Author: Benjamin Katz

If your committee needs to file via NetFile, and the Efile Report to Local Button is not available, it’s a similar process to filing with EFS:

1. Download the .cal file from our system
2. Go to Netfile’s Third Party Upload Page
3. Fill out the fields – you will need your Filer ID (not committee ID) & Filer Password
4. Click on Select CAL File to Upload and find your .cal file
5. Click on Submit File

When a filer receives a contribution via an intermediary, typically called a conduit or earmark, there are associated disclosure rules.

According to the FPPC, the conduit received date is the date that the committee, their treasurer, or other agent of the committee obtains possession or control of the check. This is according to Advice Letter A-10-191.

This means we itemize intermediary transactions based on the whole/parent date.

If you choose to itemize based on the original contribution / split date, you can do that using the Itemize Cross-Period Conduit Contributions Based on Split Date checkbox when generating the report.

By default, Amazon Simple Email Service (AWS SES) works under a sandbox environment. In this space, only verified emails are allowed. Email verification happens during the account setup process.

The sandbox environment helps prevent fraud and abuse, which in turn keeps the email sender’s reputation clean during the test period.

Once the test period is completed you can request to move out of sandbox mode. AWS documentation contains extensive information on how to complete the request to exit the sandbox environment and into a live one.

Please note that your sending capabilities will be limited until you exit the sandbox environment.

Some filers want to show Conduit Contributions based on the original contribution date vs when the contribution was transferred to / received by the Filer Committee.

This new checkbox allows for that! If you check this box, any split monetary contribution when the whole has tag “Conduit-Conduit Check” will pull to the report based on the split date rather than the whole  (see the “How Do I Enter Conduit and Earmarked Transactions?” page for additional information if needed)

This option really only impacts the split contributions are dated in the current period, with the whole dated in the next future period.

If you decide to use this option, this MUST be used for all report periods – this option cannot be toggled on or off depending on the data for a specific report period, as this option impacts starting and ending cash on hand.

In addition, if you have already filed reports, selecting this option could negatively impact your starting and ending cash on hand. You may need to file amendments of all previously filed reports with the new checkbox checked in order to assure your cash on hand is correct.

When a Joint Fundraising Committee (JFC) transfers net proceeds to joint fundraising participants, it is reported as a Transfer to Affiliated Committees on Line 22 of the FEC Form 3X. If your JFC committee files a Form 3, it would be reported as a Transfer to Other Authorized Committee on Line 18.

Multi-Dimensional Budgeting allows you to track Budget Categories in multiple ways. For example, it might be used by a large organization that has multiple physical branches that run semi-independently in different states. That organization could add a dimension called Branch, which would allow them to track their transactions by both Budget Category and Branch.

When using multi-dimensional budgeting, each budget category is assigned to a single dimension. Continuing with the example above, this organization might have categories with the Branch dimension for California, Texas, and New Mexico.

Then when adding and editing transactions, a budget category is selected for each dimension, allowing a transaction to be categorized in multiple ways.

If you haven’t yet, first install the Multi-Dimensional Budgeting tool by going to Add/Remove Tool under the Tools tab. Once this is done or if it already installed, you can access the Budget Dimensions page by clicking the blue Dimensions button at the bottom of the Budget Categories page. On this page you can add, edit, and delete Budget Dimensions.

Dimensions are an available field to search for in the Transactions report.

Default Budget Category

Each additional budget dimension must have a budget category assigned as default. This is used for two purposes: 

(1) On initial creation of the budget dimension, all existing transactions are assigned that budget category for the new dimension.

(2) When transactions are imported without additional budget dimension categories specified, the default category is used.

NOTES:

• NH efiling does not support the concept of splits or memos. Typically states want to see where the money originated/ended up, so we itemize splits as cash-impact transactions, and do not itemize the whole/parent transaction.
• NH efiling does not support the concept of negative transactions, so they are listed as positive receipts on the opposite schedule. (ie: reversed receipts as positive expenses; reversed expenses as positive receipts)

DETAILED SUMMARY PAGE

RECEIPTS TOTALS
Line 1 – Itemized Receipts

• Transaction Type(s): Monetary Contribution
• All contributions over $50 will be itemized

Line 2 – Unitemized Receipts

• Transaction Type(s): Enforceable Pledge Payment, Monetary Contribution, Other Income, Reversed Expense, Loan Received
• The Column B totals are calculated with the data provided in the Previous Total of Receipts Unitemized field on the Reports Generation Screen

Line 3- Interest Earned

• Transaction Type(s): Interest Earned, Reversed Expense
• This was the best place to list reversed expenses – as a positive receipt that is not a contribution
• This line total will be of itemized transactions; unitemized will pull to Line 2

Line 4 – Loans Received

• Transaction Type(s): Loans Received
• This line total will be of itemized transactions; unitemized will pull to Line 2

Line 5 – Returned Receipts

• Transaction Type(s): Refunded Contribution
• All Refunded Contributions will pull to this line, regardless of amount

Line 6 – Total Receipts

• The sum of Lines 1-4, minus Line 5

EXPENDITURES TOTALS
Line 7 – Itemized Expenditures (excluding Independent Expenditures)

• Transaction Type(s): Accrued Expense Payment, Expense, Support/Oppose Memo without tag IE to Support or IE to Oppose, Loan Received Repayment, Reversed Monetary Contribution, Reversed Other Income
• All expenditures over $50 will be itemized

Line 8 – Unitemized Expenditures (excluding Independent Expenditures)

• Transaction Type(s): Accrued Expense Payment, Expense, Support/Oppose Memo either with or without tag IE to Support or IE to Oppose, Reversed Monetary Contribution, Reversed Other Income

