Whether it is through resignation or retirement, a Church may agree to pay severance pay when a Minister leaves a position. In almost all cases, this severance pay is considered taxable income to the pastor or minister. The question then arises- could you designate this severance pay as housing? This is actually a question of…
If you’re building a new home or you’re renovating an existing home, you may be wondering: Can I include these construction expenses for my housing allowance? The IRS and federal tax courts have been very clear that Ministers are only permitted to use one residence for the housing allowance. If you have two homes, you…
When the House convenes next Wednesday, it is expected to vote on the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act, a standalone bill that would, among other things, lengthen the time churches may spend the funds from their PPP loans. The bill would also eliminate the requirement that 75 percent of a loan’s proceeds must be spent on…
The United States has a “pay as you go” tax system. The IRS expects payment of income tax and other taxes throughout the year, rather than receiving a lump sum payment. For most people, this is covered by W-2 withholding, but members of the clergy are exempt from mandatory withholding. You must make estimated payments…
If you are still expecting to receive stimulus payments from the IRS in the form of a paper check, there may be a surprise coming in their mailbox soon. The U.S. Treasury Department has announced that the IRS will begin sending out stimulus payments on prepaid debit cards instead of mailing paper checks. With these…
The Treasury Department has released the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Forgiveness Application. Click here
Selecting a tax advisor or accounting firm may seem easy at first. There are two types of professional services within our industry. The first type is called a “Generalist”, which prepares any and all returns for the public at large. They may have a limited number of clergy returns or none at all. They do…
Dr. Michael Osterholm – Pandemic and reopening in-person worship. This video was presented through the Minneapolis Synod. https://www.facebook.com/mplssynod/videos/619998971928161/
The COVID-19 outbreak has hurt the U.S. economy to a degree beyond what many of us could have imagined. Thankfully, the $2 trillion CARES Act has already been providing relief in the form of $1,200 stimulus payments that started hitting Americans’ bank accounts in April. But there’s still a lot of confusion surrounding those stimulus checks, so…
The IRS announced Friday that time is running out for ministers and other taxpayers to go to the Get My Payment website to enter their direct deposit information in order to receive an electronic economic impact payment. You must enter your bank account information, if needed, by noon on Wednesday, May 13. After that date, any stimulus…
