Skip to main content

Classifying Church Leaders as Non-Employees

By
Question:

A church wishes to pay several of its key leaders a monthly amount of about $250 per individual. Is it possible to do this without them becoming employees? If so, what are the limitations to the church compensating to them?

Answer:

It must be determined whether these individuals are employees or non-employees. Details within the answer provided in an April 21, 2009, blog post will help in determining this.

Church Worker: Employee or Independent Contractor

Since the church, it is assumed, controls what the key leaders do, they will most likely be considered employees. In the rare situation that key leaders could be classified as non-employees, the church must issue Form 1099-MISC to individuals whose compensation is $600 or more. But we can only think of one example of non-employee status in the situation of compensating "key leaders" -- circuit-riding preachers of a day gone by.
  
For the sake of information, a second issue to consider here is whether their jobs are ministerial in nature. 

Non-ministerial compensation is subject to FICA and income tax withholding, and not eligible for housing allowance. Ministerial income is, by statute, not subject to mandatory withholding and eligible for housing allowance and otter benefits limited to ministers. Both classes of employee receive Form W-2.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rental of a Church Parsonage to a Non-Minister

By
Question: A church owns a parsonage, but the pastor does not use it as he owns his own home. The church rents the parsonage to a tenant other than a minister or employee of the church. Will the church be responsible for paying income tax on these monies as Unrelated Business Income (filing a Form 990-T) even if the money is used to carry on the business of the church? Answer: Whether the money is used for church purposes is irrelevant.  IRS Publication 598  states: "If an exempt organization regularly carries on a trade or business not substantially related to its exempt purpose, except that it provides funds to carry out that purpose, the organization is subject to tax on its income from that unrelated trade or business." Fortunately, in the case of rental income from real property, such income is "excluded in computing unrelated business taxable income" (Publication 598). Caution: see content below regarding debt-financed property.  However, a second concern not a...
Post a Comment
Read more

How can my ministry expenses be covered by the church?

By
     How can my ministry expenses be covered?                            Many ministers use their personal autos for ministry purposes. Their employers can reimburse these costs using a standard mileage rate published by the IRS. The per mile rate represents employees’ entire reimbursable cost other than highway tolls and parking tabs. If not covered by use of the ministries’ credit card, other costs can be reimbursed as well—business and travel meals, lodging, office supplies, and professional library purchases among them. Some ministries reimburse travel costs using per-diems published by the IRS. If employee business expenses are not reimbursed, the personal tax deduction benefit to the individual minister is severely limited. Non-taxable reimbursements after documentation is provided to the employer follows IRS rules for accountable plans. Non-taxable cash advances before expenses are in...
Post a Comment
Read more

What is the best retirement account for a Minister?

By
       What are my options for retirement savings?                  Regardless of options, start now! You probably have learned about traditional and Roth IRAs. We have often found them well short of the benefits we will share here regarding Internal Revenue Code section 403(b) plans. These plans must be established by your employer (although you might need to be the initiator). They are funded in two ways—withholding from your paycheck at your option (called “elective deferrals”) and as initiated by the employer (matching or non-elective contributions). These contributions not only save income tax, but they also reduce the income you must report as subject to the 15.3% SECA tax. Further, at retirement with the cooperation of your church or Christian ministry the distributions to you can be tax-free to the extent of your qualified housing expenses. Many ministries also adopt what are often called “FICA alternative” be...
Post a Comment
Read more