Financial Reimbursements

Best Practices

In fulfilling many callings in the church, we may incur related expenses. In these instances, we should seek reimbursement for these expenses from the ward or stake budget.

Here are some best practices that we encourage you to follow when seeking financial reimbursements for church-related expenses. The intent is to help us all be wise stewards of the Lord’s sacred funds that He has entrusted to us.

1. Include photos of receipts or invoices for each purchase: Any purchases need to be documented. If you don't have a receipt or invoice, please speak with your financial clerk before submitting a reimbursement request.

2. Report sales tax separately from ward budget categories: The Church is reimbursed for sales tax that it isn’t obligated to pay, so listing it separately allows the Church to accurately determine that reimbursement amount.

3. Use a spreadsheet when submitting multiple receipts: Doing so allows church leaders to follow the math that is used to calculate reimbursement amounts. A sample spreadsheet is available for download here.

4. Purchase church and personal items in separate transactions: Records are cleaner and easier to follow if receipts used for reimbursement only contain items purchased for church purposes. If that's not possible and personal and church purchases are included on the same receipt, please:

• Pro-rate sales tax for the reimbursed items

• Use a spreadsheet to calculate the amount that should be reimbursed (and not reimbursed), including the pro-rated sales tax

5. Share perishable items and retain reusable items: Rather than adjusting reimbursed expenses retroactively to account for leftover food, consider sharing it with individuals and families in the neighborhood who might benefit from it. If supplies are reusable (e.g., paper goods, crayons, etc.), they can be saved and used for future church-related activities.

6. Members are encouraged to use electronic payments: Consistent with General Handbook Section 34.5.7.1, members are encouraged to use electronic payments for reimbursements. Doing so can be done under the Donations section of your Church Account. Additional information is available here or by talking with your financial clerk for assistance.

For any additional questions, please talk with you ward or stake financial clerk.