Tag Archives: pastor

New Tax Court Ruling on Clergy Housing Allowance & Multiple Homes

Phil Driscoll owns two homes. One in Cleveland Tennessee and a lake home outside of Cleveland Tennessee. Phil Driscoll is an ordained gospel minister. Phil Driscoll Ministries paid for both homes and it was excluded from his income under the Pastor’s Housing allowance under Section 107 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. The IRS…

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5 New Year’s Clergy Tax Resolutions

This year I will be more organized. I will make a tax file for the year. I will put important data in it during the year. I hate the stress of getting all my tax stuff together and crunching numbers, but every year it happens that way. Make one for 2010 as well, even though…

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Payroll for Churches and Religious Organizations

The end of the year is the perfect time to switch payroll companies. Clergy Financial Resources offers an easy online payroll management service that specifically meets the requirements of religious organizations. We have an unparalleled tax expertise on the complex issues associated with church payroll and clergy compensation. Sixty percent of churches do not follow…

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Church Paying for Cell Phone and Automobile

Reader Question: We (the church) pays for a cell phone and vehicle for our pastor. The church pays the insurance and owns the car but he is the only one that drives it. Do either of these “benefits” need to be taxable? P.A. Yes, both of these benefits are taxable. However, they are only partially…

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Clarifying the IRS Rules About Endorsing Candidates From The Pulpit

Recently in the news, there have been stories about clergy endorsing political candidates from the pulpit: Pastors Preach Politics from Pulpit– News42.com Hastings Pastor Defends Endrosement – WCCO.com Pastors, Not the Gov’t, Should Decide When They Can Speak About Candidates From the Pulpit – Christian Post Minnesota Pastors Plan to Endorse Candidates From the Pulpit…

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Top 10 Question of a New Call

The proposed salary package will normally represent the previous pastor’s salary package or the guidelines set by your organization. 1- Does the church provide a social security allowance? 15.3% or 7.65% of salary and housing. 2- Does the church provide for the supplemental medical insurance? 3-Does the church provide a 100% professional accountable reimbursement plan?…

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Year end tax strategies for clergy

Here’s a quick checklist of tax savings strategies to consider and apply before the end of December: 1. Make Charitable Contributions and Donations: Generally, for individuals, contributions to tax-exempt charitable organizations are limited to 50 percent of the taxpayer’s adjusted gross income for the tax year. Those unused items cluttering closets can be donated to…

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Who is a minister for federal tax purposes?

Ministers are individuals who are duly ordained, commissioned, or licensed by a religious body constituting a church or church denomination. They are given the authority to conduct religious worship, perform sacerdotal functions, and administer ordinances or sacraments according to the prescribed tenets and practices of that church or denomination. If a church or denomination ordains…

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Clergy Compensation Package

The 1986 Tax Reform Act, the 1987 Omnibus Budget Reconciliation, Technical Correction Act of 1988, and the 1993 Reconciliation Act made the most sweeping changes in almost 50 years. The law is not simple. Your salary package is the most important factor in determining your annual tax liability. At year end, you are limited in…

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Understanding Clergy W-2 Forms

Clergy Financial Resources has created an “Understanding Clergy W-2 Forms” This PDF helps identify what needs to go in each box of a Clergy W-2. Click on the link below to access the file. Understanding Clergy W-2’s Source: Clergy Financial Resources https://www.clergyfinancial.com Clergy Financial Resources is a national accounting and finance organization serving churches and…

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