IRS INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR CHECKLIST
Mistakenly classifying an employee as an Independent Contractor can result in significant fines and penalties. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) uses twenty factors to determine whether or not an employer has enough control over a worker in order for that individual to be classified as an employee. Designed only as a guideline, this checklist can…
Implementing Background Checks
HR Q & A: Q: We don’t typically do background checks, but we’re hiring a new position who will have access to sensitive information. We want to do a background check for this position, but since we’ve never done one for anyone else, we’re worried it would look discriminatory. A: You may conduct background checks…
Health Care Reform Changes Effective July 1
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Department of Labor (DOL) issued guidance (DOL technical release 2013-03 and IRS Notice 2013-54) that may impact how your church funds medical coverage for some employees. The guidance states that, effective July 1, 2015, organizations may no longer directly pay premiums for an individual health insurance policy [a health…
HR Q&A: Verifying a Disability
Question: One of our employees has asked for an accommodation. Her desk currently faces a wall, and she has asked to move, claiming that for medical reasons she needs to be able to see at a farther distance whenever she looks up. Is it appropriate to ask for medical documentation before considering her request? HR…
Seven Steps to Take if You Receive a Notice from the IRS
After tax season ends, we all breathe a sigh of relief. We’re done with the annual tedious task of filing our taxes. For some people, though, the relief is short-lived, and ends when they receive a notice from the IRS. If you are one of the millions of people that receives a notice, step one…
Beginners Guide to Required Employee Information
When hiring new employees, you might find the process of collecting new hire information time consuming and tedious. To ensure a pleasant experience by all parties, it’s a good idea to keep a template of forms—in either an electronic format or a hard copy packet. The packet should contain all forms required to keep on…
HR Topic: Communicate to Employees What is Expected of Them
A well-written handbook provides employees with a clear understanding of their responsibilities. The handbook also serves as a compass for the organization’s policies and procedures. For example, it advises employees what the procedures are for requesting time off or a vacation. It advises employees whom they should contact when they have an unscheduled absence (and…
IRS Offer Temporary Relief For Churches That Pay Individual Health Premiums
IRS Clarifies Individual Health Plan Premium Reimbursements The IRS recently issued a notice that provides transitional relief to churches who provide reimbursements for their employees to purchase individual health insurance. Prior to this latest guidance, any reimbursed premiums and other medical reimbursement arrangements would be included as taxable income in 2014. As with all things…
IRS Announces 2015 Mileage Rates
The Internal Revenue Service has announced the 2015 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for ministry, business, charitable, medical or moving purposes. The ministry/business rate is increasing from the 2014 rate, while the medical and moving mileage rates are decreasing from last year. The charitable rate is…
Housing Allowance Withstands Atheist Challenge
Today, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a 2013 ruling by U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb that identified the housing allowance benefit for clergy(IRS Code §107(2)) unconstitutional. The original lawsuit, filed by the Freedom From Religion Foundation argued that the parsonage allowance exclusion violates the separation of church and state and the constitutional guarantee…