Emailing contribution statements
Moderators: Moderators, Tech Support
Emailing contribution statements
In Canada we legally need to provide a signature on our year end tax donation receipts. How do I add an electronic signature on our tax receipts within PowerChurch so that I can start emailing our receipts next year.
Re: Emailing contribution statements
There is no current way to do this. What you may want to do is send email to wishlist@powerchurch.com with your request, and explain exactly how you'd like it to work. I'd also include any Canadian Revenue requirements or rules for electronic/emailed tax receipts.Charlene wrote:In Canada we legally need to provide a signature on our year end tax donation receipts. How do I add an electronic signature on our tax receipts within PowerChurch so that I can start emailing our receipts next year.
Neil Zampella
Using PC+ since 1999.
Using PC+ since 1999.
-
Jeff
- Program Development
- Posts: 1225
- Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 11:43 am
- Location: PowerChurch Software
- Contact:
Re: Emailing contribution statements
There is more to e-mailing Contribution Receipts in Canada than just adding the image of a signature. The PDF file also needs to be encrypted with a password so that no one can not alter the file. Also the church needs to retain copies of the PDF files. The documentation from CRA recommends you burn them to a CD-ROM.
The written documentation also says that the PDF files be electronically signed. Which means that the church would need to purchase a public SSL certificate to sign the documents. This would be used to prove that the PDF file originated from the church. From the company they list in the documentation, the certificate costs $450 a year. We have talked with CRA agents about this requirement, they say if the church is not capable of doing that, it would not be required. They say that if the church is making their best effort basis to protect the PDF file from alteration, that is good enough. I worry that if a parishioner gets a grumpy CRA agent he/she may invalidate the receipt because it does not meet the written requirements.
We have been looking into some methods of encrypting the PDF with a password and adding an image of a signature. No time schedule has been set for the development of this. We will have to purchase and incorporate additional libraries to encrypt the PDF file. You would then to make a decision if you are OK with the receipts not meeting the written requirements for e-mailed contribution statements.
The written documentation also says that the PDF files be electronically signed. Which means that the church would need to purchase a public SSL certificate to sign the documents. This would be used to prove that the PDF file originated from the church. From the company they list in the documentation, the certificate costs $450 a year. We have talked with CRA agents about this requirement, they say if the church is not capable of doing that, it would not be required. They say that if the church is making their best effort basis to protect the PDF file from alteration, that is good enough. I worry that if a parishioner gets a grumpy CRA agent he/she may invalidate the receipt because it does not meet the written requirements.
We have been looking into some methods of encrypting the PDF with a password and adding an image of a signature. No time schedule has been set for the development of this. We will have to purchase and incorporate additional libraries to encrypt the PDF file. You would then to make a decision if you are OK with the receipts not meeting the written requirements for e-mailed contribution statements.