taxes Tag

Guidance Issued To Implement Presidential Memorandum Deferring Certain Employee Social Security Tax Withholding

WASHINGTON – The Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service today issued guidance implementing the Presidential Memorandum issued on Aug. 8, 2020, allowing employers to defer withholding and payment of the employee’s portion of the Social Security tax if the employee’s wages are below a...

31 August, 2020

How To Report Nonemployee Compensation And Backup Withholding

There is a new Form 1099-NEC, Nonemployee Compensation for business taxpayers who pay or receive nonemployee compensation. Starting in tax year 2020, payers must complete this form to report any payment of $600 or more to a payee. Generally, payers must file Form 1099-NEC by January 31....

21 August, 2020

Employee Loans and Their Tax Consequences

A salary, or wage, advance is a type of short-term loan from an employer to an employee. The employee receiving the advance must pay back the money within a specified time frame, as dictated by the company's salary advance policy. Under federal law, employers can make...

22 January, 2020

Opting Out of Social Security for Clergy Staff

A minister who wishes to be exempt from social security/Medicare tax must file a Form 4361 with the IRS for approval. Before your application can be approved, the IRS must verify that you are aware of the grounds for exemption and that you want the...

16 May, 2019

Claiming the Housing Allowance During Interim Ministry

Churches normally hire an interim minister for the time between the departure of a pastor and the calling of a new pastor or a “sabbatical interim pastor” when a pastor is granted sabbatical leave. Full-time, interim ministers are usually paid on the same scale as...

09 May, 2019

Flat Dollar Reimbursements Considered Taxable by the IRS

Employees often use their personal cell phones for church business. The church requires that they submit monthly expense reports and they’re reimbursed through an accountable plan. The church board wants to ditch the paperwork and just pay flat-dollar allowances to employees every month. Would that be...

02 May, 2019

Do You Need an Official Designation to Receive a Housing Allowance?

The allowance must be officially designated in advance by the church. The designation should be stated in writing, preferably by resolution of the governing body and/or in an employment contract. In addition, the designation should be recorded in the church budget and payroll records. If the only reference...

25 April, 2019

Estimated Taxes Form and Publication Can Help Clergy Staff and Others Pay the Right Amount in 2019

WASHINGTON –The Internal Revenue Service recently reminded self-employed individuals, retirees, investors and others who pay their taxes quarterly that the first estimated tax payment for tax year 2019 is due Monday, April 15, 2019, for most taxpayers. A 2018 tax return and 2019 Form 1040-ES,...

11 April, 2019

Tax reform brings changes to fringe benefits that can affect an employer’s bottom line

The IRS reminds employers that several programs have been affected as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed last year. This includes changes to fringe benefits, which can affect an employer's bottom line and its employees' deductions. Here’s information about some of these...

06 March, 2019

How Valuable is the Housing Allowance for Ministers?

For qualifying ministers, the housing allowance is an invaluable tax benefit—in fact, according to attorney and Church Law & Tax senior editor Richard Hammar, it’s “the most important tax benefit available to ministers.” In October 2017, however, a federal judge in Wisconsin ruled the ministerial housing...

30 August, 2018