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      Debts

Debts Unpaid bills and written contracts or agreements to make expenditures are considered debts. Report debts and obligations (other than loans) on Schedule D according to the following rules: A debt of $500 or less is reportable as of the time the payment is made or not later than 60 days after the date the debt is incurred (the date of the transaction, not the date the bill is received), whichever comes first. The debt is disclosed on the next regularly scheduled report.A debt exceeding $500 must be reported on the next report filed after the debt is incurred. Use separate Schedule D forms for debts owed by the committee and debts owed to the committee. Label each schedule accordingly. Regularly recurring administrative expenses, like rent and salaries, do not have to be treated as debts until payment is due. Reporting debts owed by the committee Use Schedule D to report: The outstanding amount owed on a debt or obligation including any unpaid interest accrued on a debt; andPayments made to reduce the debt. Schedule D instructions explain what additional information is required.
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      How to report
        Debts owed by the committee
 Reporting debts owed to the committee Report a debt owed to a committee on Schedule D if the debt exceeds $500 or has been outstanding 60 days. Such debts must be continuously reported by a committee until they are extinguished. Payments on the debt are also reported on Schedule D for the reporting period in which they are received until the debt is retired. The payments must also be reported on the appropriate line number of the Detailed Summary Page and itemized on Schedule A if necessary. Enter the Schedule D total of outstanding debts owed to a committee, plus the balance of outstanding loans carried over from Schedule C, on Line 9 of the Summary Page.
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          Estimating debtsHow to handle unpayable debtsHow to handle disputed debtsSettling debts for less than the amount owed Need help? Get help from the FEC by phone or email
 Legal citations Regulations 11 CFR 100.112Contracts, promises, and agreements to make expenditures 11 CFR 104.3(d)Reporting debts and obligations 11 CFR 104.11Continuous reporting of debts and obligations 11 CFR 116.6(c) Salary payments owed to employees


This information is not intended to replace the law or to change its meaning, nor does this information create or confer any rights for or on any person or bind the Federal Election Commission or the public. The reader is encouraged also to consult the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (52 U.S.C. 30101 et seq.), Commission regulations (Title 11 of the Code of Federal Regulations), Commission advisory opinions and applicable court decisions.


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