I can’t file because they won’t give me a W-2!
Most taxpayers will receive their W-2 forms in January and file their returns, no problem. But what do you do if your employer won’t give you a W-2, or they refuse to correct it? IRS expects you to contact your employer and try to fix it with them, first. Make sure to document your attempts…
Avoid Classifying Employees as Independent Contractors
Q. Can churches classify paid workers as independent contractors to avoid paying FICA or withholding income taxes from them? A. No. Churches cannot classify paid workers as independent contractors in an effort to save money. They must follow the law. For a non-clergy employee, the church generally must withhold income and FICA (Social Security and…
Reporting taxable perks for pastors – Q&A
Question: Our pastors are allowed to charge their gym memberships on the church credit card. Is there a specific box on the W-2 where this is reported? Answer: No. The full fair market value of gym memberships is taxable and reportable on the pastor’s W-2s as wages in Box 1.
FLSA Changes: Updating Your Policies and Practices
Have you reviewed your policies and practices in light of the upcoming overtime changes? Reclassified employees may have to follow procedures and policies that didn’t apply to them before—or that you didn’t have. Changing habits can be a challenge, but changing those of your formerly exempt employees with respect to hours worked and tracked is…
Church Responsibilities – I-9 Audit
In accordance with federal law, all individuals hired by the church are required to establish and certify their identity and right to work in the United States. Individuals employed in the United States are required to complete Section 1 of the Form I-9 no later than their first day of employment. This may be completed…
Payroll Compliance – Form I-9
We receive a lot of questions about the I-9—the form used to verify the identity and employment authorization of all individuals hired for employment in the United States. Here are some of the most common: 1: How Should I-9s Be Stored? Separately. We recommend that you keep all I-9s in either a separate master file or…
Cut-Off Date for 1040 Documents
This message is intended for Clergy Financial Resources clients who extended their 1040 return to October 15th. If you turn in your 2018 tax organizer and supporting tax documents by close of business on Mon, Sept. 16th, Clergy Financial Resources can guarantee filing by the October 15th deadline. If you miss the Sept. 16th cut-off,…
A New Benefit: Student Loan Repayment
Churches looking for new ways to compensate their clergy or attract new clergy must distinguish themselves from other churches. Creative benefit packages often do the trick, particularly if they address specific needs. With more and more seminary graduates entering the workforce and more and more of them graduating with substantial debt, some churches have created…
Refunds Lost After Three Years
IRS does not charge any penalties for filing your 1040 return late if you are due a refund, but don’t put off filing for too long. IRS has a three year statute of limitations on refunds, starting with the original due date of the return. This means that if you file after the three year…
Third Estimated Payment Due Sept. 16th
As Summer comes to a close, Clergy and other Self-Employed individuals prepare to make their third estimated tax payment for the year. The third payment is normally due September 15th, but since the 15th falls on a Sunday, the due date is pushed to Monday the 16th. If you used Clergy Financial Resources to prepare…
