Reporting the Housing Allowance
The designated housing allowance may be reflected on Form W-2 in Box 14 with the notation, “Housing Allowance.” Though not required, this reporting method is suggested by Publication 517.
Or, a church can report the designated housing allowance to a minister by providing a statement separate from Form W-2. This may be in a memo or letter. The statement should not be attached to your income tax returns.
Your church may erroneously include the housing allowance on your Form W-2, Box 1. If this happens, the church should prepare a corrected form.
There is no requirement for the minister to account to the church for the actual housing expenses. Many ministers consider this as an intrusion into their personal finances. However, if the church requires this reporting, based on administrative discretion, the church would prepare Form W-2 with the adjusted housing allowance excluded. Under this approach, the excluded housing is always equal to or less than the housing designation.
Contact Clergy Financial Resources to help you with the next steps.
Clergy Financial Resources
Tax I Payroll I Bookkeeping I HR
11214 86th Avenue N.
Maple Grove, MN 55369
Tel: 1 (888) 421.0101
Fax: 1 (888) 876.5101
Pro Advisor Support
Schedule an Appointment
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