Lawsuit Challenging Clergy Housing Allowance Dropped
In 2009, the atheist group ” Freedom from Religion Foundation” filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Sections 107 and 265(1)(6) of the federal tax code, which establishes the housing allowance for ministers. Their argument stated that the unique benefit set aside for “ministers of the gospel” is a violation of the separation of church…
Department of Justice Appeals “Multiple Home” Housing Allowance Ruling
On May 24, 2011, the United States Department of Justice appealed the tax court decision made in the Philip Driscoll housing allowance case. In December 2010, the United States Tax Court ruled that clergy could use the parsonage allowance exclusion for two homes as long as they are both used exclusively as personal residences. Related…
President Signs Form 1099 Repeal Legislation – How It Will Affect Churches
On April 14, President Obama signed legislation repealing the Form 1099 filing requirements that were imposed under the Small Business Jobs Act and the Pension Protection and Affordable Care Act. The rules would have required churches to report any purchases of goods or services of more than $600 a year from another vendor to the…
How a Potential Federal Government Shutdown Will Affect the Tax Deadline
The absence of a budget agreement between Congress and the Obama administration could result in a shutdown of some federal government services beginning Saturday, April 9. In the event of a government shutdown, the IRS plans to continue accepting all tax returns, both electronically and paper filed. The IRS has stated that they will continue…
Programming Issue with Small Proportion of First Time Homebuyer Credit Claims
The IRS is having programming issue delaying the processing of a small percentage of returns for taxpayers who must repay the First Time Homebuyer Credit. The issue affects taxpayers reporting a sale or disposition of the home that qualified for the credit, which in most cases means taxpayers must repay the credit. The delay also…
IRS Sends 200,000 Balance Due Notices by Mistake
Due to a computer processing glitch, the IRS mailed 200,000 CP-14 balance due notices to taxpayers who filed electronically. These notices told the taxpayers that their balance was due by April 15, even if they had already designated automatic withdrawal from their bank accounts. These notices were not to be processed in the middle of…
New Tax Court Ruling on Clergy Housing Allowance & Multiple Homes
Phil Driscoll owns two homes. One in Cleveland Tennessee and a lake home outside of Cleveland Tennessee. Phil Driscoll is an ordained gospel minister. Phil Driscoll Ministries paid for both homes and it was excluded from his income under the Pastor’s Housing allowance under Section 107 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. The IRS…
Holidays & Weekends Affect 2011 Tax Deadlines
Every year, taxpayers in the United States have until April 15 to file their tax return or file an extension. Normally, the only exception is if April 15 falls on a Saturday, Sunday or national holiday. This year taxpayers get will an extra three days to file their 2010 tax returns due to a Washington …
IRS Delays Start of Filing Season For Some Taxpayers
Clergy who claim deductions for home-mortgage interest, gifts to charity and state and local taxes will have to wait until middle to late February to file their 2010 returns. The Internal Revenue Service attributed the late start of the filing season to changes in tax law for 2010 that were finished last week. The agency…
How the Obama tax bill will affect church employees
On December 17, 2010, President Obama signed into law H.R. 4853, the Tax Relief Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act Of 2010, which will affect every U.S. employer and several areas of payroll, tax and benefits administration in January. Back in 2008, after the passage of the 2008 stimulus package, many taxpayers received $300…
