NA CHChurch Accountant Advice

"Just a little advice from my mentor"

For more information on individual minister & church taxes

please contact a certified public accountant (CPA).

Your local yellow pages may list those available in your area, or you can click here for the official IRS website.

Church Accounting with IRS Form 1828
http;//www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1828.pdf

Check out this IRS webpage.  Print it if you like.  It's free from the Government.

There is a publication free for Ministers for their income tax too.  The link is below to Publication 517.
It too is a booklet and can be printed and freely distributed because it is from the Government.  517 contains examples.

There is much misinformation floating around.  Read these publications for yourself and do your own taxes next year. 

There are free websites you can access from the IRS website that will allow you to do your own taxes for free. 

Ministers you keep the records.  That is the hard part.  Don't pay someone else to fill out a form for you.

Remember the Truth sets you free.  When you have the boldness to do for yourself then my job is done.

Social Security and Other Information for Members of the Clergy and Religious Workers.
For use in preparing 2005 Returns
Publication 517
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p517.pdf

Note to District Church Secretaries & Pastors

Please keep up with the average number of people attending

your Sunday morning services as well as Sunday School. 

Just write down the number of people attending each week for a year

and then divide by the number of services to get the average.

We would also need the number saved, number sanctified,

number that received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and the  numbers of

new members, water baptisms, members dropped and an itemized

list of members lost due to death giving their names and dates. 

In case you wondered about your income tax.  You cannot deduct your travel from your home to church each Sunday.

If you do you are violating IRS rules no matter what your CPA or tax preparer says or does.  I

f this were a deductible expense then every other taxpayer in America could deduct the cost for showing up at work.

Sometimes a minister does have to pay additional income tax and write a check to the U. S. Treasury. 

This is normal for those of us who don't have ministerial income.  We appreciate it when  ministers pay their  taxes without complaining.

Remember if you cut your taxes you also  cut your social security contributions and when you apply for social security benefits they will be less.