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| Author |
Message |
| 25 new of 115 responses total. |
mutsie
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response 42 of 115:
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Feb 8 20:46 UTC 1999 |
Regarding resp:8
Whine whine. Bark! Bark! Woof.
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kaplan
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response 43 of 115:
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Feb 8 20:56 UTC 1999 |
Regarding resp:42
I think she means that she doesn't slobber that much. She'd be happy
to help out but she's not sure she understands how to lick the
envelopes without actually chewing on them.
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i
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response 44 of 115:
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Feb 9 01:21 UTC 1999 |
LOL!
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tpryan
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response 45 of 115:
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Feb 11 02:03 UTC 1999 |
As a large donor to the auction can I get a receipt of donation
for the (auction-determined) fair market value of what I donated? I
wonder how many month's rent I raised.
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aruba
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response 46 of 115:
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Feb 11 03:09 UTC 1999 |
The total Grex has received for Tim's donations is $255.00, and another $88.50
is still (hopefully) on its way.
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keesan
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response 47 of 115:
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Feb 11 04:04 UTC 1999 |
I have not the slightest objection to sending paper receipts to anyone who
asks for them (after an emailed offer of a receipt). But even people who
itemize do not need the receipts for amounts under $250. I made a few calls
to other nonprofits.
WUOM has to follow university policy so sends receipts to everyone.
(Whether or not you itemize on federal taxes, you can deduct contributions
to educational inst. or libraries on the state taxes).
Easter Seals sends receipts for donations of $100 or more, and for lesser
amounts on request. They knew of no law requiring them to send receipts.
American Cancer Society sends receipts for all donations, they did not know
why and told me to call National Charities Bureau at 1 800 501 6242. I left
a message.
Mark, were the four people who wanted receipts those who donated over $74?
Or over $249?
I appreciate that some people like finding pieces of paper in their mailbox
even when email would do. But there are also those of us who get upset at
finding unwanted and irrelevant pieces of paper there, so I think it would
be considerate to give people a choice.
Jim said he watched while someone at Bivouac got offended at being asked
whether they wanted a bag for a jackknife purchase. I get offended when they
try to stick a bag around my purcahse without asking my permission first.
The guy at Bivouac told Jim that the customer must have been from Detroit,
where they expect bags instead of being asked first. Mark might stick at the
end of his thank you emails a statement to the effect that paper receipts are
available to anyone who emails back requesting one, but that they are not
being sent out automatically to save resources (paper, postage, time) which
could better be used to support grex's activities. (Jim's suggestion).
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devnull
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response 48 of 115:
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Feb 11 05:43 UTC 1999 |
Re #45, #46: I was under the impression that if you donate to the auction,
you can deduct whatever you think the fair market value is when neither
the seller nor buyer is under any obligation to complete the transation.
But grex essentially has to sell the items, which you might argue will
mean that they may be sold for less than they're worth, and so I believe
you can take a bigger deduction than that.
I think that people who buy from the auction cannot take a deduction
unless they pay more than the fair market price. If they do pay more
than the fair market price, the buyer can deduct the amount beyond the
fair market price, and the donor can deduct the fair market price, and
*the two must agree on what the fair market price is*.
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rcurl
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response 49 of 115:
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Feb 11 06:43 UTC 1999 |
I'd hate to argue that one with the IRS. It should be a pretty obvious
difference between the value of an item and the amount bid. For example,
high bids for Grex memorabilia (e.g, its (dead) first hard drive), would
be deductible in entirety.
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davel
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response 50 of 115:
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Feb 11 11:21 UTC 1999 |
What? What about the thriving market in Grex memorabilia?
8-{)]
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pfv
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response 51 of 115:
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Feb 11 14:37 UTC 1999 |
and, as ever in ANY dealings with Infernal Revenues: you had
BETTER have a receipt, or you can think of yer life as grass - and
them as the rampaging mower.
Seems to me that the automated generation of reciept & love-letter
can easily be arranged to exclude those that are adamant about
NOT wanting to "play well with others"..
Just go the route of having the keesan-types email a request to
be left alone - and the printer never gets their data.
Man.. I can't believe all the noise over such a simple, polite
and sensible systemm sheeeesh.
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aruba
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response 52 of 115:
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Feb 11 14:59 UTC 1999 |
Re #47: The people who donated $75 or more didn't need to ask for receipts,
they got them automatically. So no, the requests did not come from them.
I'd rather not offer to send out paper receipts for every single donation,
but I could offer (with each thank you) to send out a full accounting at
the end of the year.
Sindi, I don't understand why Ms. Dodea at the AAS thought the IRS would
be so unhappy with our just sending e-mail receipts, but she was
*absolutely adamant* about it, and she knows more about the IRS than I do,
so I felt obliged to bow to her advice. Maybe you could ask the Sierra
Club what they do? They ought to have some members who feel as you do.
If you can get us some *highly credible* info on just how the IRS would
feel about us not sending paper receipts unless requested, I'm sure the
board would be willing to reopen the issue.
