Exempting from SE Tax

by Randall
(Texas)

Question regarding Form 4361:

I am a fairly new minister and am afraid I have missed the deadline for filing a form 4361. Are their any extensions for this form or exceptions to the rule? I had over $400 earned income in both 2007 and 2008. Is it too late?

Answer

Yes. The IRS is pretty strict on this issue. You would have had to file an IRS Form 4361 that states for religious beliefs you oppose paying social security taxes within that 2 year window.

However...I attended a tax conference many years ago that stated there were some loopholes to that strict ruling such as changing ministry affiliations, but I could personally never find such a loophole in the research I did. So if you are religiously opposed to paying SE tax, you may want to consult a CPA.

Hope this helps,



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