MinistryCPA - Corey A. Pfaffe, CPA, LLC

Question: A church pastor is wondering how to deduct meal and entertainment expenses when he and his wife host gatherings at their house. Is there a set amount he can deduct for each meal served? Or does he need to deduct the actual costs?  Answer: Meal and entertainment expenses are deductible or reimbursable (by the employer) if they are ordinary and necessary and are either directly related to or associated with the pastor's responsibilities. If the pastor is reimbursed by the church, he cannot claim the expenses as a deduction. Since it is difficult to precisely document the cost of meals served in the home, a reasonable cost per meal is generally allowable. Here is a quote from page 67 of Worth's Income Tax Guide for Ministers, 2012 Edition :  A reasonable amount per meal, depending on your actual circumstances and services practices, might vary between $8.00 to $11.00 per meal. Those afternoon meetings with refreshments, or after evening service snacks for th...

Question: Are 403(b) retirement plan contributions made on behalf of the minister by the church subject to FICA tax? (The amount contributed was not deducted from the minister's salary; it was made by the church as an employee benefit.) Answer: Simply put, employ er contributions are not subject to FICA tax. However, this is a good opportunity to review elective deferrals . Elective deferrals are monies chosen by employees to be deducted from their paychecks and contributed to the employer-sponsored retirement plan.  Non-minister employees who choose elective deferrals do not reduce the amount of FICA wages that need to be reported. In other words, the elective deferral s are subject to FICA tax.  Ministerial employees are not subject to FICA tax in the first place (read our March 21, 2011 blog post for more info). Therefore, any monies the minister defers to the employer-sponsored retirement plan are not subject to FICA tax.  For a review on the 403(b...

Question: According to Revenue Rulings 58-359 and 63-156, retirement distributions to a pastor may be designated as housing allowance if they come from a church plan . Does a 401(k) plan sponsored by the church qualify as a church plan ? Answer: Normally, non-profit organizations set up 403(b) retirement plans for its employees while for-profit organizations establish 401(k) retirement plans. For churches, one of the benefits of implementing a 403(b) plan is that the retirement distributions to a pastor can be designated as a housing allowance (tax-free compensation). Here are a couple of blog posts that we have written on the matter: 403(b) Retirement Distributed as Housing Allowance Housing Designation of 403(b) Plan Retirement Distributions    According to The Minister Audit Techniques Guide , "...the retired minister may exclude from net earnings from self-employment any retirement benefits received from a church plan (our emphasis). Rev. Rul. 58-3...