It's Dues Time!

The most wonderful time of the year

Ah, the signs of spring: cherry blossoms, warmer weather, and longer days. And membership dues. Yep, it's that time of year we all know and love: dues time.

While the vast majority of members pay their dues on time-and we thank you-that still leaves a small number in arrears. From an ethical perspective, I find this troubling. After all, failure to pay membership dues on time leads to late penalties (at the very least) and expulsion (at the very worst). You remember how hard it was to earn your CA designation; are you really eager to throw it away? Do you really want to pay a $250 application fee, on top of late penalties and dues, to get your designation back?

For providing the following information, I thank Anna Piccolo, the ICABC's member records coordinator and assistant accountant, and Jennifer Neher, our member records and accounts receivable representative. These two know first-hand the lengths the Institute must go to when chasing down outstanding dues.

Now I'd like to share this information with you.

The "skinny" on late penalties

Every year, the annual membership dues billings arc sent out in April, with May 31 as the deadline for payment without penalty.

To ensure that the vast majority of our membership doesn't have to pay for the few who don't pay on time (many of whom are repeat offenders), the ICABC levies significant penalties: 10% of the dues total is charged as a late penalty on June 1; July 1; and again on August 1.

We don't enjoy charging late penalties, so we make every effort to remind members of their obligations. This year, we'll send out an email reminder one week prior to the May 31, 2004 deadline to those for whom we have email addresses. And, as always, late payers will receive statements after each late penalty kicks in.

"Dialling for Dollars"

Would you believe that in August, after the third set of late penalties have been levied, a number of the Institute's senior directors and managers participate in what has come to be known as "Dialling for Dollars"? Each member of our DD team is given a list of members and asked to track them down in order to convince them to pay their membership dues and penalties.

In many cases, the contact information on file is no longer valid, so staff members have to search "people-finder" wcbsitcs and contact relatives and previous employers. Never mind the administrative costs for issuing and processing late penalties, does forcing Institute staff to play detective sound like the most effective way to put your membership dollars to work? I think not. That's why it's so important to keep your membership records up to date. It's easy to clo: just email records@ica.bc.ca.

If members still fail to pay their dues and penalties by August 31, their names are put before Council for suspension. Continued failure to pay dues and penalties by September 30 results in cancellation of membership.

Sound harsh? Bear in mind that other professional organizations offer no leniency at all.

Excuses, excuses...

Here are some doozies we heard last yeat:

* "I ran out of cheques and forgot to reorder them."

* "I was on a sabbatical in Bora Bora and not getting my mail."

* "I thought my company paid my dues directly."

* "I WOULD pay on time if you sent the invoice AFTER tax season."

* "I've lost my invoice on my desk. Tax season can be pretty messy."

* "I thought I'd paid it, so I threw it away."

* "I didn't update my address when I moved, so I didn't receive my invoice. How was I to know to pay my dues?"

And the list of lame-duck excuses goes on...

Options for those with legitimate difficulties

Some CAs have legitimate financial and/or medical difficulties. If you fall into this category, all we ask is that you let us know in advance of the May 31, 2004 deadline so we can discuss some options with you. For example, fee waivers are available for financial hardship or medical disability. There's also a waiver for members out of the workforce caring for dependants. And, with some members, we may set up a payment plan. To discuss your waiver options, contact Registrar Stephanie Langley at 604-488-2636 or by email at langley@ica.bc.ca.

Let us know what's going on so we can help. We treat all situations with complete confidentiality.

The message

I can't stress enough how important it is to pay your membership dues. Failure to do so not only costs you significant penalties, it can cost you your designation.

Dues questions? Contact Anna Piccolo at piccolo@ica.bc.ca or 604-488-2617; or Jennifer Neher at neher@ica.bc.ca or 604-488-2616.

Please note: For further details about annual membership dues and our member services, please visit our website www.ica.bc.ca under Member Resources/Dues.

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[Author Affiliation]

By Chris Utley, CA, Director of Ethics