MinistryCPA - Corey A. Pfaffe, CPA, LLC

One of the most important responsibilities of a not-for-profit board is financial oversight. But for board members who do not have an accounting background, financial statements can sometimes feel like a collection of numbers without much explanation. The good news is that you do not have to become an accounting expert to be able to learn meaningful information from your organization's financial reports. The two primary reports to review are the Balance Sheet, also called the Statement of Financial Position, and the Income Statement or Statement of Activities. The primary goal when reviewing these reports is not to determine if the numbers look right, but to understand the organization's current financial position, identify potential concerns, and determine whether actual results are consistent with the budget the board approved at the beginning of the year.  Balance Sheet The balance sheet provides a brief overview of the organization's financial position at a particular p...

Many organizations want to help employees continue their education, pursue professional certifications, or develop new skills. They are often surprised to learn that employer-paid tuition and education expenses are generally taxable compensation for the employee unless specific exceptions apply. The tax code allows for two primary programs  that organizations can implement to provide tax-free benefits to their employees. Understanding these options and when they should be used can help organizations support employee development while avoiding potential payroll issues. Educational Assistance Programs The first program is an educational assistance program (EAP) established under Section 127 of the Internal Revenue Code. This approach allows employers to provide up to $5,250 for each employee, per year, in educational assistance without the amount being included in the employee's taxable wages. One of the biggest benefits of this plan is that the education does not need to be rela...

Who determines a minister's housing allowance and the fair rental value of a parsonage?  When beginning a new pastoral position there are often many questions that the pastor and the church may have. The most common questions are concerning housing allowance (Who determines the amount of the allowance and how is it designated?) or parsonage fair rental value (How does this determination affect compensation?). This post discusses the unique aspects of each of these pastoral housing methods, and answers some of the common questions. Housing Allowance  A housing allowance is a non-taxable benefit that is available only to ministers, and is received as a designated portion of the pastor's salary to pay for housing that he owns or rents himself. Other non-ministerial members of the church staff are not eligible. To establish a housing allowance, the minister must have the amount officially designated by the church's governing body, whether that is the deacon board or the finance...

Many sole proprietors start their businesses using their Social Security Number for tax and banking purposes. While this is allowed, it can expose personal information which is not ideal for small business owners. If you are a sole proprietor, applying for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) is a simple, free way to protect your privacy and give your business a more professional presence. Why Should Sole Proprietors have an EIN? An EIN is a unique nine-digit number given by the IRS to identify your business for tax purposes. It acts as the business's social security number and can be used on tax forms, bank accounts, and business licenses. Having an EIN allows business owners to protect their privacy by using the EIN in place of their social security number. An EIN can also simplify taxes and banking for your small business, as it is often required to open a business bank account or apply for business licenses. Even if you are the only person in your business, getting an EIN ...

Wisconsin recently passed a new law that allows seniors to reduce their state taxable income by excluding a portion of their retirement income. Starting after December 31, 2024, individuals who are at least 67 years old by the end of the 2025 tax year can subtract up to $24,000 of eligible retirement income on their Wisconsin state 2025 income tax return when filing in early 2026. If you’re married filing jointly and both you and your spouse are 67 or older, you may subtract up to $48,000. Eligible retirement income includes payments from qualified retirement plans, such as a 401 (k), and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA), as long as they aren’t already excluded under other state or federal rules. For part-year residents of Wisconsin, the amount you can subtract is a prorated amount. Nonresidents cannot claim this subtraction. This subtraction directly reduces your Wisconsin taxable income, but it does not reduce federal income.

Your family’s financial health can be diagnosed in myriad ways. At MinistryCPA, we have developed a financial health screening exercise that may lead to “prevention conversations”. Truthfully, it’s not all about financial health. But our Financial Health Questionnaire will likely lead to important chats that can prepare your family for a variety of life challenges. The instrument is a work-in-progress for us, so your feedback and suggestions will be most welcome. Follow this link ( Financial Health Questionnaire ) or access it online under Resources at www.Ministry.CPA .

