Single Contribution checks less than $250.00

by Don
(Morgantown WV)

Some families turn in their offering envelopes every Sunday. Some families turn them in maybe once a month.

Let's say a family only attends church once in January, and let's suppose it's the last Sunday of the month. They turn in 4 offering envelopes, containing checks written and dated for the 4 Sundays in January.

Each check is for $100. Our bookkeeper will record that as one donation for $400. That's the way the church received the donation, all at once.

The giver wants us to record it as four donations, each for $100. When we prepare the end of year tax receipt, we list it as a one-time donation of $400, requiring us to list it separately as a gift greater than $250.

Is this the correct way to handle this, or is the giver correct in asking us not to list it as a gift greater than $250??