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As someone said below, keep clear, meticulous records.
Keep every receipt.
If this is for taxes, ask your / her accountant / tax person.
If you are inquiring for Medi-caid or another government entity, ask them.
You can't be too careful or save too much documentation (i.e., receipts).
How long have you been doing this?
If over a year, who are you/r mom accountable to?
Is there a reason you want to (continue) to charge on your cr card vs hers? or a joint card or joint bank account? (I understand if you get points or something for using ... I did that too for AmTrak train travel 'points' for many years w/clients. I keep every receipt - got / get reimbursed.). There may be different criteria since this is your mother and I had this arrangement (get reimbursed) from clients' expenses' I would purchase). I provided an invoice for "direct services" and a separate section for "expense reimbursement" - date of purchase, what, where with copy of receipts). Then, for my own tax records, I showed check amount and 1) payment for my services/work and 2) reimbursement for expenses) - to make sure I wasn't being taxed on reimbursable expenses. I haven't had any problem over the last 12+ years.
Gena / Touch Matters
I kept a separate excel worksheet for all of my Mom's expenses and whether she or I or someone else paid for it. Then on that same sheet, I also recorded the date of when I got reimbursed or whomever got reimbursed for that particular item.
I also kept all the credit card receipts itemizing what got purchased. People did not get reimbursed unless I had an itemized receipt.
It was very handy for tax time because then I had all of her expenses itemized, regardless of who paid for it, so that I could review her potential tax deductions (e.g. property tax, charity, prescriptions, doctor's office).
I was thinking that this trail would be needed to justify why my Mom transferred money from her account to mine, in case anyone asked.
Ideally, you shouldn't co-mingle funds, but in most cases, that just isn't possible.
My DH is now executing his mom's estate. I am shocked at how much money flew back and forth from his YS and his mom. I don't CARE..it's just messy and DH is calling YS daily to clear up purchases and such.
Dh says it's fine b/c he totally trusts his sibs. Well, he does, I don't and I don't want something coming back to bite him.
It won't be a problem with the sibling, but with their spouse, who, in my opinion, has NOTHING to say in the execution of finances. The only person who worries me is YS's DH. I remember him being way too involved when DH executed his dad's estate. He and YS got the 'lion's share' in that estate and will with MIL's too. It kept BIL from fussing. ( My DH won't 'do' confrontation).
I flipped FIL's condo, all by myself and BIL show up at random times and demand to see the receipts. Made me so mad, I could have slapped him. HE wouldn't allow me to charge the estate for my time and I was only 'allowed' a budget of $5K.
Then when the remodel was over, BIL sold the condo the day it listed for full asking price and took a $10K commission.
I kept absolutely perfect records and BIL made me hand them over. I'm still steaming over this and this was 20 years ago.
Keep perfect records. You never know what's going to come down the pike.
I do want to make a statement with joint POAs, Many post on the Forum that one person should be handling the accounts with the second as a back up. In addition to the bank account. I had my brother's name without holding any of the checkbooks or credit cards. He was my back up if anything happened to me. Only the court recognized me for filing paperwork but it would have allowed enough time to keep bills paid and my brother would have gone to probate to become legal conservator if needed. His name was also on my mom's POA it is just I had the first legal standing and was willing to accept accountability. It is just that during the in between stage, when mom was being scammed, her POA and the way it was written, was not recognized at the time.
One thing I learned after all the things that happened to me is to keep very good records of what you spent, the receipts of all you spent because there might be one day someone turns you in. For me it was being turned into social security I was my BIL's rep payee. It was the last straw for me family can be cruel. If anything to do with money keep the receipts for everything. I did that and that is what saved me from going to jail. I proved I spent every dime on his care. I also kept written records of what I spent on him.
Prayers
Just keep impeccable records, is all I'll say. Documentation with receipts for everything you are buying/being reimbursed for.
Put as much as you can on auto Bill Pay through the bank for her monthly expenses and the rest, set up an amazon.com account connected to a credit card. Amazon generates digital invoices that stay in the account and is itemized, with dates and where things were shipped.
At the end of the month, I wrote myself a check from a checking account which had both my Dad's name and my name. I made a copy of that check before mailing to place in the 3-ring binder.
As you say, the important part is keeping CAREFUL and METICULOUS files of expenditure. I would say then, that the easiest was to pay is by check from an account set up that belongs to your mother and checks are signed by her name with you as POA and signee.
If you have questions about any of this do know that an elder law attorney, one hour of time, is ALSO paid by the POA documents as "expert advice" which you are allowed to seek. They can explain how best to do things.
The paper trail is the most important thing. You can also keep diaries of expenditures daily.
Wishing you the best.
My 104-yr old Aunt just had her credit card cancelled because her sister passed and was the primary account holder. She was rejected by the same cc company for her own card. Then she opened a money market account at her bank and they gave her a Visa card right then and there. But she could have used her debit card (the Visa gives her points, etc).
If you use the current method you need to keep all receipt that show what the items were and then only reimburse yourself the exact amount (no rounding up or down).
Are you your Mom's PoA?