Browsing Category Housing

Video: Q&A: Do Life Care Facilities Qualify for the Housing Allowance?

Video: Q&A: Do Life Care Facilities Qualify for the Housing Allowance?

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https://youtu.be/HS-v_wlFMVY Can money in a 403(b) be claimed as a housing allowance in retirement for someone living in a life care facility where the cost includes meals and medical care? How should that situation be handled?

Video: Q&A: Can Cell Phones Be Housing Expenses?

Video: Q&A: Can Cell Phones Be Housing Expenses?

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https://youtu.be/hfVcZtotFAk Do cell phones qualify for the clergy housing allowance? If not, is there any way for a church to cover the cost for their pastor?

Video: Q&A: How does the housing allowance work without a mortgage?

Video: Q&A: How does the housing allowance work without a mortgage?

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https://youtu.be/AU-lyT_PoyA A look at how the clergy housing allowance works and why you can still claim it even without a mortgage.

Video: Q&A: How Do You Get The Housing Allowance For A Pastor?

Video: Q&A: How Do You Get The Housing Allowance For A Pastor?

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https://youtu.be/zJAcMvgZBpc Here's a step-by-step description of how to set a housing allowance for a pastor, what needs to be done throughout the year, how to report it to the IRS, and what to do if you have excess housing allowance.

The 4 Most Important Retirement Planning Decisions Ministers Need to Make

The 4 Most Important Retirement Planning Decisions Ministers Need to Make

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This is a guest post by Chris Cagle, author of RetirementStewardship.com and The Minister's Retirement book. I recently published a book review on his book and it got such a good reception that I asked him to write something specifically for you. In my book, The Minister’s Retirement, I address many of the fundamental questions that pastors have about planning for, and living in, retirement. Wise planning involves making decisions consistent with biblical stewardship principles and implemented using wisdom and practical ...

How Do You Report Your Clergy Housing Allowance To The IRS?

How Do You Report Your Clergy Housing Allowance To The IRS?

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This is an excerpt from my book, The Pastor’s Wallet Complete Guide to the Clergy Housing Allowance:  The church is not required to report the housing allowance to the IRS. Unless a church includes it in an informational section on Form W-2, the IRS and the Social Security Administration (SSA) are only made aware of the housing allowance when a minister files Schedule SE to pay Social Security taxes under SECA.  Form W-2 You should review your Form W-2 that you receive every ...

Video: Q&A: Changing Your Minister’s Housing Allowance

Video: Q&A: Changing Your Minister’s Housing Allowance

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https://youtu.be/WiXnvxb1uCA In today's video, Amy answers a question from a Pastor's Wallet reader who recently moved and wants to know if they can change their housing allowance after it has already been set by the elders.

When Should A Pastor Request A Housing Allowance?

When Should A Pastor Request A Housing Allowance?

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Any time you want tax-free housing! While that answer is true, here is an excerpt from my book, The Pastor’s Wallet Complete Guide to the Clergy Housing Allowance, that will provide a bit more depth:  Timing Timing is very important when it comes to the housing allowance. A housing allowance can only be paid prospectively, not retroactively. That means you cannot go back in time. You can only take a housing allowance after it has been designated; any expenses incurred prior to the ...

What To Do If Your Clergy Housing Allowance Exceeds Your Actual Expenses

What To Do If Your Clergy Housing Allowance Exceeds Your Actual Expenses

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As we all know, nothing went quite as expected in 2020. In fact, for most of us, nothing went anywhere close to expected! Maybe you were planning on doing some work on your home and things got shut down because of COVID-19. Perhaps you were planning on spending some money on items for your home, but COVID-19 made you tighten your budget. Or things just didn't go according to plan and it had nothing to do with COVID-19! (But we're ...

Who Is Responsible For The Clergy Housing Allowance: The Pastor Or The Church?

Who Is Responsible For The Clergy Housing Allowance: The Pastor Or The Church?

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This is an excerpt from my book, The Pastor’s Wallet Complete Guide to the Clergy Housing Allowance:  Pastor Housing Allowance Responsibilities Pastor, when it comes to the housing allowance, you’re the man (or woman). If you want the tax savings that the clergy housing allowance provides, it’s on you. It’s not the church’s responsibility, it’s yours. You are the one who has to calculate your anticipated expenses for the year, submit them to your church, and make sure they approve it in ...