On occasion, Reliant field workers may receive gift cards from friends and relatives who are also MTD donors. Examples of these occasions may be birthday or holiday gifts normally exchanged with close relatives and friends. While these types of gifts may occur in the normal course of life, when the gift-giver is also a Reliant donor, it is important to bear certain things in mind:
- Gifts, including gift cards, given to a Reliant field worker in the normal course of life (such as the example cited above) may be kept by the field worker.
- Personal gifts, including gift cards, are not donations to Reliant. They should not be represented as Reliant donations, and they are not tax-deductible like other donations to MTD accounts and other Reliant ministry funds.
- Personal gifts should never be given or received in lieu of normal donations to field workers' MTD accounts. For example, gifts should not be given and received:
- At regular intervals (e.g., monthly or quarterly)
- In response to a fundraising request
- In significant amounts exceeding the value of gifts typically exchanged in the normal course of life
- Gift cards are considered cash equivalents and may have personal income tax implications when given by field workers' donors. While Reliant does not get involved in the giving and receiving of personal gift cards given to field workers in the normal course of life, as with other personal income tax matters, we encourage you to consult your tax advisor if you have any questions or concerns on this subject.
Key Change to Standard: Reliant employees are no longer required to send gift cards they receive to Reliant for processing as an anonymous gift.
