Required Flu Shots?
Our staff comes in close contact with elderly clients in our business. Can we require our employees to get seasonal flu shots in order to protect the health of our clients? Generally speaking, if employees do not have employment or union contracts that alter the nature of their at-will employment, employers with a business reason…
Housing Allowance Withstands Atheist Challenge
Today, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a 2013 ruling by U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb that identified the housing allowance benefit for clergy(IRS Code §107(2)) unconstitutional. The original lawsuit, filed by the Freedom From Religion Foundation argued that the parsonage allowance exclusion violates the separation of church and state and the constitutional guarantee…
Deductions for Charitable Contributions May Be Challenged by IRS
Clergy are allowed an income tax deduction for charitable contributions made during a tax year to qualifying organizations. Cash contributions must be substantiated by cancelled checks or receipts from the donee organization showing the organization’s name, date and amount of the donation or other reliable information. Gifts of property must be substantiated by similar receipts…
2015 Tax Year Updates
In advance of the new calendar year coming up, the Internal Revenue Service has announced several changes to tax laws starting in January 2015. Here are a few of the highlights that are common for clergy. Standard Deduction – Single $6,300 (up from $6,200 in 2014) – Married Filing Jointly $12,600 (up from$12,400 in 2014)…
HR Hot Topic: Late Timesheets?
Our employees often don’t turn their timesheets in on time. If an employee doesn’t submit his sheet on time, can we delay processing his paycheck until the next pay period? Getting employees to turn timesheets in on time can be a challenging problem for employers. It is the employer’s obligation to pay employees on the…