Three Common Church Payroll Mistakes Payroll and taxes are usually a confusing topic for churches that can easily find themselves in trouble with the IRS if payroll taxes are not reported correctly. For churches, payroll taxes can be especially tricky due to the dual-tax status of their pastoral staff. There is a widespread misunderstanding among…
10 Reasons to Outsource Church Bookkeeping Managing church finances can be a daunting task even under the most favorable circumstances. Factor in complex tax reports, bank reconciliations, and ever-changing IRS and state guidelines, and you can guarantee church staff is overspending valuable time on workarounds for processes that could be intuitively streamlined. With Clergy Financial…
ICHRA Requirements for Reimbursement There are no limits to how much a church can offer for reimbursement under ICHRA. This is a big difference from QSEHRA which has rather restrictive limits. With ICHRA, churches can offer as much or as little as they’d like as long as it’s offered fairly to each class. In addition, employers can choose…
Can you modify housing allowance mid-year? The Housing Allowance can be amended (changed) as often as needed. We always recommend overestimating when designating a housing allowance. The goal would be to have enough of a buffer in the designation to end up with unused housing at the end of each year. This eliminates the need to…
2022 meals and entertainment deduction As part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act signed into law on December 27, 2020, the deductibility of meals changed. Food and beverages will be 100% deductible if purchased from a restaurant in 2021 and 2022. Here are some examples: Type of Expense Deduction Entertaining clients (sport events, club membership, golf games, etc.) 0%…
IRS raises standard mileage rate for second half of 2022 The IRS announced that it is increasing the optional standard mileage rate for the second half of 2022. Effective July 1, 2022, the standard mileage rate for ministry and business travel will increase by four cents per mile, to 62.5 cents per mile. The medical…
When Are 2021 Q2 Estimated Taxes Due? The tax system in the U.S. is “pay as you go,” so estimated taxes are due on a quarterly basis. The expectation is that each taxpayer will pay their estimated income and self-employment taxes due for the most recently-completed calendar quarter. The due date for the second quarter’s taxes, covering…
Can a church have different PTO policies for job categories? Employers can generally offer different PTO benefits to different employees as long as there is a valid and non-discriminatory business reason for doing so. We would recommend mentioning your policy variations in your employee handbook to be clear on the subject. With that said, it…
Starting a Nonprofit Organization: Insurance Coverage In all the busyness of completing state incorporation and applying for federal tax-exempt status, an item that often gets overlooked in starting a nonprofit organization is setting up proper insurance coverages. Often an organization is prompted to obtain insurance when a third party inquires about coverage, for example, when…
Starting a Nonprofit Organization: Federal Tax-Exempt Status Once a non-profit organization has been incorporated with the state, obtained a federal employee identification number, formed a board, and commenced operations, it can apply for tax-exempt status with the federal government. There are two major reasons why a nonprofit may desire tax-exempt status. First, exempt status allows…
