MinistryCPA - Corey A. Pfaffe, CPA, LLC

Question: At the end of each calendar year, a church has several members who make cash contributions to projects which the members have pledged to support in the upcoming year.  The church uses the modified cash basis of accounting. Believing that IRS regulations so require, the church's year end statement includes the donation even though it is designated for the next year.  For book purposes, can the church record the donation in a liability account as a "prepaid donation" rather than recognizing it as income in the year of receipt?  Answer: Taxpayers' donations are considered to be on a cash basis, so the understanding above is correct: the donor's year-end statement must include the donation even though it is designated for a project the church will emphasize in the next year.  If the church's financial statements are for internal purposes only (and they likely are since the modified-cash basis is not consistent with full-accrual GAAP accounting ...

Generally, contributions to an employee's 403(b) account are limited to the lesser of: the limit on annual additions, or the elective deferral limit The limit on elective deferrals - the most an employee can contribute to a 403(b) account of salary - is $17,500 in 2014. The elective deferral limit for 2015 will be $18,000.  Employees who are age 50+ at the end of the calendar year can also make catch-up contributions of $5,500 in 2014 and $6,000 in 2015 beyond the basic limit on elective deferrals. The limit on annual additions (the combination of all employer contributions and employee elective deferrals to all 403(b) accounts) generally is the lesser of: $52,000 for 2014 ($53,000 for 2015), or 100% of includible compensation for the employee's most recent year of service.  Generally, includible compensation is the amount of taxable wages and benefits the employee received in the employee's most recent full year of service. If you 403(b) plan doesn't li...

Question: Our non-profit organization (NPO) participates in the Amazon affiliate program . We offer books on our website specifically related to our organization's exempt purpose. In addition, we also provide a link for individuals to purchase other non-related items from the Amazon website.  Are there any tax considerations our NPO needs to be aware of? Answer: There are three conditions that must be met in order for certain income producing activities to be taxed as Unrelated Business Tax Income (UBTI). Those three conditions that determine if an activity generates unrelated business income (UBI) are the following: Is the activity a trade or business? Is the activity regularly carried on? Is the activity not substantially related to the exempt purpose? If the answer is yes to each of the above conditions, it is likely the income producing activity is subject to UBTI, as defined under Internal Revenue Code Sections 512 and 513. We are familiar with a couple ways of...

Yesterday, the Chicago-based 7th Court of Appeals rejected a case brought by the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) that would have declared tax-exempt housing allowances unconstitutional. The court overturned a previous ruling in favor of FFRF by claiming that FFRF lacked "standing" because the law did not affect them.  Had the court of appeals upheld the previous ruling, thousands of clergy would have been affected by an increase in income taxes. This news comes as an encouragement to us at MinistryCPA and to the clients we serve. Although FFRF vows to appeal their case to the Supreme Court, the court of appeal's decision sets a strong precedence in favor of clergy.

Question: I am a minister and I have lived in a parsonage for 40 years. I hope to retire soon and travel around as a non-paid volunteer to assist small churches in rural areas.  I am considering buying a motorhome (or RV). Can a motorhome qualify as a principal place of residence? Answer: Many individuals who own a motorhome ask this similar question: "Can my motorhome count as my second home?" The reason people ask this question is because there are tax benefits to claiming a motorhome as a second (or only) home. For example, the interest on a loan for the motorhome can qualify as a tax deduction, and an individual may be able to deduct a portion of the sales tax paid on a new motorhome. Also, some states allow a portion of the RV's vehicle registration to be deducted.  There are a few basic requirements that must be met to claim a motorhome as a second (or only) home. For example, it must have on-board permanently mounted sleeping, eating, and bathroom facilit...

Over the past few weeks, we have written on the requirements to comply with the Affordable Care Act. If an individual does not have insurance that qualifies as minimum essential coverage, the individual will pay either a percentage of his or her household income or a flat fee -- whichever is higher. The figures below are taken from HealthCare.gov . 2014 Fee If you don't have coverage in 2014, you will have to pay the higher of these two figures:  1% of your yearly household income The maximum penalty is the national average premium for a bronze plan $95 per person for the year ($47.50 per child under 18) The maximum penalty per family who chooses to use this method is $285 2015 Fee If you don't have coverage in 2015, you will have to pay the higher of these two figures:  2% of your yearly household income The maximum penalty is the national average premium for a bronze plan $325 per person for the year ($162.50 per child under 18) The maximum penalty...