On the ChurchSuite Export, why is the override flag being set to '1' for some donations?
ChurchSuite uses the override flag in the export file to determine whether or not a donation is eligible for Gift Aid within ChurchSuite IF the donor this donation is assigned to has a valid Gift Aid declaration for the donation.
The Gift Aid override flag is set to 1 informing ChurchSuite that a donation is NOT eligible for Gift Aid (even if the donor has a valid Gift Aid declaration within ChurchSuite).
Keep reading to find out how ExpensePlus determines whether the Gift Aid override flag is set. If your question is regarding why transactions you were expecting to be in the export are included, please see this separate help guide article.
How the Gift Aid override flag is set
ExpensePlus automatically sets the Gift Aid override to 1 for a donation if any of the following 3 reason is TRUE:
(1) Fund - is set to 'Not Eligible' for Gift Aid
Whilst it's a good idea to set the fund as 'not eligible' for Gift Aid within ExpensePlus where Gift Aid shouldn't be claimed (e.g. a collection for a staff member leaving, or an offering where the money is being passed on), this should only be done where funds are not eligible for Gift Aid (not because you simply don't want to claim Gift Aid within ExpensePlus).
Setting funds that are eligible for Gift Aid as 'not eligible' within ExpensePlus will automatically set the Gift Aid override to 1 within the ChurchSuite export.
Top Tip: You can view whether funds have been set as Gift Aid eligible within the fund settings screen.
(2) Donation Method - Gift Aid is pre-handled by the payment processor
ExpensePlus automatically excluded donations that have been given via a donation method where Gift Aid will/should have already been claimed if the donor could Gift Aid it (and therefore ChurchSuite shouldn't Gift Aid it, since it would result in a duplicate claim for the same donations). This happens where the donation method of a donation is set to:
- Parish Giving Scheme
- Stewardship
- CAF Donate
- CAF Payroll Giving
- Charities Trust
- Charitable Giving
- Give a Little
- LoveGiving
Click on a donation to view the donation method that has been set.
Note: donations which have donation method 'ChurchSuite' are automatically excluded from the export since ChurchSuite already has the information for these donations.
(3) Gift Aid claimed within ExpensePlus
If you are choosing to export donations to ChurchSuite then it's highly recommended that you do NOT claim Gift Aid within ExpensePlus and you do NOT record any Gift Aid declaration data within ExpensePlus (this should be done directly within ChurchSuite).
It's therefore highly unlikely that Gift Aid would be claimed on a donation within ExpensePlus (but if it were to be, then the override flag in the ChurchSuite export would be set to 1 to prevent a duplicate claim on that donation).
Note: if you are using the Gift Aid functionality within ChurchSuite rather than ExpensePlus and you wish to specifically exclude a donation (e.g. because a donor has told you not to claim on a specific donation), you should do so within ChurchSuite (not ExpensePlus).