Giving Statements

In order for your contributions to be posted on your 2009 giving statement, they must be received in our office by December 31.  If you mail in your offering, it will be credited to your 2009 giving statement if it is postmarked by December 31, 2009. 2009 giving statements will be mailed by January 31, 2010.

The IRS requires substantial documentation of any gift over $250.00 that will be claimed as a tax deduction.  Cancelled checks are no longer acceptable as proof of donations in the event of an audit; therefore, it is imperative that you use church provided envelopes if you plan on claiming contributions to the church as deductions on your tax return.  For those of you mailing in your offering via your on-line banking system, make sure to include your envelope number (similar to a vendor account or invoice number).

For donations less than $250, the IRS will still require proof.  That proof must be in the form of a cancelled check or a written statement from the charity itself.

The church accounting office provides annual giving statements only to those individuals or families who use offering envelopes.  The staff will make every effort to make sure that “stray checks” – such as those submitted for special offering during services – will be posted to accounts of those individuals who have been issued offering envelopes or if the gift is $250.00 or more.  The accounting office must record contributions on a contemporaneous basis.  This means we will not be able to reconstruct a giving statement at year end.

Please remember that designations should be made on the offering envelopes and not on your check.  The following is a current list of acceptable designations for 2010:

• Regular Giving
• Campus (Building) Fund
• MARS (Missionaries are Really Special)
• Missionaries (those sent out and supported by our church)
• Short Term Missions
• Special Offerings (announced from the pulpit)