 It’s not an audit . It’s not even a formal CPA review . But our Operational Review Survey can offer your not-for-profit organization a trial run at self-assessing the ways it handles 1) revenues, 2) expenditures, 3) financial and management reporting, and 4) compensation and other financial matters. Parts of the survey may be “Greek” to your organization or, even, irrelevant. We use it as a start to our process of consulting organizations that seek opportunities for self-improvement. The instrument is a work-in-progress for us, so your feedback and suggestions will be most welcome. Follow this link ( Operational Review Survey ) or access it online under Resources at www.Ministry.CPA .

Charitable contributions are the lifeblood for most not-for-profit organizations. Every two or three years, we seek to update our Donor Management Platform Recommendations resource. The latest iteration (March 2024) compares nine programs, their costs and very brief notes or comments. It also lists contact information. Of course, it is not exhaustive and is out-of-date the moment we upload it. But if your organization is exploring new options, it offers a start. The .pdf is a work-in-progress for us, so your feedback and suggestions will be most welcome. Follow this link ( Donor Management Platform Recommendations ) or access it online under Resources at www.Ministry.CPA .

       What do I need to learn about church and Christian ministry finances?                Most of your formal training was in theology and meant to equip you for pulpit and one-on-one ministry, not organizational leadership. And there’s a lot to learn. Hopefully, as a 1 st time minister you’ll have good mentors both from more experienced ministers and from godly lay people. The Bible has much to say about financial matters. Study for yourself but also learn from others who have been devoted to its practical study. Offerings must be recorded and deposited. Expenses must be authorized and documented. Financial reports must be generated and communicated. Employees must be compensated and evaluated. Properties must be protected and maintained. Plans must be formed and implemented. Policies must be adopted and observed. See! It’s a lot! And many of these skills are not gained by “book learning.” They are learned by watching...

     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...

       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...

    What are my options for health coverage as a minister?                       Many churches and Christian organizations have discontinued providing employer-paid group health plans. In lieu of paying out extremely expensive, one-size-fits-all insurance premiums, some have opted to provide taxable stipends and let employees shop for their own coverage. The good news: you can choose your own. The bad news: the stipend may not be enough and securing coverage can be complicated. Health care sharing plan options can be more economical. But they don’t qualify as standard health insurance: health care providers can balk, and the monthly subscriptions are not tax deductible. The Marketplace ( www.healthcare.gov ) offers alternatives, including advance premium tax credits to help with the monthly costs. Watch out for unpleasant surprises, however, since the tax credits must be reassessed when you file your annual Form...

Can I “opt out” of paying SECA tax on my ministerial income?        Maybe. But it’s rarely a good idea. To apply for exemption, ministers within their first two years of employment file federal Form 4361. It involves agreeing with a conscientious objection that for purposes of your ministerial income (and only your ministerial income) you are opposed to the government taking responsibility for your financial protection “in the event of death, disability, old age, or retirement” when you believe it is the responsibility of your church or Christian ministry to provide for these needs. Read the Form to see if you agree with this interpretation. Of course, if you “opt out” then you must carefully invest the savings of not paying the 15.3% SECA tax. If you earn at least 40 quarters of non-ministry employment you will still qualify for Medicare insurance at age 65 (under current law) and earn a small social security retirement benefit (learn more at www.ssa.gov ). But you ...

        What should I do for a housing allowance?                  Good! You’ve heard about it. For a long time, ministers have been able to live in a church parsonage without paying income tax on the benefit (except for state income tax purposes in Pennsylvania). But you do owe the 15.3% SECA tax on its fair rental value, just not income tax. The same is true if you are purchasing or renting your own home. The amount of cash income you can exclude in those cases is the lowest of three amounts: 1) The amount of your cash compensation that your employer designates as housing (in lieu of providing you a parsonage to live in), 2) the amount you actually spend for housing, just not food or servants (it’s a very old rule), and 3) the fair rental value of your home, plus the cost of your utilities. It almost all cases, we recommend that you “guess high.” You never know what surprises might come in terms of your ...

