The tax organizer is designed to gather information from a wide variety of taxpayers, so you may notice that many of the questions do not apply to your specific situation. To make the process easier, we have created Help Guides that explain each organizer page in plain language.

Each Help Guide walks you through a specific page of the organizer, explaining:

• The purpose of the page and why the information is being requested.
• Whether the page applies to your situation or can be skipped.
• The documents or information you should gather before completing the page.
• Common mistakes and omissions that can delay the preparation of your return.
• Helpful tips to ensure your organizer is completed accurately the first time.

To get started, select the organizer page you are currently working on from the list below. You can also access the appropriate guide directly from within the organizer by clicking the Help Guide link located in the upper-right corner of each page. Following these guides can save time, reduce confusion, and help prevent the need for follow-up questions or additional review of your return.

  • Know what you can skip

    Every guide opens by telling you plainly whether the page applies to you. Most households can leave a third of the organizer blank, and skipping a page you do not need costs you nothing.

  • Know what it will take

    Each guide says roughly how long the page takes and exactly which documents to gather first — so you can sit down once with the right folder rather than three times with the wrong one.

  • Sidestep the usual delays

    Each one ends with the mistakes we see most often — a missing provider number, a housing allowance dated after the fact, a broker statement short of its cost basis pages.

Page3 Client Information Everyone completes this page — it is the one every other page is filed under. About 15 minutes

Page4 Estimated Payments If you sent the IRS or a state a payment of your own, or carried a refund forward. About 5 minutes Page5 Clergy Income If a church paid you anything in 2026 — even for part of the year, even with no W-2. About 20 minutes Page6 Additional Ministry Income If you were paid for weddings, funerals, guest preaching, chaplaincy or pulpit supply. About 15 minutes Page7 Non-Clergy Wages and Other Earned Income If either of you worked outside ministry, drew on a pension, or received Social Security. About 10 minutes Page8 Investment Income and Broker Statements If you have bank interest, dividends, a brokerage account, or any digital assets. About 10 minutes

Page9 Secular Business Income and Expenses If either of you was self-employed outside ministry — including a single 1099-NEC. Set aside 45 minutes Page10 Secular Business, continued Equipment you bought, stock you hold, a home office, or anyone you employed at home. About half an hour Page11 Rental and Royalty Income and Expenses If you rented out a house, a room or land — even at a loss, even to family. Set aside 45 minutes Page12 Sale of Personal Residence If you sold a home, are being paid for one over time, or pay or receive alimony. About half an hour

Page13 Education Tuition, student loan interest, or money in and out of a 529 or Coverdell account. About 20 minutes per student Page18 Dependent Care and Adoption If you paid someone to care for a child or dependent so you could work, or adopted. About 20 minutes Page21 Health Savings Accounts If either of you had an HSA — including one nothing was paid into, if money came out. About 15 minutes per account

Page14 Deductions Medical costs, insurance premiums, taxes you paid, and mortgage interest. Set aside half an hour Page15 Deductions, continued Your giving to church and charity, and what you paid yourself for a secular job. Set aside half an hour Page16 Non-Cash Contributions Gifts of clothing, furniture, household goods or a vehicle worth more than $500 to one charity. About half an hour

Page17 Clergy Housing for Primary Residence If any part of your pay was designated as housing, or you live in a parsonage. Set aside half an hour Page19 Clergy Auto and Mileage Expenses If you drove for ministry — to hospitals, members' homes, meetings, between churches. About 15 minutes Page20 Clergy Professional Expenses What you paid out of your own pocket for your ministry work and were not paid back. Set aside half an hour Page22 Additional Clergy Housing Only if you moved during the year, or served two churches with two designations. About 20 minutes

Page23 2027 Projected Income Worksheet If you already know of a raise, a retirement or a job change coming next year. About 15 minutes Page24 Additional Questions Everyone answers these — the answers decide whether a separate form has to be filed. About 10 minutes Page25 Refund and Balance Due Options Everyone signs this page. Your return cannot be filed until it is signed. About 10 minutes Page26 Payment Information for Services How our preparation fee is paid. This is our fee, not tax you owe. About 5 minutes Page27 Required Forms and Submission Instructions The checklist everyone works through last, and how to send everything back to us. About half an hour

Still not sure where something goes?

Please call 1.888.421.0101 or email clientservices@clergyfinancial.com. A member of our team will be glad to help — we would far rather answer a question while you are working than send your file back afterwards.

Clergy Financial Resources · Serving clergy and religious organizations exclusively since 1980