Re #51: Receipts and thank yous are not generated automatically - I do
each one by hand. I could put a column in my table that would identify
people who don't want to receive receipts, though, and check that before
generating one.
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pfv
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response 53 of 115:
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Feb 11 16:49 UTC 1999 |
Arrrrrgh!
My sympathies... Automate, baby ;-)
Although, personalized notes are a truly nice touch.
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rcurl
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response 54 of 115:
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Feb 11 17:15 UTC 1999 |
Gifts to the Sierra Club are not tax deductible. They lobby too much.
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jep
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response 55 of 115:
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Feb 11 17:48 UTC 1999 |
NEW Center has expertise in non-profit affairs. I believe Ms. Dodea was
described as an accountant, and specifically as not having expertise in
501(c)(3) issues. If there's any doubt about when receipts are
mandatory, why not ask NEW Center?
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aruba
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response 56 of 115:
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Feb 11 21:18 UTC 1999 |
Re #54: Oh. Maybe The Wilderness Conservancy is a better source? Or maybe
you could suggest a big non-profit agency which might have an interest in
not using paper, Rane?
Re #55: Wrong on both counts, I'm afraid. Ms. Dodea is not an accountant, and
her job is to advise 501(c)3 companies on their rights and responsibilities.
Her title is "Director of non-profit services".
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jep
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response 57 of 115:
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Feb 11 21:22 UTC 1999 |
re #56: Oh. I'll just slink back into my corner, then. (-:
Thanks, Mark!
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dang
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response 58 of 115:
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Feb 12 02:56 UTC 1999 |
resp:45 Tim, you are entitled to a receipt stating that you donated to
Cyberspace Communications the items that you donated. Attaching a
market value to them is your job, and we are not allowed to do that.
However, I'm sure Mark would be happy to give you a receipt for the
items. :)
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tpryan
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response 59 of 115:
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Feb 12 03:40 UTC 1999 |
Good, whatever.
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keesan
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response 60 of 115:
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Feb 12 05:01 UTC 1999 |
I have not checked my home answering machne yet today and will call the
Charities place again if no response from them. Why would someone insist that
a non-profit had to send paper receipts when the IRS does not require them
for amounts under $250? 'Experts' are often wrong or make wrong assumptions.
I may also check the New Center as suggested. Or call the IRS.
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rcurl
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response 61 of 115:
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Feb 12 05:35 UTC 1999 |
You have to substantiate any donations of any size, and receipts are a good
way to do that. That $250 point is for when the statement from the donee
must specify particular information beyond just a receipt. We (MKC) just
include the necessary boilerplate in our standard acknowledgement statement
for any size donation - which also gives a chance to send a nice "thank
you", and encourage future donations.
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aruba
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response 62 of 115:
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Feb 12 07:15 UTC 1999 |
Re #60: Sindi, all I can tell you about Ms. Dodea's opinions is to read coop
item 18, response 18.
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janc
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response 63 of 115:
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Feb 14 00:19 UTC 1999 |
I was at the meeting with Ms. Dodea. She was about as adamant on the
"you must send paper receipts" issue as it is possible to be while
remaining seated.
When I'm doing my taxes, I want to have a receipt for anything I deduct.
I think Rane's reading of the $250 rule is a more accurate reflection of
IRS policy. You have to be able to substantiate all deductions.
I think the policy as it stands is good, and absolutely standard
practice. I suppose we could consider a motion to raise the level from
$75 to something higher, but I don't really see the point.
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janc
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response 64 of 115:
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Feb 14 00:26 UTC 1999 |
On auction donations: Yes, our receipt should just say, "thank you for
donating the following items...". It should not valuate them. That is
the donor's job, not ours.
However, I consider it perfectly OK for a donor to ask us for a summary
of what his donations sold for. If he wanted it in writing, we would
respond with a letter, separate from the reciept, saying, "the items you
donated sold for $XXX". If the donor wanted to use this value for his
valuation of the objects donated, that might not be a bad choice. If
the IRS questioned his valuation, he'd have our letter to back him up.
Of course, objects might sell for more or less than their value in an
auction, so this isn't always the best policy for the donor, but it is a
plausible one and we should be perfectly willing to be helpful.
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devnull
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response 65 of 115:
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Feb 14 02:09 UTC 1999 |
Can someone point to something that the IRS has published that requires
receipts for anything under $250?
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keesan
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response 66 of 115:
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Feb 14 18:41 UTC 1999 |
I will attempt to call the IRS and get the rules on whether a nonprofit is
absolutely required to send out a piece of paper to everyone who donates.
If yes, the $75 rule makes no sense. If no, it makes no sense. Either send
to everyone whether or not they ask you not to and refuse to donate if you
do, or send only to people who request them. Most people do not even itemize,
let alone donate over $249. It may take a while to get through to the IRS
at this time of year. More by May 1 if not sooner. Maybe I can find
something online about receipts and nonprofits.
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