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How to Set the Correct Timezone for Tax Statements

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Haley S.
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Summary: This guide explains the importance of selecting the correct timezone when generating tax statements and provides the steps to correct statements if an error was made. Following these instructions will ensure your financial records and donor statements are accurate.

Before You Begin

  • An incorrect timezone can cause donations made late in the evening on December 31st to be recorded as occurring on January 1st of the next year, leading to inaccurate statements.
  • Important: You cannot change the timezone on an existing batch of tax statements. You must generate a completely new batch to correct a timezone error.

Step-by-Step Instructions to Correct an Error

  1. Navigate to the Giving section of your admin dashboard and select Tax Statements.
  2. Click the 'Generate Statements' button to begin creating a new batch.
  3. Select the correct Timezone from the dropdown menu during the setup process. This is the most critical step to ensure accuracy.
  4. Complete the remaining setup fields (like date range and recipients) and generate the new, corrected batch of statements.
  5. Communicate with any donors who may have received a previous, incorrect statement, and provide them with the newly generated version.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

  • Why is a donation from December 31st showing up on this year's tax statement? This is almost always caused by an incorrect timezone setting. For example, if your church is on the East Coast (EST) but statements were generated using Pacific Time (PST), a donation made at 10:00 PM EST on Dec 31st would be recorded as 7:00 PM PST on Dec 31st. However, if the reverse were true, it would be pushed to the next year.
  • Can I just edit the timezone on the statements I already made? No. Once a batch of statements is generated, its timezone is locked in. To fix an error, you must follow the steps above to generate a new batch with the correct setting.
  • What is the best practice to avoid this issue? Always double-check your timezone selection when generating your end-of-year statements. Confirm that it matches the primary timezone of your church campus to ensure all donations are recorded on the correct day.

Related Articles

For a detailed guide on generating tax statements, including timezone selection, visit Generating Tax Statements.

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