wife's name, but that's no solution really, it's just flipping it around and then husbands will be the ones left scratching their heads.
MLS should allow for a common non-tax related statement for a household and separate forms for tax purposes for single tax payers. My 2 cents.

[aebrown]

I have had the exact same comments as TinMan from sisters in my ward and, believe me, just saying "It's a new church procedure" doesn't get us very far at all. Frankly, it's a very blunt position and I wouldn't be surprised to see the policy change back in the future. From a sister's point of view, this is a real smack in the face: everywhere in church literature it says that sisters are of equal importance as brethren . . . except for tithing statements?
I agree that a family can opt to make all statements in the wife's name, but that's no solution really, it's just flipping it around and then husbands will be the ones left scratching their heads.
MLS should allow for a common non-tax related statement for a household and separate forms for tax purposes for single tax payers. My 2 cents.

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.

Not every unit has upgraded to MLS 3.3 (it's an optional upgrade until the end of January), but if this is an important issue to members of your ward, I would recommend that you upgrade before you print the tax statements.

[ckmcdonald]

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.

This is a nice feature-add. I just checked it out and although it lists the spouse on the next line and labels them "Spouse: Doe, Jane", as opposed to "Doe, John & Jane" on the first line, this should appease most.

As with 2011, it works for 2010 statements as well, a bit late for Tithing Settlement but might be timely for Tax Valid statements that haven't gone out yet.

Given the discussion about "one name only" in this thread, I find it interesting that the Tax Valid statement (at least the US one) titles the donor as "Donor(s):", regardless of whether the spouse is listed or not.

Now I'm wondering how long it's going to take me to edit and check the box of all but the few who pay separately. I wish I could apply it across the board and then go remove it from the few who pay separately. Is there a way to do that?