Hiring a clergy accountant involves several considerations to ensure they are well-versed in the unique financial aspects of religious organizations:

  1. Expertise: Make sure the accountant has relevant experience with clergy or nonprofit organizations. Ask about their understanding of clergy-specific tax laws and church-specific financial matters, such as housing allowances and restricted gifts.

  2. Recommendations: Get recommendations from other clergy, churches or religious organizations. References can provide valuable insights into an accountant’s reliability and expertise.

  3. Interview: Conduct interviews with potential candidates. Ask questions like how they handle dual employment status for clergy, their experience with tax return preparation for churches, and their approach to accounting for restricted donations.

  4. Data Protection: Ensure that the accountant has strong policies in place to protect sensitive financial information. This is crucial as they will handle confidential data.

  5. : Check whether the accountant participates in continuing professional education to stay updated on the latest clergy tax laws.

Since 1980, the tax service division of Clergy Financial Resources has provided individual tax consulting and services to religious professionals in all 50 states. 

Ministers are treated differently under the tax code than anyone else in the country and have advantages and disadvantages. Every client is unique, every situation is different. 

These days, the majority of ministers are using a professional tax preparer to assist with the preparation of taxes. Even if you have a simple return, the rules are constantly changing from year to year, so you don’t want to overlook any deductions. We have the expertise that is needed to help you file your returns while also helping you to minimize your tax liability with careful planning.

Our tax services are uniquely designed and bundled with three valuable services; Clergy Support which provides answers to your questions throughout the year; tax preparation to ensure compliance while minimizing your tax liability; Estimated Payment Support to prevent those unwanted surprises. Annual Tax Service starts as low as $500.00, base rate. The actual cost will vary and is determined by the base rate, time and the level of complexity.

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Clergy Financial Resources serves as a resource for clients to help analyze the complexity of clergy tax law, church payroll & HR issues. Our professionals are committed to helping clients stay informed about tax news, developments and trends in various specialty areas.

This article is intended to provide readers with guidance in tax matters. The article does not constitute, and should not be treated as professional advice regarding the use of any particular tax technique. Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information. Clergy Financial Resources and the author do not assume responsibility for any individual’s reliance upon the information provided in the article. Readers should independently verify all information before applying it to a particular fact situation, and should independently determine the impact of any particular tax planning technique. If you are seeking legal advice, you are encouraged to consult an attorney.

For more information or if you need additional assistance, please use the contact information below.

Clergy Financial Resources
11214 86th Avenue N.
Maple Grove, MN 55369

Tel: (888) 421-0101 
Fax: (888) 876-5101
Email: clientservices@clergyfinancial.com

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If you would like to learn more about our tax services designed for clergy or payroll, bookkeeping or HR designed for churches, please complete the request form to have an advisor contact you.

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