Which Employees Are Entitled to Earn Overtime Pay

The church must pay overtime to all eligible employees unless they fit into an exception to the law. If you fall into one of these exception categories, you are “exempt” from the federal overtime law, which means you are not entitled to overtime. executive, administrative, and professional employees who are paid on a salary basis  independent…

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-Are preschool teachers subject to overtime-

The Department of Labor, which enforces the ELSA, does not consider preschool and day care workers to be “teachers” under the provisions of the FLSA. The Department takes this position even if the pre-school program incorporates educational activities designed to prepare young children for kindergarten. Given these facts, here are some general principles relating to…

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How Can Clergy Pay Estimated Taxes?

How to pay estimated tax. You normally make estimated tax payments four times a year. The dates that apply to most people for 2016 are April 18, June 15 and Sept. 15. There is one last payment on Jan. 17, 2017. You can pay online, by phone or from your mobile device. Direct Pay is…

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Is your Gift Taxable?

If you gave money or property to someone as a gift, you may wonder about the federal gift tax. Many gifts are not subject to the gift tax. Here are six tax tips for gifts and the gift tax. Nontaxable Gifts. The general rule is that any gift is a taxable gift. However, there are…

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Down Payment Qualify for Housing Allowance?

A down payment on a home may be excluded from income as a housing allowance, assuming it does not exceed housing limitation. You can exclude the lowest of the following three amounts from income for federal income tax purposes when the church or pension properly designates a housing allowance: The housing allowance designated by the…

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Is Clergy Auto Allowance taxable?

An auto or gas allowance is a cash payment given to you each pay period by the church for the purpose of covering your automobile ministry expenses. When you receive an auto allowance, it is considered taxable “compensation” and included with your wages reported in Box 1 on Form W-2. Federal tax law allows you…

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Can I amend my housing allowance?

The housing allowance resolution can be amended at any time. However, it can only be applied prospectively. A pastor’s amended housing allowance must be established or designated by the church. The preferred way to do this is for the church council/board to adopt the housing amendment resolution in the minutes of the meeting.

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How long should we keep employment records

We always recommend to keep all employment tax records for at least six years after filing the 4th quarter for the year. Records should include: Your employer identification number. Amounts and dates of all wage, annuity, and pension payments. The fair market value of in-kind wages paid. Names, addresses, social security numbers, and occupations of…

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What is FICA?

The Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) is a U.S. law requiring a deduction from paychecks and income that goes toward the Social Security program and Medicare. Both employees and employers are responsible for sharing the FICA payments. The church is required to pay Social Security and Medicare (FICA) taxes on all  non-clergy employees.  All nonprofits must withhold…

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Can the housing allowance resolution be amended mid-year?

The housing allowance resolution can be adopted or amended at any time during the year. However, it can only be applied prospectively, not retroactively. It is important for the housing allowance resolution to be adopted by the church council prior to each calendar year (or prior to the start date), which would accurately reflect the…

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