Ministers working for a church or church agency should receive a Form W-2 by January 31, 2011. Ministers who report their federal income taxes as self-employed on Form 1099, may face a significant risk of additional taxes and penalties, if they are audited and reclassified as employees by the IRS. Before you file your 2010 tax return, you should make sure you have all the needed documents including all your Forms W-2. If you haven’t received your W-2, follow these five steps:

  1. Contact your church if you have not received your W-2 and inquire if and when the W-2 was mailed. If it was mailed, it may have been returned to the church because of an incorrect or incomplete address. After contacting the church, allow a reasonable amount of time for them to resend or to issue the W-2.
  2. Verify that your W2 form is completed and correct. In 2009, 60% of clergy W-2 forms were issued in error by churches and payroll companies.
  3. Contact the IRS if you do not receive your W-2 by February 14th, contact the IRS for assistance at 800-829-1040. When you call, you must provide your name, address, city and state, including zip code, Social Security number, phone number and have the following information: Employer’s name, address, city and state, including zip code, phone number and dates of employment, an estimate of the wages you earned, the federal income tax withheld, and when you worked for that employer during 2010. The estimate should be based on year-to-date information from your final pay stub or leave-and-earnings statement, if possible.
  4. File your return or request an extension to file April 18, 2011, even if you do not receive your Form W-2. If you have not received your Form W-2 by the due date, and have completed steps 1 through 3, you may use Form 4852, Substitute for Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement. Attach Form 4852 to the return, estimating income and withholding taxes as accurately as possible.  There may be a delay in any refund due while the information is verified.
  5. File a Form 1040X if you receive your missing W-2 after you filed your return using Form 4852, and the information may be different from what you reported on your return. If this happens, you must amend your return by filing a Form 1040X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return

Source: IRS Clergy Financial Resources https://www.clergyfinancial.com Clergy Financial Resources is a national accounting and finance organization serving churches and clergy since 1980. They have an unparalleled tax expertise on the complex issues associated with clergy tax law, clergy taxes, clergy compensation and church payroll. Clergy Financial Resources is a valuable resource for clergy, churches and denominations.

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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.

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