Guide to Minister’s Compensation
You may find it helpful to begin by considering the goals of a compensation package. A church should provide its staff with adequate income so that they can fulfill their roles without undue concern about current and future financial needs. Freedom from financial anxiety lets the minister focus on his or her service. It also helps your church…
It’s Time To Stop Making Payroll Mistakes
Payroll is complicated. There are a lot of tasks, laws, forms, and calculations. With so many things to remember, it’s easy to make a mistake. You should not take payroll errors lightly. Mistakes can result in penalties, interest, and even jail time. The best way to avoid payroll mistakes is by knowing what to look…
What Should The Gift Acknowledgement Letter Contain?
Prompt and thoughtful gift acknowledgments are central to reporting compliance. IRS regulations govern what documentation donors need in order to claim a deduction for their charitable contribution. It’s helpful to have the sample template ready to send out that can be customized as donations arrive, and it’s imperative to have a good system for recording…
Flat-dollar Reimbursements Taxable
Question: Employees often use their personal cell phones for church business. The church requires that they submit monthly expense reports and they’re reimbursed through an accountable plan. The church board wants to ditch the paperwork and just pay flat-dollar allowances to employees every month. Would that be taxable? Answer: Yes, the allowances would be taxable because…
Clergy Housing Lands in Seventh Circuit
Churches and the IRS joined forces Wednesday before a sympathetic Seventh Circuit panel to argue that a 65-year-old income tax housing exemption for clergy members does not violate the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause. “The court has to take history into account,” said attorney Luke Goodrich of the nonprofit law firm Becket, a public-interest firm representing…
Can employees take home old computers for free?
Question: Our church just completed a major upgrade of everyone’s computers. The computers that were replaced were ancient by today’s standards. Rather than throw them out, one staff member suggested that employees take their old computers home. He also said that since the computers are old, we don’t have to worry about taxes. The church board is uncomfortable with this nontaxable suggestion….
So You’ve Lost Your Social Security Card
Losing important documents is frustrating, especially something as important as your Social Security card. You’ll want to consider whether you really need to get a replacement card. Knowing your number is what’s important, after all. You’ll rarely need the card itself — perhaps only when you get a new job and have to show it…
What should the church include as income on a pastor’s W-2?
The first thing to understand is that the income tax code takes the position that any money paid to or for an employee is income unless specifically excluded by the tax code. In addition to the pastor’s base salary, there are some items the church may provide as fringe benefits to the pastor or other employees that…
How To Create A Cell Phone Reimbursement Policy
Creating a policy for employee mobile phone reimbursement can be tricky. Unlike the rules surrounding other ministry expenses, IRS regulations governing employee cell phone use are ambiguous and in a state of flux. To date, no single model of cell phone reimbursement has become an industry norm. Churches need to carefully consider the model through…
What Is a Church?
For purposes of U.S. tax law, churches are considered to be public charities, also known as Section 501(c)(3) organizations. As such, they are generally exempt from federal, state, and local income and property taxes. “Exempt” means they don’t have to pay these taxes. This is so even though they may earn substantial amounts of money. Not just anybody…