How do I know whether I’m a minister or a non-minister employee?        This is typically a more important question than one might think. Ministers must pay all of their own SECA tax, but they are also eligible for other very favorable benefits. For example, ministers can exclude from income tax the value of free housing while living in a parsonage. Even if they are purchasing or renting their own home, a portion of their cash compensation can be designated as an income tax free housing allowance. (More about that later.) And retirement benefits for ministers offer significant advantages that are not available to non-ministers. (Again, more about that later.) Okay, here’s the answer: ministers are employed “in the exercise of their ministry.” IRS Treasury Regulations offer examples: 1) services performed by duly ordained, licensed or commissioned individuals; 2) individuals conducting sacerdotal functions like baptisms, communion, marriages, and funerals; and 3) lead...

Encouraging QCDs (Qualified Charitable Distributions) — Church and NFP Actions Since January 1, 2018, generous supporters at least 70½ years old have enjoyed a new means of giving. No longer should they find themselves withdrawing funds from their Individual Retirement Accounts ( and paying tax ) only to make charitable contributions that have no tax deduction benefit. To recall, these donors can have their IRA companies withdraw from their retirement investments, sending the distributions directly to the charities of their choice. They cannot deduct the amounts as tax write-offs, but neither do they owe tax on the distributions. These distributions also satisfy IRS rules for annual Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) that are mandatory beginning at age 73. How can your church or NFP assist these donors? 1.       Educate. Make sure your supporters understand QCD rules and processes. Encourage them to ask their IRA investment advisors for clear instructio...

      What does it mean to be a dual status employee?                  A minister, per IRS regulations, is both an employee and self-employed— dual status . As an employee, a minister is eligible for all fringe benefits offered to non-minister employees — health coverage, retirement plans and so on. The exception lies in social security and Medicare tax. Non-minister employees must have 7.65% of their wages withheld to pay for one half of their social security and Medicare taxes (it’s called FICA tax). Their employers forward this withholding to the IRS along with a matching 7.65% — a total of 15.3%. As a minister employee serving church and other ministry employers you must pay your own social security and Medicare taxes—all of it, 15.3% (it’s called SECA tax).  This excerpt is a portion of our top 10 list for new ministers. If you would like to see all of the frequently asked questions ministers have you can visit ...

     How can I live within my means?                  You need a budget. Enjoying a long-term ministry in Christian service requires an ability to live within your means. Lots of tools are available: Christian authors with “how to” instructions and online apps, to name a couple. Try You Need a Budget ( www.ynab.com ), if you need an idea. This excerpt is a portion of our top 10 list for new ministers. If you would like to see all of the frequently asked questions ministers have you can visit this  link . 

New ministers frequently have several questions as they enter a new field that has significantly different rules than the standard employee of a business has. We have assembled a list of some of the most important questions that a new minister should investigate when starting their new job.  1. How can I live within my means? You need a budget. Enjoying a long-term ministry in Christian service requires an ability to live within your means. Lots of tools are available: Christian authors with “how to” instructions and online apps, to name a couple. Try You Need a Budget (www.ynab.com), if you need an idea. 2. What does it mean to be a dual status employee? A minister, per IRS regulations, is both an employee and self-employed—dual status. As an employee, a minister is eligible for all fringe benefits offered to non-minister employees — health coverage, retirement plans and so on. The exception lies in social security and Medicare tax. Non-minister employees must have 7.65% of thei...

  QuickBooks Warning for QB Desktop 2021 :   QB Desktop Pro, Premier, Enterprise, Accountant, & Mac 2021 versions are facing a service discontinuation after May 31, 2024. What this means : You can still use your desktop product but will no longer have access to QuickBooks Desktop Payroll, Desktop Payments, live technical support, Online Backup, Online Banking, and other services through QuickBooks Desktop 2021. QB will not provide security updates after June 1, 2024. The 2021 discontinuation warning is not new, but Intuit’s July 31, 2024 product announcement will change the landscape.   After July 31st – Intuit will only be offering QB Desktop Enterprise for new subscribers. The only entities who will still be able to continue to use their current desktop product’s full functionality and receive security updates will be those who have an existing active subscription by July 31, 2024.   Intuit has publicly stated, “all future innovation will happen in Quick...