Joint contributions
A joint contribution is a contribution that is made by more than one person using a single check or other written instrument. Absent written instructions to the contrary, a committee must treat a joint contribution as though the individuals participating in the contribution made their contributions separately, and itemize them separately on Schedule A as required.
Reporting on candidate forms
House and Senate committees report joint contributions from individuals on Form 3, Line 11(a). If the check or statement does not indicate how much should be attributed to each donor, the committee will attribute the contribution in equal portions. The contributions are itemized on Schedule A, supporting Line 11(a)(i), when they:
- Exceed $200 or
- Aggregate over $200 when added to other contributions received from the same source during the election cycle.
For example, if a committee receives a $5,400 joint contribution signed by two individuals but with no written attribution, the committee must attribute a $2,700 contribution to each contributor.
To report the $5,400 joint contribution in the example, the committee reports two contributions - one for each person - on Schedule A, supporting Line 11(a)(i). It includes the name, mailing address, employer, occupation, receipt date and amount, election designation, and aggregate election cycle-to-date total for each of the contributors.
Reporting with FECFile
To enter a joint contribution, go to the Summary Page tab, right click on “Line 11(a) Individual contributions,” select “new,” and enter the information for the first contributor. Repeat the steps to enter information for the second contributor.
