Odd question- tithing

[lovemybugs10]

Will they allow me to continue tithing if I file?

[SMinGA]

Yes - though you may ask to show documentation that you have indeed been tithing. (I imagine some might add it as an expense to lower DMI, with no intention of actually following thru.)

That is my understanding of charitable contributions, in general. If its a very small amount though, it may not be questioned. In discussions with our attorney, we indicated cash contributions of a few dollars here and there (from allowing the kids to put $ in the offering plate) that results in about $20/mo. Atty said it would not be a problem.

[lovemybugs10]

We do 10%. I gather anything outside of that would have to stop.
It is enough that it would be questioned.
We could probably print the check images.

[NoTomatoCan]

We do 10%. I gather anything outside of that would have to stop.
It is enough that it would be questioned.
We could probably print the check images.

I am pretty sure you would need to show supporting documentation for 10% of your income, and even with documentation you might get an objection.

You would have a pretty strong argument to make if you have been consistently tithing for some length of time. Hard to argue against ones religious doctrine. But I could also see the trustee saying that is not a necessary expense.

[jange]

I included mine, my lawyer told me as long as I have claimed it on my taxes it would not be an issue, nor was it at the 341 meeting. No one asked me for proof, though the checks are listed on the bank statement. I also have charitable contributions taken out of my pay and nothing was questioned.

confirmation 6/22?

[frogger]

Shouldn't be any problem.

[momofthree]

As the others stated, as long as you have the documentation that you've been doing it for at least a year or 2. Ours wasn't questioned at all by anyone other than the attorney asking us at our consultation how long we'd been doing it. And, of course, the trustee was provided with our tax returns, which reflect the tithing...

[ColoradoBell]

Growing up, my parents always tithed 10%. I really struggled with continuing after my divorce because my alimony was really high, but only for a few years and then I was having to live on social security. So 10% dropped to 2%. My mom thought it was wrong to get a tax break on money you gave to charity. I didn't take any tax breaks since my divorce cuz I did standard deduction until this past filing. I haven't gotten to the point of filing out a B22 or anything, but it seems that as long as you are under the IRS standard ...which I'm not surewhat it is but I remember it from my tax form...that it wouldn't be right for the trustee to say you can't pay it (religious freedom and all that)

[pcn]

We claimed 10% when we filed, I think 15% is the limit, and had no issues. We also claimed 10% on our taxes for years. I was prepared for it to be questioned, as we had no proof we actually did. Like almost everything else in our life, we never lived as though we were preparing to file bankruptcy. We put cash in the plate almost every week. The focus was making the 10%, not documenting the 10%. Of course now, post bk, we document almost everything. Maybe that's something they could cover in those non-existent financial planning courses we should have had in HS, rather than the "how-to sex ed classes".

[lovemybugs10]

Thanks for that post. I am a little worried because when we moved, we didn't find a church home right away and were giving to local charities, people in need, etc.