Tithing settlement records retention

What forms from Tithing Settlement need to be kept and filed away? Is it a three-year retention policy like other financial records?

sbradshaw wrote:What forms from Tithing Settlement need to be kept and filed away? Is it a three-year retention policy like other financial records?

In the U.S., the financial retention policy is three years plus current year. All financial records are kept for that period.

One copy of the Tithing Declaration Report is given to the stake president, and one copy is given to the bishop to be places in the bishop's confidential file and kept as a part of those records.

OK, so we don't have to keep individual printouts for each member – just the summary?

sbradshaw wrote:OK, so we don't have to keep individual printouts for each member – just the summary?

I think it would be prudent to keep the individual declarations for each member - just to verify what's been entered into the computer. Generally I'd keep anything with notes or signatures on it (or should have some - since the absence of information is significant as well). Anything that's just a computer printout can be shredded since it can be re-printed at any time.

russellhltn wrote:

sbradshaw wrote:OK, so we don't have to keep individual printouts for each member – just the summary?

I think it would be prudent to keep the individual declarations for each member - just to verify what's been entered into the computer. Generally I'd keep anything with notes or signatures on it (or should have some - since the absence of information is significant as well). Anything that's just a computer printout can be shredded since it can be re-printed at any time.

The member keeps the Tithing Settlement Statement. The bishop records all declarations on a blank Tithing Declaration Report. That's the only record of the declaration that the ward has.

This used to be more explicit in the older training video. But the new training video never even mentions having the bishop check the declaration on the settlement statement. It only talks about reviewing the statement for accuracy with the member and using it to resolve errors. Nothing is mentioned about keeping this as a record of the individual's declaration. The instructions is to use the Tithing Declaration Report for that.

So, what about old tithing settlement declarations and 1099-M that were never mailed? Do we shred those since they would be available in the MLS should they ever need to be printed again (which potentially satisfies the retention policy)?

joncarris wrote:So, what about old tithing settlement declarations and 1099-M that were never mailed? Do we shred those since they would be available in the MLS should they ever need to be printed again (which potentially satisfies the retention policy)?

I could see that going either way. Yes, it could be re-printed, but it might be nice to know it was never mailed.

joncarris wrote:So, what about old tithing settlement declarations and 1099-M that were never mailed? Do we shred those since they would be available in the MLS should they ever need to be printed again (which potentially satisfies the retention policy)?

The annual Tithing Declaration Report stays in the bishop's confidential file for the normal financial retention period.

Instructions for the 1099-MISC are at the Help Center. Your stake president will have to guide you with your specific question on that one. The 1099-MISC form is not in MLS.