Payroll Services for Churches

Payroll is complicated. There are a lot of tasks, laws, forms, and calculations. With so many things to remember, it’s easy to make a mistake. You should not take payroll errors lightly. Mistakes can result in penalties and interest. 

You are probably not alone if the day you process payroll is your most stressful time of the week. Whether you are the church bookkeeper, treasurer, or human resources professional, managing the church payroll process can be challenging. The risk of missing a deadline, miscalculating a clergy compensation, or forgetting to take a regulatory or tax change into account can throw everything off. You want to make sure employees receive their money on time and ensure the process is as efficient and practical as possible.

When it’s time to choose your payroll provider, asking the right questions can help you choose the right partner for your church. Questions such as “Do you understand the church payroll and clergy tax law?” These answers will help you determine whether the provider has in-depth knowledge of the specific challenges your church may be facing and whether they will help your church with its compliance challenges.

Selecting a payroll company may seem easy at first. The greatest challenge for the church in selecting a payroll company is finding someone who is truly qualified in clergy tax law and church payroll.  Knowledge and experience is critical and ministry leaders must understand these challenges and recognize the need for industry specialists.

For your convenience, we put together an overview comparing our services to secular payroll companies. Churches are amazed at our depth of knowledge relating to clergy tax law, clergy compensation and payroll & HR compliance, which is far superior than any secular payroll company and costs so much less. Compare these advantages and benefits below.

Affordable Pricing

Finally, a payroll company that understands church payroll.

We have an unparalleled tax expertise on the complex issues associated with church payroll, clergy tax law and clergy compensation. Our unparalleled support and service offers the church a valuable resource for questions relating to clergy and other staff members throughout the year. 

Our payroll solutions is a great value for the church with a new fixed pricing and guarantee structure for churches of all sizes. We’ve bundled everything you need into a single, all-inclusive, and competitive price – no additional or hidden add-on charges.

We make payroll easy. We’re dedicated to providing you with accurate and timely payrolls, with as little hassle as possible.

Let us take care of coordinating and processing payroll for your church while you use your time for other ministry needs. You can count on reliable customer service and support.

The basic monthly fee starts as low as $68 per month*. This fee covers everything for the church and employee, including:

  • Unlimited number of payrolls each month
  • Free direct deposit
  • Electronic tax payments
  • Quarterly & year-end tax filings
  • W-2s
  • Live support by phone, chat & e-mail
  • Guaranteed accurate tax calculations

* Basic pricing of $68.00 represents 1-2 employees on a monthly payroll schedule.

Clergy Financial Resources

  • Payroll service designed for churches  (services all inclusive)
  • Fixed monthly cost to fit the church budget
  • Unlimited number of payrolls each month
  • No extra cost for W2 forms
  • No extra cost for federal/state quarterly reports
  • 12 month pricing guarantee
  • Free direct deposit
  • Church Support included
  • Unparalleled tax law experts
  • Real time online reporting
  • Single point support contact available
  • Clergy withholding in lieu of quarterly tax payments

Secular Payroll Companies

  • Payroll service designed for businesses
  • Variable cost for each pay period and service
  • Additional cost for each payroll processed
  • Additional cost for W2 forms
  • Additional cost based on payroll plan
  • No pricing guarantee
  • Additional cost based on payroll plan
  • Does not provide Church Support
  • No clergy tax law knowledge
  • Call center
  • Additional cost for corrections
  • No optional withholding option available

 
Save time and money, so you can focus on your ministry.

What if you have a payroll solution that isn’t working? Thankfully, we have the knowledge and technology to make it easier than ever to switch.

Large payroll companies may be great for large secular businesses. However, they only provide payroll service and do not provide any guidance or adequate knowledge relating to clergy compensation, PARP, pension accounts, clergy W-2 forms, etc.  A secular payroll company only knows what you tell them.  If your payroll contact person does not have an accurate and up-to-date knowledge of standard tax law and clergy tax law, your payroll can become nothing more than an exercise in wrongdoing. Last year, 60% of clergy W-2 forms were issued in error by churches and secular payroll companies. 

Payroll is a very important aspect of every church, so choosing the best payroll services is imperative. Running payroll is not only about ensuring employees get compensated, but also about making sure their hours are accurate, staying compliant with clergy tax law and supporting you throughout the process.

Church payroll is unlike regular business payroll. Unfortunately there are necessities to running a church that must get done.  There are the daily tasks to ensure accurate and timely paychecks, filing payroll forms, taxes and the list goes on.  So a church has to make a decision: Am I going to try and handle this in-house myself or outsource to a payroll provider?  Benefits of Outsourcing Church Payroll.

Clergy Financial Resources’ online payroll and HR management is designed for churches that want control and flexibility 24/7.  You simply go online and process when you want, where you want. You won’t need to play phone tag  in order to process your payroll. You’ll never have to wait for your paycheck, pay stubs or payroll reports to be delivered. All your payroll reports are available at your fingertips.  Plus, you can make direct changes to your payroll data without waiting for a payroll service administrator.