Question:
As a pastor, am I an employee of the church or am I self-employed?
Answer:
The answer is "yes" to both. Most ministers are considered employees in every respect except for the purposes of paying self-employment tax (SECA), which includes Medicare and Social Security tax. This means that they are eligible for virtually all employee benefits that are given favorable tax treatment in the Internal Revenue Code. Many of these benefits are unavailable to the typical self-employed individual.
Ministers are not permitted to have employee Social Security and Medicare (FICA) withheld and matched by the church. Ministers who have not been granted exemption from SECA tax must pay the entire 15.3% of self-employment tax. Many churches provide additional funds to assist their ministers in the payment of this tax, but this additional compensation, while very helpful, is subject to both income and self-employment tax.
Itinerant evangelists are a common example of ministers who do not have employee status, for they are entirely self-employed.
As a pastor, am I an employee of the church or am I self-employed?
Answer:
The answer is "yes" to both. Most ministers are considered employees in every respect except for the purposes of paying self-employment tax (SECA), which includes Medicare and Social Security tax. This means that they are eligible for virtually all employee benefits that are given favorable tax treatment in the Internal Revenue Code. Many of these benefits are unavailable to the typical self-employed individual.
Ministers are not permitted to have employee Social Security and Medicare (FICA) withheld and matched by the church. Ministers who have not been granted exemption from SECA tax must pay the entire 15.3% of self-employment tax. Many churches provide additional funds to assist their ministers in the payment of this tax, but this additional compensation, while very helpful, is subject to both income and self-employment tax.
Itinerant evangelists are a common example of ministers who do not have employee status, for they are entirely self-employed.
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