Line 9 – Independent Expenditures

• Transaction Type(s): Support/Oppose Memo with tag IE to Support or IE to Oppose
• IEs have a different itemization amount – IEs over $1000 instead of $50 will be itemized
• This line total will be of itemized transactions; unitemized will pull to Line 8

Line 10 – Loan Payments

• Transaction Type(s): Loans Received Repayment
• This line total will be of itemized transactions; unitemized will pull to Line 8

Line 11 – Returned Expenditures

• Transaction Type(s): Refunded Expense
• All Refunded Expenses will pull to this line, regardless of amount

Line 12 – Total Expenditures

• The sum of Lines 7-9, minus Lines 10 & 11

LOAN TOTALS
Line 13 – Outstanding Loan Balance Due (from Previous Reporting Period)

• Amount will auto-populate the outstanding balance due at the start of the period

Line 13a – Loan Interest Owed

• This line is unsupported at this time. Please contact support if required

Line 14 – Loans Received

• Transaction Type(s): Loan Received

Line 15 – Loan Payments Made

• Transaction Type(s): Loan Received Repayment

Line 16 – Loan Forgiven

• Transaction Type(s): Loan Received Balance Reduction

Line 17 – Outstanding Loan Balance at Close of Reporting Period

• Amount will auto-populate the outstanding balance due at the end of the period

INKIND TOTALS
Line 18 – Inkind (Non-Money) Receipts

• Transaction Type(s): Inkind Contribution
• These transactions will be itemized on the Receipts schedule

Line 19 – Returned Inkind (Non-Money) Receipts

• This line is unsupported at this time. Please contact support if required

Line 20 – Total  Inkind (Non-Money) Receipts

• Line 18 minus Line 19

Line 21 – Inkind (Non-Money) Expenditures

• Transaction Type(s): Non-Monetary Expense
• These transactions will be itemized on the Expenses schedule

Line 22 – Returned Inkind (Non-Money) Expenditures

• This line is unsupported at this time. Please contact support if required

Line 23 – Total  Inkind (Non-Money) Receipts

• Line 21 minus Line 22

Line 22 – Inkind (Non-Money) Transaction Balance

• Line 20 minus Line 23

SUMMARY PAGE

Line A – Balance at the Beginning of this Period

• Amount will auto-populate the Starting Cash on Hand for the start of the period

Line B – Total Monetary Receipts

• Column 1 will pull the Line 6 Period total from the Detailed Summary Page
• Column 2 will pull the Line 6 Campaign to Date total from the Detailed Summary Page

Line C- Inkind (Non-Money) Receipts

• Column 1 will pull the Line 18 Period total from the Detailed Summary Page
• Column 2 will pull the Line 18 Campaign to Date total from the Detailed Summary Page

Line D – Number of Contributors

• Column 1 will calculate the number of transactions on the Receipts schedule – including Monetary Contributions, Enforceable Pledge Payments, Inkind Contributions, Reversed Expenses, Refunded Contributions, Other Income and Loans Received – for the period
• Column 2 will calculate the number of transactions on the Receipts schedule – including Monetary Contributions, Enforceable Pledge Payments, Inkind Contributions, Reversed Expenses, Refunded Contributions, Other Income and Loans Received – for the cycle starting the day after the Previous General Election Date, as provided on the Report Generation Screen

Line E – Number of Receipts Unitemized

• Column 1 will calculate the number of unitemized transactions on the “Receipts” schedule – including Monetary Contributions, Enforceable Pledge Payments, Inkind Contributions, Reversed Expenses, Other Income and Loans Received – for the period
• Column 2 will add the number of unitemized transactions in the period (as found in Column 1) with the Previous Number of Receipt Unitemized, as provided on the Report Generation Screen

Line F – Total Receipts

• Column 1 is the sum of Column 1 for Lines B + C
• Column 2 is the sum of Column 2 for Lines B + C

Line G – Total Monetary Expenditures

• Column 1 will pull the Line 12 Period total from the Detailed Summary Page
• Column 2 will pull the Line 12 Campaign to Date total from the Detailed Summary Page

Line H – Number of Independent Expenditures

• Column 1 will calculate the number of itemized IE transactions for the period
• Column 2 will calculate the number of itemized IE transactions for the cycle starting the day after the Previous General Election Date, as provided on the Report Generation Screen

Line I – Inkind (Non-Money) Expenditures

• Column 1 will pull the Line 23 Period total from the Detailed Summary Page
• Column 2 will pull the Line 23 Campaign to Date total from the Detailed Summary Page

Line J – Total Expenditures

• Column 1 is the sum of Column 1 for Lines G + I
• Column 2 is the sum of Column 2 for Lines G + I

Line K – (Cash) Balance at the End of this Reporting Period

• This is the total of Column 1, Lines A + B – G

Line L – Outstanding Loan Balance

• This will pull the Line 17 total from the Detailed Summary Page

Line M – Available Funds

• This is the total of Column 1, Line K minus Line L

The Bulk Update tool allows you to itemize transactions regardless of their amount.

1. Click the Reports menu and then click Financial.
2. Select the Transactions report from the Report drop-down menu.
3. Now, you need to set up a report to isolate the transactions you’re trying to itemize. For example, if you want to itemize five Expenses from April that are $100 each, you’d input Expense as the Transaction Type, $0-$100 for the Amount Range, and April 1st through April 30th for the Date Range.
4. Once you’ve set up a report to isolate the transactions, hit Generate. Scroll down to the results and verify that the correct transactions have been isolated.
5. If everything looks good, hit Actions and then Bulk Update.
6. Hit Update again and then hit Update Force Itemize.